PUBLIC RECORD
OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O-885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
17 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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the progress of the works and which apparently had not been covered by insurance, vide paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Crown Agents' letter to Colonial
17. 8. Secretary St. Helena. 105 dated the 5th May, 1904. There is also a certain part of this outlay which is not recoverable, but a reference to the balance sheet (marked To) attached to this Report will shew the amount of these items.
6. Premises on which House Sewers have been constructed number 206. This total includes Colonial Government properties but not War Depart- ment Buildings, the drainage of which has been carried out by the Royal Engineers The actual average cost of house drainage, including materials in hand, breakages, &c., works out at £34 a property. This was the average given by me in paragraph 6 of my letter to the Colonial Secretary dated 14th February, 1905. The total'sum refunded by householders in connec- tion with the drainage of their properties up to the 30th December, 1905, amounts to £2,192 48. 88. of which £1,404 10, 11d. was paid during 1905. It is satisfactory to note that several property owners have settled their accounts in full, whilst many owners have paid much larger instalments than were actually required under the Drainage Ordinance, The result of this has been that of the total amount due by householders for house drainage claims, 30 per cent. was refunded to the Colonial Treasury up to the 31st December, 1905,
"7. The completed system of house drainage works in a most satisfactory manner, and I do not believe that the householders of Jamestown would have now any desire to return again to the old order of things.
"8. Works in the form of catch-water drains have been carried out on the hill-ide behind various properties situated in Market Street between the Central and Upper Burial Grounds. Hitherto these properties, which are situated at the base of the hill, have bad no protection from the storm water which rashes down the hillside during wet weather, frequently flooding the buildings and filling their back yards with stones, gravel, and' other debris, and the new works are intended to intercept the storm-water omits scattered course down the hillside and convey it into the watercourses which exist for the purpose at certain points between the buildings along that part of the town. This will not only afford protection to these properties in times of flood but will also prevent all gullies, which have been placed in the back yards of these premises in connection with the scheme of house drainage, getting blocked with débris carried down by the storm water. These works, whieb are more or less of a temporary nature, have cost a total sum of £6 2x. 4d. to construct; and, as 14 properties benefit by the scheme, the average sum chargeable to each works out at 8a. 9d. a property. This amount of 8. 9d. has been entered in the Drainage Accounts of the several properties concerned.
"Although these works, in order to save a greater outlay, are of a temporary kind, yet it is believed that they may prove effective for a con- siderable time to come, especially if the drains are cleared out after heavy rains, and this could well be done by the scavengers. But should a more permanent scheme be found desirable or necessary at any time in the future, it is recommended that the proposals contained in Minnte No. 151 (Secretariat) of 3rd May, 1905, which, in consequence of the large *pproximate cost were abandoned by His Excellency the Governor, be adopted.
(C.) WATER WORKS.
"9. The reorganization of the water supply, which was commenced on the 25th August, 1902, was completed on the 17th September, 1904. The total cost of this scheme, which is fully dealt with in my report for 1904, amounted to £1,690 8. 2d. The new supply, which is of excellent spring
* Printed at p. 41 of Colonial Reports-Annual, No. 186.
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water, has proved to be more than abundant for the present requirements of Jamestown as well as for the demands of the shipping. It is estimated that about 30 per cent. of the daily yield of the springs overflows and runs to waste at the collecting tanks near the sources of supply during the night when the consumption throughout the town practically ceases.
This waste could at any time be preserved, if required, by the erection of additional storage tanks at a suitable elevation,
10. An arrangement for supplying water to ships direct from the 6-inch main, on the East Wharf, was carried out during the year and has proved a decided succBS". The delivery into the water boats by this method is at the rate of from 75 to 80 tons per hour and the town supply is in nowise un- favourably affected during the process of filling the boats. This favourable state of matters is chiefly the result of the large size of the existing water- main, viz., 6 inches, when a pipe half that diameter would have sufficed for the supply of Jamestown. Two other minor but important improvements to the newly re-constructed water system wore executed during the year, viz., an arrangement at Drummer's Point for introdusing the "Eun" water to supplement the spring supply in the event of fire, and the fixing of two additional hydrants on the 6-inch main at the top end of the town, one These opposite Maldivis House and the other opposite Cambrian House. works were carried out under my supervision, but we paid for by the Public Works Department.
11. Plane have been prepared of the new Water System showing the mains, hydranta, sluice valves, tanks, &c. and copies have been supplied to. the Firemaster for his information.
(D.) HOUSE SERVICES.
12. House services which had been carried on concurrently with house drainage were completed on or about the same date as the latter, the total. cost amounting to £1;353 88. 1ld, bat, as in the case of house drainage, this sum includes the cost of certain piping, fittings, &c, necessary in: con- nection with the maintenance of these works, as well as the breakages in transit. Every property connected with the main sewer has a service pipe- from the water main. The lines of the service piping and the position of all stopcocks, &c., are given on the same plans as those showing the house sewers. 13. Harry Timberley, journeyman plumber, who came out from England in September of 1904 to assist in the plumbing work of house services, returned home on the 19th November last, having performed his agreement in a very satisfactory manner and did much to expedite this section of the works.
"14. Under ordinary circumstances the cost of maintenance of the different works above referred to shoukl be a comparatively small item for many years to come. There are ample materials and fittings of almost all kinds necessary for this purpose left over to meet the requirements of ordinary wear and tear for a long time, and sufficient of many kinds for any possible alterations, extensions, or additional works which may come to be carried out in t'e future. This applies more especially to house drainage and house services. The work of maintaining these schemes in good order will be performed by the scavengers and the permanent Government plumber, so that there will be no extraordinary outlay in that direction. The cost of maintenance is thus reduced to a minimum.
15. With regard to the maintenance of the main sewers, the principal matter for attention is the regular and systematical opening and inspecting of all man-holes throughout the entire system at least once in each month, to note if the flow in the pipes continues uninterrupted, and to cleanse any man-hole which may require it. This should be done by the scavengers under the direction and supervision of the Drainage Authority who should. be responsible for the proper maintenance of the works.