THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JULY 30, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1248, 30 July 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JULY 30, 1872.

A scheme has recently been set on foot which, from its public utility, deserves a a notice of more than ordinary promi nence. It is the bringing of a watersupply into Grey mouth of sufficient volume not only to meet all the ordinary domeatio requirements of the residents, whose wputs in that respect have hitherto been met by water taken from brackish wells, or rain caught from dirty roofs — but also sufficient in volume and ample in pressure, to be at all times at the command of the Fire Brigade, and the use of fire-engines dispensed with. Should such a scheme as thin be successfully carried out and brought into working order — as wo are assured it can be, at a cost insignificant to the benefits to be ultimately derived therefrom by the whole community — the promoters of it will certainly prove to be public benefactors in no ordinary degrea. As we have said, the scheme is pronounced by competent men to be perfectly feasible, so much so indeed that when it was submitted to a few of our principal capitalists, four of them at once offered the gentleman, Mr Crossley, who elaborated the scheme and drew up all the estimates of the works, to take up the matter among them and complete the works at their own cost. This is a very serious point in the consideration of the advisability of proposing such an undertaking, because, however much tho gentlemen who came forward so liberally with their offers of assistance ought to receive credit for the same, yet the question must be considered whether the option should not be first given to the Borough Council to become the proprietors of the water supply of the town, and failing that body that it should not be in the hands of a large public company As this part of the question is likely to bo pub'icly discussed at the next meeting of the Borough Council, we shall leave it for the present and proceed to give an outline of the practical details of the proposition which will shortly be laid before the public.

The site proposed for the reservoir is about one and a quarter miles up the river, and presents every appearance of being naturally forced for the purpose. It opens out from a small gully into a basin of large area, having terraces on either side and closing in at the end with two bluffs at about the elevation required for the embankment which would then be 300 ft above the town. There is in the neighborhood sufficient drainage area from the surrounding ranges to store water ample enough to supply a town ten times the size of Greymouth. The ten weeks of extraordinary dry weather last summer will be long remembered, but we are assured that at the end of that drought there was a quantity of water flowing from the creek in question sufficient to meet all the requirements of the town, to say nothing of the quantity of water that might have been stored in the reservoir, had it been made. It is proposed to bring in a 6-in main-pipe from the reservoir to town, then to carry a 4-in main to where the principal supply is required, and the remainder of the pipes, for by-streets, to be 3in. Altogether there will be about three miles of pipes required for the proper supply of the town, and upon this quantity the estimates, to which we will hereafter refer, are based. To secure the town against fire, by lessening its dangers and all attendant destruction to property by cutting away and hauling down premises which, under the present system of working fire engines, has frequently to be done, it is proposed to secure forty of Bateman and Moore's patent fire-plugs, to be fixed in the parts of the town where most likely to be required, also ten of the same firm's patent double-nozzle hydrants, with 40ft of hose to each, which would be nightly distributed in suitable positions so as to be ready for action on an alarm of fire being given. With these hydrants, and a sufficient pressure of water, any two men acquainted with their use could be at work in two minutes from the discovery of the fire, and throwing upon it four times the quantity of water and at dotfblefthe height which could be, accomplished by the two fire engines now in Greymonth. The pressure on the pipes in town would be equal to about JOOlb to the square mch — a pressure amply sufficient for all purposes, even including the letting out of water for innumerable purposes, such as the driving of printing-presses, turning-lathes, sausage machines, and every description of machitieiy, by the simple use of a turbinewheel, orsome other water-engine. Another p.)int of importance should not be left out of sight, that in the case a fierce fire breaking on 4 , in any block, the whole of the ten hydrants could be brought from othar parts of the town and brought to bear upon it, and this in a

simpler and more effective manner, and by the aid of only half the present members of the Fire Brigade. With regard to the estimates for the works, we will not at present go into details, although we may, at another time, after the scheme has received some public consideration. We may mention, however, that the total cost of everything, including pipes, h) Tdrants, &c, would W about L 4.000, and as a guarantee of the correctness, of these estimates they have been -checked and found to be under the mark by the wellknown firm of Oppenheimer and Co., Melbourne. The question of water-supply has many important bearings upon the health, comfort, and security of the community, and we hope it will receive the consideration it deserves during the next few days.