IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, 1852. l4l5 



Ample provision, however, for the passage of the floods 

 at the Rhodes Wood Reservoir was made by leaving a gap 

 in the embankment, which remained open until the two 

 higher reservoirs were so far advanced as to be able to hold 

 all the water which could not be passed through the two 

 pipes of the Rhodes Wood bank. The gap in this embank- 

 ment was then closed, and the embankment raised as rapidly 

 as possible. 



This step, however, was not taken, nor indeed any other 

 which involved the necessity of subsequently depending 

 upon the power of impounding in the reservoirs for security 

 against damage by floods, without first considering what depth 

 of rain could be safely stored in the reservoirs or passed 

 through the pipes. 



Three inches of rain coming off the ground in 24 hours, 

 with a considerable margin for its continuance or for a heavier 

 fall, was adopted as the base of our calculations, being con- 

 sidered as the maximum amount which need be provided for. 

 This quantity the works were always in a condition to receive 

 and pass with safety. It was thought, from previous obser- 

 vation, that it was exceedingly unlikely that a larger fall of 

 rain than this could occur over the whole district, and it was 

 expected that should such a fall take place the rain would 

 then cease, and the reservoirs might be emptied for the recep- 

 tion of another flood. 



Such, then, being the provision which had been made, 

 and the grounds for believing such provision to be sufiicient, 

 the position of the reservoirs at the commencement of the 

 late floods was as follows : — 



The Woodhead embankment was raised to its full height, 

 but it was not deemed prudent to fill the reservoir above a 

 certain level, in consequence of operations which were going 

 on to render the hill side into which the embankment had to 

 be tied perfectly water-tight. 



The Torside embankment was far advanced ; but here also 



