SANITARY USE OF SALT WATER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4865, 25 October 1876, Page 3

SANITARY USE OF SALT WATER.

The following;letter,'shich.baa recently aj>--peared -in- the -lionclon Times,- is-worthy_qf notice, and is- referred to in oar leading columns : Sir,— Now.that the Parliamentary season is finished, perhaps you may be able to find space in The Times for the insertion of the following sanitary suggestion, which I feel sure would meet ■with'gratefuUaoceptance 'during the present tropical weather. During my residence in London some years ago, I was struck by the offensive and unhealthy effluvia arising from the streets at all times, but more particularly after being watered in hot weather. Since coming here, a scheme has been carried out by the Corporation of Tynemouth for watering the .. streets, -.flushing sewers, - and supplying houses with pure salt water," which is pumped up from the sea, to a ( reservoir in the upper part of the town, and thence distributed to all parts of the borough by means of ordinary metal pipes. This scheme having been carried out at moderate cost, has proved highly successful, nioSt beneficial in its sanitary results, and an immense boon to the inhabitants. The following advantages have been derived: —The use of fresh water (which is scarce and valuable here) has been dispensed with for watering “the streets and flushing sewers, houses, can be supplied .with a salt-water bath, and the same water used for water-closets. It has been found that the streets and roads, now always watered’ with salt water, remain much longer moist and free from dust than when watered on the eld system with fresh water, as the salt seems to form a sort of crust of the particles of earth: and other matter, which again by the action of the salt absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, and so becomes re-damped after being apparently dried by the sun’s heat. One of . the peculiar and most valuable features of sea water, however, is that it completely deodorizes the smell arising from a street or road on which there is much traffic, and it has a delightfully cool and refreshing effect upon the air. ,It has also been proved that salt water is a powerful disinfectant, and in flushing sewers and offensive drains with it, one. of, if not its most valuable characteristic, has been practically proved. Now, I ask, why should not the city: of London, to say nothing of the "West-end and suburbs, be supplied with fresh sea water? Compared with the great advantages to be gained, it would not be a very costly matter to pump’salt water up.from some station down the Thames to a convenient and central reservoir, under or above ground in the city. The boon to over-worked hot and weary citizens it would be impossible to: over-estimate, if some such scheme as I suggest were considered, and if possible carried out by the Corporation of Loudon ; and I feel sure our Corporate authorities here, would afford them every information on the subject, and give them details and statistics which it is , not in my power to furnish. _ Apologising for occupying so much of your valuable space, —I am, &c., William Crichton. Bull Ring Wharf, North Shields, August 16. , .