12 MAJOR-GEN. SIE C. W. WILSON, E.E., F.U.S., ON 



whose name is so well knoAvn in connection with the 

 Ophthalmic Hospital of the Knights of St. John, at 

 Jerusalem. Sir Edmund, whilst on a visit to the Holy City, 

 had his attention drawn to the great scarcity of water, and, 

 when at Constantinople, he submitted a memorandum to the 

 Grand Vizier on the subject. He at the same time asked 

 the Imperial Ottoman Government to grant him a concession 

 for bringing water into the city, and explained that he was 

 actuated by philanthropic motives and not by any desire for 

 gain. The Grand Vizier and the Minister of the Interior 

 promised a firman for the execution of the work : and 

 H.M. the Sultan, at an audience which he granted to 

 Sir Edmund, expressed his great interest in the imdertaking, 

 and said as much as he could without committing himself to 

 a definite promise. On his return to England, Sir Edmund 

 formed a committee for taking over and Avorking the 

 concession: financial support was promised, and a definite 

 project framed which would Jiave supplied water free to the 

 poor by standposts in various parts of the city, and have 

 given every resident a reasonable daily supply. Sir 

 Edmund paid more than one visit to Constantinople and 

 flerusalem in connection with the enterprise, but failed to- 

 obtain a firman. After his death, an application for tli& 

 concession was made by his son, Mr. Anthony Lechmere, and 

 Lady Lechmere, who had also been kindly received by the 

 Sultan, made a personal appeal to H.I.M. through the 

 British Embassy. The replies were courteous but non- 

 committal. In. 1898, after continuous effort to obtain a 

 concession without making any solid progress, the Committee 

 was dissolved. The chief reason for the failure was the old 

 one — the desire of the local authorities to obtain possession 

 of the money and spend it themselves. 



Shortly afterwards the Municipality of Jerusalem was- 

 authorized to form a company, on which no foreigner was to 

 be a director, to supply the city with water. An appeal for 

 financial assistance was made to some of the members of 

 Sir Edmund Lechmere's Committee ; but no satisfactory 

 guarantee could be obtained that the money would be 

 profitably expended, or that the poor of all creeds would 

 j-eceive a gratuitous supply. Before this correspondence 

 was closed, a serious deficiency in the rainfall during the 

 season 1900-01 was followed by a water-famine, and great 

 suffering amongst the poor. The municipal authorities were 

 obliged to take immediate steps to ol)tain water, and made 



