SURVEY OF THAMES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 340, 28 April 1928, Page 27

SURVEY OF THAMES

TO PREVENT FLOODS EFFORTS TO BE MADE A new survey of the River Thames defences, with a view to preventing a recurrence of the floods in which 14 persons resident in London lost their lives recently, was promised at ths first meeting at the Ministry of Health of the Thames Flood Conference, over which Sir Kingsley Wood presided. Mr. Gatti, on behalf of the London County Council, said that since 1864 a record of tide heights had been kept, and it would be seen that until the recent disaster, when the tide rose to 18£t sin, it never exceeded 17ft 6in, and only reached this point on two occasions—namely, in 1881 and 1884. In the recent floods there must have been a most unfortunate and probably unique combination of adverse circumstances outside previous experience and beyond human foresight. Lord Ritchie then spoke on behalf of the Port of London Authority. He said that the desirability of raising the level of the banks required careful consideration in view of the large expenditure involved and the improbability of the recurrence of such a tide. If it should be decided to do this, however, the work would take some years to complete, and it was, therefore, desirable to consider the possibility of a public warning of the approach of a high tide. Gale and Flood Tide Lord Desborough, on behalf of the Thames Conservancy, said that in his opinion the heights of the tide was not greatly affected by the volume, of river water coming down from the upper reaches. He thought the recent disaster was due to the combination of a north-westerly gale with an exceptionally high flood tide. Alderman B. Smith, M.P., of Bermondsey, pointed out that there was a 71-minute delay between high tide at the Isle of Dogs and at Teddington. He suggested that this should have allowed time for warning to be given. He thought also that the presence of flood water must have affected the position, possibly, by creating a barrage.

Alderman Wooster, of Poplar, said that in Poplar over 1,000 houses had been inundated. In some cases the water had come over the wharfages. Sir Kingsley Wood, in reply, said he felt sure that all would welcome the assurances given on behalf of the London County Council that a fresh survey would be made of the river defences. He thought that the step which the conference could best take would be to set up a small sub-com-mittee to which the suggestions made at the conference would be referred.