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"of the drain at this point, " completely broken in, and the drain "filled with boulders and sand. The bottom of the drain was intact but " the sides and top for 6 feet were gone, and I could not discover the stones belonging to this part of the drain.
I do not think it possible for anyone to say what volume of water was discharged into the "old drain" on the night of the storm. The catch water drain may have been choked. I found it choked the day I visited it in company with Mr. Bowdler (Acting Surveyor General), and, if a similar storm to that of 22nd May 1878 had occurred the night of my visit, a very large proportion of the water from the hill-side would have found its way into the Seymour Road drain, instead of passing along through the Catch water drain into the Sewer at the top of Peel Street.
I also inclose Mr. Bowdler's contention on the part of the Government. Mr. Bowdler states: The "water by weight found a passage through to the drain below, washing the earth between the boulders away in its descent and causing the foundation stones under the North West Angle of the building (which rested partly on large boulders partly on the earth between the boulders) to cant over, cracking the walls and ceilings above."
"Allowing two square yards of water one foot deep to be over the part of the drain which was found crushed in, the weight of water thereon would be about half a ton. An expert will be better able