148 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. II. 



cial value; that the cost of its conversion into valuable manure will pre- 

 clude the attainment of any adequate return on the outlay and working 

 expenses connected therewith ; and that means must therefore be used 

 for getting rid of it without reference to possible profit. For health's 

 sake, without consideration of commercial profit, sewage and excreta 

 must be got rid of at any cost." 



Under these considerations it is no wonder that Mr. Crimp should 

 come to the conclusion that where it is at all practicable a free outfall 

 into the sea can be obtained, it is the most economical and satisfactory 

 method of disposing of sewage. A description of such stwage disposal is 

 afforded by the works at the town of Portsmouth, England. As I wish 

 to draw a comparison between the works of this town and those I have 

 proposed for the City of Toronto, I will give a somewhat minute 

 description. 



The population of Portsmouth is 130,000. The district drained is 

 very flat. The highest and most densely populated portion of the 

 borough is elevated about twelve feet only above the tidal range, while 

 about one-third of the borough is very little above the level of ordinary 

 spring tides. I should have said that Portsmouth is situated on Ports- 

 mouth Harbor, but it also has another harbor on the east called Langstone 

 Harbor, into which it discharges its sewage. The dry weather flow is 

 about 4,000,000 gallons. The separate system is partly in operation, but 

 in designing the outfall works provision was made for a considerable 

 amount of rainfall per hour. 



Owing to the very flat surface of the land, in order that the sewers 

 should be provided with sufficient fall, the sewage has to be pumped. 

 The main pumping station contains a pair of 150 H. P. compound 

 condensing rotary beam engines, each engine works two pumps by 

 means of connecting-rods, one at each end of the beam. The pumps 

 are each capable of delivering half a million gallons of sewage per hour, 

 when doing full duty. Intercepting sewers convey all the sewage to the 

 well at the pumping station, thence by a rising main, 3 feet 6 inches in 

 diameter and 1500 yards long, it is forced by the pump to large tanks 

 situated near the outfall. I need hardly say that one feature of the 

 scheme is the utilization of the tidal water for scouring the outfall pipes. 



There are three storage tanks side by side, having a collection capacity 

 of 4,500,000 gallons, and covering an area of 354^ acres. Each tank is 

 160 feet long and 150 feet in width. The inverts of the tanks are 

 segmental in cross-section, with a longitudinal fall of i in 150 to the 

 outlet. They are provided with sluices at the upper end in order to 



