THE VICTORIA STREET WELL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2037, 3 September 1880, Page 3

THE VICTORIA STREET WELL.

To the Editor of the Globe. Sir, —In your leader of last night's issue re the failure of the Victoria street well, you have made some allusions to me which are both unjust and untrue, and I therefore beg you will do me the justice to withdraw the same. Your article implies that 1 attempted to blow up the well and failed, and that the failure cost the citizens " nearly £100." Now as a matter of fact I never attempted to blow up the Victoria street well or any other well in Ohristchurcb, nor did I prepare the dynamite cartridges that were fired in the well. I had nothing whatever to do with the matter. I am ready to admit that I did offer to do the requirod work, and that my offer was accepted by the Council, but when it came to the point the whole of the experiments were carried out by others, and I had no hand •whatever in them. I have made a full explanation of the .circumstances of the case in my place in the Council, but, the matter not having been reported at the time, I suppose you, like many others, have fallen into the mistake of making me responsible for the failure. In justice to those who carried out the experiments, I must add that I do not think they ever expected the blasting would be a success, as it was well known at the time that •the tube had got stuck in a practically impenetrable block several feet above the known water bearing stratum, and it was, therefore, ■very unlikely that water would be found at that depth. It was, however, considered that toe w?U should not be finally abandoned till the attempt had been made. I am, &c, NELSON K. CHERRILL.