27 
expense of covering a tank in such a manner as to seal it 
hermetically was considerable. A given quantity of the Sewage 
from the tank was delivered automatically by turn on to one of 
a series of beds, of much the same description as those which are 
in use in Burnley, but in that case only one contact was given, 
and the effluent, instead of being held up for a given period of 
time, was allowed to flow slowly through the bed. The conse- 
quence was that as a rule the nitrification effected was not nearly as 
marked as in the case of a double contact. In that system it was 
necessary to have very considerable tank capacity. Altogether 
he was inclined to agree with the dictum of Professors Perkin and 
Frankland, that the key to efficiency in the bacterial treatment 
of Sewage was multiple as opposed to single contact. 
In conclusion, Mr. Ross said there were many modifications 
for bacterial Sewage disposal, and alluded to different trials made 
at Burnley, saying that what they had endeavoured to do was to 
obtain the greatest purity of effluent with the least possible 
expenditure. 
The Lecturer exhibited samples of the effluent recently 
obtained at different stages of the process of purification, that in 
the final stage being like clear water, and showed a series of 
views of the Duckpits Sewage Works and also of the closed Septic 
system at Exeter and other towns. 
The Lecturer concluded by paying a high tribute to the services 
of Alderman Burrows, Chairman, and Alderman Ferguson, 
Vice-Chairman, of the Sewage Department, and stated that 
Burnley was a place selected for observation by the Royal 
Commission on Sewage Disposal. 
ELIZABETHAN SEAMEN. 
By W. RACE. 18th March, 1902. 
The Editor regrets being unable to obtain a report of 
this paper. 
