THE WATER SUPPLY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 144, 26 August 1880, Page 2

THE WATER SUPPLY.

The rough weather of the past week sent down the river a large volume of well-diluted clay, the benefit of which the gully in the Domain enjoyed very freely. The sedimentleftin the gully by the stream was useful in puddling the bottom, and those who take «,n interest in the scheme were quite jubilant over the pea-soup appearance the water presented. There is, however, a thorn with every rose, and the clay the river sends down is not altogether an unmixed blessing. It silts up here and there, and if not looked after —and sometimes even with the greatest care bestowed —it will succeed in blocking up a channel altogether. The proprietors of the millrace have often experienced this sort of thing in the spring, and it is, therefore, no matter for surprise that a silting up should occur at the intake of the millrace at the river, and that a stoppage of the race should result. Owing to a silting up of this kind both millrace and Borough race have had their supply cut off at a most awkward time. Workmen, however, are busy clearing away the obstruction, and we may soon expect to see the stream in full flow again. It is to be regretted that, just as we had got a fair depth of water in the reservoir, the ill-natured river should humbug us, hut we must look for and be prepared for such contingencies. The recent freshet, which sent down the water with a rush scoured out the ground deeply just above the cricket ground. The scour has laid bare the skeleton of some old cow that at some time or other in the existence of prehistoric Ashburton had incontinently cheated the butcher, and taken her beef underground with its mission unfulfilled. We do not know who was her sexton, but he must have been a bold man to bury a dead carcase n the Domain of which Dr. Trevor is the moving genius, and, if we mistake not, health officer of the township at the same time.