700 report — 1878. 



The results are : The floods do not now rise so high, nor cover so much land, nor 

 last so long, as they formerly did ; but all the good land that was formerly flooded 

 is still flooded. The difference between the former high floods and the recent, 

 covered generally poor margins, or gravelly and shrubby beaches. 



Twenty-four thousand acres of low lands are still damaged by floods. The out- 

 lets of seventeen rivers are obstructed. Several public roads are flooded. A swamp 

 150 miles long is maintained. Many dwelling houses are flooded. On one occasion 

 I counted thirteen of those flooded houses. I went into some of them. The water 

 was a foot deep on the floors. They had the fireplaces raised over the water. They 

 had stools and chairs as steps from the fire to the beds ; they slept in their beds with 

 6 in. to 18 in. of water under them on the floor. 



I was able to measure accurately the greatest height the flood had been by the 

 marks it had left on legs of the tables. 



Near Athlone the people abandon their houses when the floods rise high, and go 

 into lodgings in the town. When the flood falls they go back and clean out the 

 houses ; but it sometimes happens that another flood comes and drives them out 

 again. These great floods never occur in spring, summer, or autumn, but in 

 December, January, or February. During spring the low lands, when not flooded, 

 are saturated to a very injurious extent. 



Near Oarrick it often happens that the water is low and the lands dry in March. 

 The farmers then put down crops in the low lands, and in April a flood may come, a 

 small flood which rises merely to the level of the land surface for ten or twelve days, 

 but it rots the seed. A small amount of sluice in the weir would prevent this. 



These are the sad results of the expenditure of more than half a million pounds 

 under Government control. How is this great evil to be remedied, and at what cost ? 

 This is what I am going to explain. During eighteen years, since 1860,1 have been 

 studying the subject, surveying, sounding, calculating, and writing to promote the 

 much-needed improvement. May I hope it is now to be really forwarded ? 



The Shannon Commissioners reported to the Lords Commissioners of Her 

 Majesty's Treasury, in 1850, that " It is probable that at some future period it may 

 become necessary to make additional excavations at some comparatively confined 

 channels of the Shannon at and below Shannon Bridge, and immediately above the 

 weir at Meelick." These are all the works the Shannon Commissioners who knew 

 the river so very well considered necessary to make a completely effective flood drain- 

 age of the Shannon district. They then reported, " Fortunately such works, though 

 probably indispensable, will not be very expensive." (Eleventh Report, pages 8 and 

 9, March, 1850.) 



A very eminent engineer employed by the Government in 1862 to 1867 made a 

 minute engineering survey of the whole river and reported. His estimate for works 

 is £290,000 to improve 24,000 acres, being £12 an acre English. This was for 

 seven divisions or levels of the river. Subsequently an Act of Parliament was passed 

 for works to drain 17,500 acres in three and a half out of the seven divisions, at a 

 cost of £300,000, being £17 an acre English. At this rate the regulating of the 

 whole river would cost £435,000 now, in addition to the £557,000 before, making 

 £992,000. To many minds it must occur that this large estimate is probably founded 

 on mistaken views of the requirements of the case. 



The Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, by their minute dated May 

 21, 1866, appointed me the tenth engineer to make an engineering survey of the 

 Shannon, and to design and estimate for all works " necessary for securing the low 

 lands from summer and autumn floods, and from ordinary winter floods." I did so, 

 and the Parliamentary paper I hold in my hand is my report dated April, 1867, and 

 printed by order of the House of Commons, May 15, 1867. My estimate is £144,000 

 for 24,000 acres, or £6 per acre. 



My object in coming before you is to prove that this smaller estimate is much 

 nearer the truth than any of the others. I will not trouble you with any mathe- 

 matical or engineering calculation. I will accomplish my object by describing and 

 explaining the facts and circumstances of the river. 



The Erne and Shannon rivers have three features which render it peculiarly easy 

 to regulate their floods and prevent the inundations. First, they have large super- 

 ficial areas of lakes ; second, their channels between the lakes are wide and deep — 



