188 
WILLIAM SMITH : HIS MAPS AND MEMOIRS 
years later, in 1829, was puWished the first edition of " The Geology of 
Yorkshire," by his nephew, John PhiUips. 
Scarborough, 
16Feby., 1827. 
Dear Sir John, 
Your brother having kindly favoured me with a call and your 
address, I beg leave to trouble you with some account of my 
proceedings during your absence. Ever since you left I have been 
almost daily employed by the commissioners for improving the 
town of Scarborough which suddenly became a truly improving 
place. The church is rising fast and a grand Spaw walk is forming 
at a great height along the frightful slope of the Spaw cliff and the 
. gaping chasm between it and the cliff close against the sea is 
already united by the immense platform required for constructing 
an Iron Bridge of 5 arches 70 feet high. This grand project — 
suddenly started by subscribers from York, commenced in Nov- 
ember and is rapidly proceeding. In addition to this stupendous 
bridge, there is already constructed what some have called " a 
magnificent Reservoir " and in addition to this public work lighting 
the town with gas is seriously contemplated, my share in these 
great works though least seen is considered A\ith great satisfaction, 
not the least useful. The Reservoir situate in the high part of the 
town, is I expect, the largest covered receptacle for water in Eng- 
land. It consists of a brick built cylinder sunk near 20 feet beneath 
the solid ground, 40 feet in diameter covered with a brick dome 40 
feet span and 20 feet high, the whole of which immense arch 
consisting of 250 tons of brick work turned without centreing or 
any woodwork to support the bricks, was closed the 20th. of 
January and we are now fast proceeding with the appendages 
requisite for filling it and a better distribution of water in the town. 
Nearly the whole of this building containing 120,000 bricks is 
underground or covered with a puddle and strong bank of earth 
giving it altogether the appearance of an immense Tumulus. 
It will contain 4,000 Hogsheads of water, but the other 
Reservoir (wholly unseen) made at my suggestion in the hills at 
a trifling expense to pen up in the rocks 5,000 Hogsheads of water 
is by far the most curious and perhaps the most useful practical 
hint hitherto deduced from Geology. It has so far exceeded our 
expectation of pinning up at the calculated height of four feet the 
