396 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITEfTS JOURNAL. 



f DlXElIBEE, 



Should the future exigencies of the metropolis require an increased supply, 

 it may still be derived not only from land drainage of rain-fall on the pure 

 sands beneath the level of the sources now proposed, but also to a great 

 extent above them. 



In conclusion, I would remark that it might be considered desirable to 

 allow the towns of Guildford, Uichmond. &c., and the different villages on 

 the line of water snpply to London, to partake of the advantages proposed 

 for that city. The first of these suftcrs severely from hard and expensive 

 water. Of course they would have to pay thfir proportion of the rate to be 

 levied to meet the expense of the works, whicli I hope shortly to be able to 

 show will not, for an increased, continuous, pure supply of soft water, at high 

 pressure, exceed a fraction of the sum now levied by the water companies 

 for an impure, hard, and defective one. 



I have the honour to be, my Lords and Gentlemen, 



Yours obediently, 



M'lLLiAM Napier. 



The General Board of Health, Gwydyr-house, Whitehall. 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE TOWN OF LIVERPOOL. 



In .Time last, tlie council advertised for plans for the improve- 

 ment of the streets and approaches of tlie town, and the laying out 

 of the unoccupied lands in its immediate vicinity, offering a pre- 

 iniuiu of 50/. for the best one, and '25/. for lite second in point of 

 merit. By the end of August, twenty-three plans, with explana- 

 tions, were sent in, all of whicli are now on view in the Council 

 Chamber. The first premium \vas awarded to Jlr. H. P. Ilorner, 

 who adopted the motto of '• Rus in Urbe, " and the second to ^Mr. 

 Henderson, "Curator." Both gentlemen are architects practising 

 in that town. The suggestions and plans were submitted at the 

 last meeting of tlie council. 



3Ii: Homer's Plann. 



'• In submitting the suggestions indicated on the accompany- 

 ing plans, I should wish, in explanation of wliat may at tirst sight 

 appear the rather sweeping character of some of them, to mention 

 the general idea under wliich they were laid down, viz., that taking 

 the terms of the requisition in their fullest sense, I should endea- 

 vour to form such a plan as would serve for my own guidance, sup- 

 posing myself responsible for the jinx/ivs.sive improvement of the 

 town and its environs to the greatest extent wliich circumstances 

 might successively permit. 



■' Such a plan, prepared with the most mature study, and revised 

 from time to time, should, in my opinion, be Ivept by every public 

 officer under such responsibility witli resjiect to any large town, in 

 order that the conclusions as to what would be desirable, when 

 possible, niiglit not be lost sight of, but, as leases fell in, buildings 

 were removed, or land brought to sale, such op[iortunities miglit 

 be seized for the improvement of tliorouglifarcs, and such other 

 alterations as would conduce to tlie convenience and comfort of the 

 inhabitants. 



" Tlie general aspect of Liverpool presents several obvious points 

 for the application of such a system of persisting improvement, as 

 few large towns bear more distinct marks of having been laid out 

 with little view to the probability of its increase, and in few liave 

 more opportunities been missed of correcting original errors at 

 later periods of its ])rogress. 



" Among the most striking defects in these respects are to be 

 observed tlie cutting off of leading thoroughfares at particular 

 points, as if never to be extended, and sometimes closing them 

 witli a public building — a church and its burial ground for example 

 — with perhaps a long cross street beliiiid it, affording, for a great 

 distance, no outlet in the direction of the main street. 



"Again, we find that the districts to the extreme north and 

 south have been laid out almost without reference to their con- 

 nection witli the centre, forming distinct systems of streets within 

 themselves, with in each but one main connecting thoroughfare 

 with the central part of tlie town, and that adopted only as follow- 

 ing tlie tortuous course of an ancient roadway. 



