to the Town of Geelong. 59 



say, that, seeing it is a matter of the greatest importance, and 

 should be kept most prominently in view, the supply being 

 not only ample, but good and unlimited, with an ever-con- 

 tinued pressure constantly on, available at all times day or 

 night from an altitude sufficient to command the upper story 

 of the highest house in the most elevated district, sufficient 

 to quickly and efficaciously extinguish fires, however exten- 

 sive, and that without incurring any additional outlay for 

 power, save the fire-plugs or hydrants, protecting the town 

 against the devastating element of fire, a striking proof of 

 the lamentable effects of which we so lately have had in the 

 ravages committed in the Market Square, Geelong, on the 

 night of 26 th December last, destroying in so short a space 

 of time £50,000 worth of property, which, had these pro- 

 jected works been but complete and in a working state, they 

 would most assuredly have kept the total loss under £500, 

 a difference of £45,500, — a large amount consumed by this 

 one fire alone, which would have formed a considerable item 

 in the expenditure necessary for the formation of water 

 works. 



Thus, — I take it, the future protection of the citizens and 

 their properties will be secured from such a scourge by sim- 

 ple pressure, obtained from such an altitude as will render 

 obsolete the primitive mode now obliged to be resorted to, 

 as a matter of necessity, by an otherwise well-regulated, 

 energetic, and fearless fire brigade, bringing to their aid a 

 comparatively weak and inefficient mechanical power. 



Suffice it to say that by this gravitation we avoid the 

 necessity for the erection of steam-engines, or other expen- 

 sive machinery, in duplicate or otherwise, ever liable to get 

 out of order. We also avoid elevation syphons, with all 

 their paraphernalia, which is rendered unnecessary, besides 

 other expensive appendages too numerous to detail within 

 the limited compass of this paper, nor is it desirable that I 

 should do so, seeing that any or every pumping scheme is 

 superseded by the adaptation of nature's own providing — a 

 gravitation SCHEME, eligible, safe, simple, and comprehensive. 



It may be that I shall have the honour on a future occasion 

 to submit, (subject to your wishes,) a further or supplemental 

 paper, on an extended scheme, the possible formation of a 

 reservoir, in the same locality, covering an area of four hun- 

 dred acres, depth of water seventy feet at embankments, and 

 the cubical contents of six hundred and forty-five million 

 feet, or four thousand and eighteen million gallons in quantity ; 



