LOCAL ENGINEEEING WORKS. 107 



unfavourably of the scheme, partly on technical grounds 

 and partly on account of the inexpediency of allowing a 

 pier to be constructed and owned independently of the 

 Corporation. 



Bristol Floods Prevention.— I need not here refer in 



detail to the recent history of the floods question, and only 



remark that the works connected with the channel of the 



Frome, under the Acts of 1887 and 1890, have most of them 



been carried out or are in progress. In addition to the 



relief culvert to the Floating Harbour, these works include 



the removal and reconstruction of old archways of restricted 



dimensions ; the substitution of girder bridges of increased 



span and height for the stone bridges at Wade Street, Lower 



Ashley and Mina Roads ; the building of long lengths of 



retaining wall; the deepening of the bed of the Frome 



tiiroughout, eighteen inches to three feet and upwards ; and 



the removal of many thousands of loads of mud, stones, and 



refuse therefrom. A contract has recently been let for the 



completion of the improvement works in the. Frome as far 



as the city boundary at Eastville. This contract includes 



the diversion of the river between the Gas Works Bridge 



and the Great Western Railway Bridge, Stapleton Road, 



from its present circuitous to a straight course ; the removal 



of Baptist Mills Weir, and widening and deepening the 



mill stream so as to convert it into the main channel of the 



Frome ; and other works. The aim throughout has been to 



make a channel of nearly uniform" discharge capacity from 



the city boundary to the outlet to the Floating Harbour, so 



that at times of floods of not exceptional severity the flood 



water shall pass off as freely from Eastville (hitherto so liable 



to frequent flooding) as from Mina Road and the parts lower 



down the river. The Frome relief culvert has an area of 



a little over 100 square feet. It is built in 9-inch and 