" Further, we may notice that the natural and easy method of 

 gaining a summit by traversing its ascent in a diagonal line, has 

 been lost sight of, and a steep rise breasted at a right angle, and at 

 the same time communication made more difficult and tedious by 

 series of streets traversing the lengtli of the slo]ie, with such fre- 

 quent interruptions of line as to disfigure, and, to appearance, 

 contract the extent of the town to an extraordinary degree. Tne 

 crowning evil consists in the manner in wliich ]iurchasers of land 

 in the outskirsts appear to been allowed to lay out their streets on 



any plan (or no plan) as might suit tlieir own fancy and ignorance, 

 causing irremediable confusion wlien the intervening space comes 

 to be filled up, and increasing in a tenfold degree the iJniost neces- 

 sary ugliness and discomfort attendant on the existence of that 

 space of debateable ground between town and country which com- 

 monly surround an increasing and populous town. 



"One or more of these considerations will be found to have 

 led to the adoption of the several proposed alterations shown in 

 iny town-plan, in addition to the wish to open out some )iublic 

 buildings (now scarcely to be seen but on a close approach), and 

 to give an increased number and length of vistas — points on which 

 beauty and magnificence of effect in towns confessedlv depend. 



" .\s regards the approaches, my attention has been mainly 

 directed to the connection of roadways at present detached, 

 straightening those which are inconveniently crooked, ]iroviding 

 for their probable communication with existing or proposed streets, 

 and, above all, securing one of the best provisions for the comfort 

 and licallli of an immense ])opulation, « Ml of i/arden or pari: land 

 bounding the present extent of the town, and insuring the inter- 

 position of a stretch of comparative rountrij between the existing 

 buildings and any more of a tou:ii character which may be needed 

 in after times for the growing community. 



" It is satisfactory to know that the corporation have of late 

 years taken decided steps towards this last most necessary object, 

 while the liberality of one generous man has set 'an excellent ex- 

 ample in the same direction. ^luch, however, remains to be done, 

 and it is with the hope of calling attention to the point that I Iiave, 

 so far as circumstances permitted me, shown how I think many 

 tracts of, as yet, unoccupied land, may be made available for the 

 use and recreation of all classes. 



" The boulevards of Paris and other continental towns are 

 acknowledged as greath' conducive to sanitary ends, and the sub- 

 ject, as is well known, has been taken up with much energy in 

 London, where the feeling now prevails to secure for this purpose 

 as much as may be of what land is still open; though the manner 

 in whicli the town has been aUowed to extend without this wliole- 

 soine interruption throws great ditficuities in the way, as will be 

 the case in Liverpool, if speedy steps are not taken in the matter. 



" The health of the population would, in addition, be benefitted 

 by the opening up of lines of street terminating at the quays, and 

 unobstructed by warehouses on the dock sides; and some such 

 streets, crossing the rise of the hill iVuujonalhj, I have shown on my 

 plan, and I do not know a point in wliicli nioi'e lias been lost to the 

 good of the town, (through want of a better system of forming the 

 streets,) than this important one of ventilation by long vistas from 

 the river. 



"Before referring seriatim to the several projects included in my 

 scheme, 1 would observe that the legal powers required for such 

 improvements can scarcely be less readily granted than for others 

 of a more extensive and less benevolent cliaracter; while the diffi- 

 culties which might be anticipated in gaining the co-operation of 

 the large owners of land, involved in these changes, are to be met 

 by the considerations of mutual benefit, which may safely be urged 

 in their favour. 



"The distinction between corporation and other property being 

 scarcely traceable (in the plans furnished) even in the suburbs, and 

 not at all within the town, the suggested alterations could not be 

 guided by them, nor, it is presumed, was it expected that contri- 

 butors of designs should enter into such particulars, as the labour 

 and expense attending the necessary inquiry would have been such 

 as to deter many from competing." 



The report then details 22 suggestions ibr the improvements of 

 the town, and for the formation or enlargement of eight parks in 

 the environs. 



"In conclusion, I would observe that, though the space of ground 

 occu)iicd by the proposed parks appears great, it must be remem- 

 bered that their formation w ould necessarily be extended over a 

 considerable period of time, and in our climate, and so near the 

 sea, single rows or avenues of trees will never thrive in the same 

 degree as shrubs and plantations will, which naturally shelter and 

 protect eacli other from our cold winds. 



"The strong probability that the town will eventually extend 

 itself in length along the river rather than in breadth (crossing 

 the natural boundary formed by the ridge to the east), has also 

 led me to confine my proposal to this line of garden land as best 

 suited to English tastes and habits. 



"Rus IN Ubbe." 



