6 Prevention of Street Floods 



Mr. James Blackburn at my request) was ponded back 

 162 feet in Collins-street west and to a distance of 92 feet 

 in Collins-street east, and these distances had been con- 

 siderably exceeded, as the level of the water at each 

 extremity was four inches below the level of the centre of 

 Elizabeth-street, which was covered to a depth of several 

 inches during the same storm. 



I need say nothing of the great number of shops that 

 were inundated on that as well as on other occasions ; but 

 if we are to judge from the apathy of those who suffer, it 

 would appear that to them such damage is inevitable ; 

 otherwise their inaction is unaccountable, for lately, when 

 a few of the residents got the mayor to call a public meeting 

 with the view of urging upon the Government " That for 

 the protection of human life and property in the city it was 

 imperatively necessary to intercept the storm-waters at or 

 near Latrobe-street, and convey them into Batman's Swamp, 

 and thence, by open cutting, into the Lower Yarra," not- 

 withstanding the importance of the subject, only a few of 

 those interested attended, and the meeting was postponed 

 until another date. The second meeting lapsed also, but 

 partly owing to the Argus newspaper giving the wrong 

 date to which it was adjourned. 



However, as the preventible street-floods have already led 

 to the loss of human life, as well as that of a large amount 

 of private property, exclusive of the heavy and constantly 

 recurring damage to the streets, &c, under the care of the 

 Corporation, I consider that I am discharging my duty as 

 a citizen in persistently pressing this preventive measure 

 upon the notice of the public, the City Council, and the 

 Government, as I am afraid that some serious accidents will 

 occur, and that at no distant date, when both human life 

 and property will be sacrificed. 



To guard against this is my object ; and so long as I am 

 able, or until preventive means are established, I will 

 adhere to my self-allotted task of keeping this measure 

 prominently before the public. 



In seriously considering this subject, it should not be 

 forgotten that the danger is constantly increasing in magni- 

 tude, even with the same amount of rainfall, as the water 

 is discharged in a much shorter period. I have already shown 

 that sixteen years ago, it took about double the time that it 

 now does, for the water to rise to such a height as to impede 

 or stop ordinary traffic, and the same agency that has 



