﻿Thomson. 
  — 
  0)i 
  the 
  Cleansing 
  of 
  Toivns. 
  65 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  inland 
  town 
  of 
  Duuse, 
  containing 
  about 
  4,000 
  inhabitants, 
  and 
  

   where 
  the 
  water-closet 
  system 
  has 
  been 
  introduced 
  during 
  these 
  last 
  40 
  

   years, 
  I 
  found 
  that, 
  as 
  this 
  was 
  perfected 
  and 
  in 
  operation, 
  new 
  and 
  unan- 
  

   ticipated 
  difficulties 
  presented 
  themselves. 
  Thus, 
  as 
  the 
  town 
  became 
  

   satisfactory 
  in 
  its 
  sanitary 
  condition, 
  the 
  rural 
  districts 
  near 
  and 
  under 
  its 
  

   level 
  became 
  deteriorated 
  by 
  the 
  nuisances 
  flowing 
  on 
  them. 
  Which 
  cir- 
  

   cumstance 
  brought 
  about 
  long 
  and 
  expensive 
  law-suits 
  with 
  the 
  proprietors, 
  

   and 
  especially 
  with 
  the 
  owner 
  of 
  Wedderburn 
  House 
  and 
  Demesne. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  Kelso, 
  situated 
  on 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  Tweed, 
  and 
  about 
  

   25 
  miles 
  inland, 
  it 
  was 
  observed 
  here, 
  also, 
  that 
  the 
  increase 
  of 
  sewage, 
  by 
  

   the 
  introduction 
  of 
  improved 
  water 
  supply 
  and 
  conveniences, 
  was 
  drawing 
  

   opposition 
  from 
  the 
  owners 
  of 
  the 
  valuable 
  salmon 
  fishing 
  stations. 
  In 
  view 
  

   of 
  this, 
  the 
  Corporation 
  is 
  now 
  about 
  to 
  try 
  and 
  remedy 
  the 
  evU 
  by 
  carrying 
  

   their 
  outfall 
  to 
  an 
  extensive 
  shingle 
  bank, 
  where 
  they 
  hope 
  to 
  absorb 
  the 
  

   objectionable 
  matters. 
  

  

  At 
  Edinburgh 
  it 
  was 
  observed 
  that 
  the 
  sewage 
  that 
  used 
  to 
  flow 
  solely 
  

   over 
  the 
  fields 
  near 
  Holyrood 
  House 
  uninterruptedly, 
  and 
  at 
  least, 
  without 
  

   active 
  objections, 
  are 
  now 
  not 
  only 
  increased 
  in 
  their 
  area, 
  but 
  the 
  same 
  

   system 
  of 
  irrigation 
  is 
  being 
  applied 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  suburbs 
  of 
  the 
  city. 
  

   Hence, 
  no 
  certain 
  action 
  by 
  the 
  population 
  can 
  be 
  anticipated 
  on 
  this 
  

   subject. 
  

  

  At 
  Glasgow, 
  from 
  the 
  report 
  of 
  whose 
  Deputation 
  I 
  have 
  so 
  largely 
  

   quoted, 
  I 
  found 
  that 
  still 
  no 
  general 
  scheme 
  had 
  been 
  decided 
  on; 
  in 
  fact, 
  

   that 
  different 
  principles 
  had 
  been 
  found 
  applicable 
  to 
  different 
  parts, 
  and 
  

   broadly, 
  the 
  water-gravitation 
  system 
  to 
  first 
  and 
  second-class 
  houses, 
  and 
  

   the 
  pail 
  system 
  to 
  those 
  inferior. 
  The 
  sewage 
  yet 
  falls 
  into 
  the 
  Clyde, 
  and 
  

   Bazalgette's 
  recommendations 
  were 
  considered, 
  if 
  not 
  impracticable, 
  and 
  

   beyond 
  the 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  ratepayers, 
  at 
  least 
  inadvisable. 
  As 
  a 
  better 
  

   scheme 
  for 
  conveying 
  the 
  offal 
  away, 
  steam 
  barges, 
  proceeding 
  from 
  Glasgow 
  

   to 
  the 
  sea, 
  were 
  contemplated 
  ; 
  as 
  any 
  attempt 
  to 
  utilize 
  sewage 
  is 
  now 
  

   abandoned. 
  

  

  As 
  my 
  time 
  and 
  other 
  engagements 
  enabled 
  me 
  to 
  ascertain, 
  such 
  is 
  

   the 
  state 
  of 
  town 
  and 
  city 
  cleansing 
  at 
  home; 
  and 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  noted 
  that 
  

   whilst 
  much 
  difference 
  of 
  opinion 
  in 
  detail 
  exists 
  amongst 
  engineers, 
  yet, 
  

   to 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  able 
  to 
  bring 
  an 
  unprejudiced 
  judgment 
  to 
  bear 
  on 
  the 
  

   question, 
  the 
  principles 
  to 
  be 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  several 
  and 
  varied 
  circum- 
  

   stances 
  are 
  not 
  difiicult 
  to 
  be 
  laid 
  hold 
  of. 
  Comprehensively 
  speaking, 
  the 
  

   interest 
  is 
  a 
  growing 
  one, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  an 
  exception 
  from 
  

   other 
  great 
  interests 
  and 
  expansions 
  of 
  modern 
  civilization 
  and 
  requirements. 
  

   If 
  its 
  necessities 
  cause 
  it 
  to 
  unduly 
  infringe 
  on 
  other 
  interests, 
  then 
  conflict 
  

  

  