DEFECTIVE DRAINAGE AT CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1577, 12 August 1882, Page 2

DEFECTIVE DRAINAGE AT CAMBRIDGE.

<ft The followiug is Mr Hosking's report or the drainage system of the upper flat o Cambridge, as laid before the Towi Board at their last monthly meeting :—: — Cambridge, 4th August, 1882. To the Chairman Cambridge Town Board. Drainage near The Lake. Sill, — Acting on the instructions of youi council, I have the honour to submit th< following report for their consideration At the present time all the rain wliicl: falls between Reed's corner and Majoi Clare's, on Victoria-street ; between t!u church corner and up Hamilton Road foi a distance of 18 chains, and betweei: Williams-street West and Hamiltoi: Road for the before-named distance finds its way into the Lake. In light rains th« water permeates the soil and feeds the Lake springs. In heavy rains the wholenamed district becomes flooded, more oi less, and the water runs into the Lake by two known holes at the head oi Thornton Road, which may at any moment give way and thereby cause considerable damage to property. The surplus runs over the banks and intc the Lake, washing the banks now in tvvc or three places away to such an extent that the danger to life and property is becoming alarming. We have erected a temporally fence near the junction oi i Thornton Koad with Victoria-street, and another near Grosvenor-street junction and Thornton Road, but these fences areof no value further than the day they are seen, as the banks are now being washed away to such an extent that there is no certainty the - next rain will not wash the fence* away also. About two years ago the then board sunk three holes in the vicinity of the church, one on Hamilton road, and two in Vic-toria-street ; these holes were never ,equal to the drainage in heavy rains, notwithstanding they were useful in light rains and were credited with taking the water which ran into one of the dangerous holes before mentioned in this report. These have now become almost useless. There are three ways of dealing with" this drainage. First and most objectionable would be to cut open drains in the streets and take the water altogether away from the lake to the back of Major Clare's, and from thence across the Hamilton road by Major Hays', and then into the Waikato river, these open drains would be 12 to 14 feetin some places consequently dangerous and expensive to keep open. ' Second is a system of underground drainage, in partially the same direction as indicated for open drainage, but, I presume, this is out of the question,. aiall, events for many years, on account of the great expense that would be incurred^to make it effective and-the limited means at your council's disposal. 'Third,'* to convey the water into: the lake; through,; a 1 channel under command; instead of Jetting it as at present find its way there through various as before described. This mode I shall strongly recommend for the consideration of your council u as being the, most practicable, most efficient, and by far" the less expensive. I submit, thW that t a shaft ' be sunk at the most, convenient place' to -a- depth .of 75- feet and- -from l this a drive be , made into the lakea distance of 140 feet, both the shaft and, dviyejo be secured against l damage^ from. ( 'water f ' falling or running with brick-work, timber-work', t and, concrete. The estimated coat of shaftfand drive i thoroughly? secured/and c'bnTpTete' will be £137105. PerhapaWm^Mfie 5 out of place for hie hereto say would 1 4><e» a s damage^to the^rbpeirty^of -'the* domain! board, and^nodoubti exists in my mind ] that if <the>faetsfwere foropeifly repre-j sente^to^em^hje^^ntd^libe^y^Bub^