Potter's Electric News

SUPPLY OF WATER TO ST. THOMAS GREEN. A public meeting of the pariehionerd of St Thomas was held at the Market Hall, on Thursday, for the purpose of taking into consideration the supply of water to St Thomas Green. On the preposition of Mr Baker, of H'gh-street, seconded by Mr John Brown, Mr Gwynne Harries was unanimously voted to the chair. The Chairman, in taking the chair, briefly referred to the object of the meeting, and stated that resolutions had been prepared, the first:of which would be moved by Mr John Brown. Mr John Brown May it please you, Mr Chairman, and Gentlemen.- I think as I am responsible for calling this meeting together, I ought not to shrink from direct- ing your attention to the object of it. I am not much in the habit of addressing public meetings, but there are times when England expects every man to do his duty, and I will lay before you as shortly as I can the business for which we are assembled. You are all aware that a short time ago. in consequence of a requisition addressed to the Mayor, a large town meeting was called for the purpose of inquiring into the sanitary condition of the town generally. I had the honour of being appointed on a committee, and had assigned to me, in company with another gentleman, the district that embraces St Thomas Green. We proceeded to make a house to house inspection but we had scarcely commenced our work when we were met by complaints from the people generally about the scarcity of water, tnd before we had finished our inspection I declare to lou it had become oppressive to me. I think it is Dr ?&ley who says that our sympathies are more drawn lit by seeing a poor man break his leg at our door than ■1 hearing of the sufferings of our fellow creatures at a itance; and hero that was so. One poor woman, the other of a family, said, I have not had a drop of A-ater in my house this day. Ob, gentlemen, I wish you would represent to the Committee the sufferings that we poor pe -p!e in the Green are enduring.' Wei!, dtcr we had finished our work we fell in with William Richards, the waterman, and we proceeded to give him a 4 blowing-up but he quickly satisfied us that he was not to blame. He brought us to the tank on Merlin's Hill, and in it was about six inches of water: it did not rise up to the rose that e.-mveyed it t) the town, and so it had oon'mu-d for j days. Wc next met a Town Councillor, and he said that he did not wonder at the want of water, as there was no reservoir to pro- vide it ao that we are in the condition of having veins and arteries without a heart. Tnat is just our position. I thought the best way to call public attention to the sufferirigs of the people in the Green would be by writing a let'.er to the newspapers, which I did but afterwards on finding that no notice was taken of it by any influentid persons, I took upon myself the respon- sibility of calling this meeting to act upon the Town Council, who are the Water Commissioners. I am only sorry that the meeting is not mere largely attended. 1 presume our action will be to wait upon the Water Commissioners, t 1 call their attention to the want. I believe their answer will be-- (at least, would have been only for a stringent Act of Parliament which has very opportunely come into opeiation since this agitation commenced)—'We have no funds: our capital is all expended.' But there is a fund left for the improve- ment of tho town by Sir John Perratt, known as Sir John Ptrrott's Chaiity. That is a bequest, I believe, specially intended to meet the wants of the people in the way of water and as I understand no money has been expended very lately, consequently the interest is accumulating, and I t'ee no objection at ail to their laying it out in providing the town with, a supply of water— particularly of pure water. There are many improvements we want in the town I am sure we want a town clock, and we want a couple of spires for our churches, to ornament the town but although we might very much wish to see these things carried out, I think we ought first to direct our attention to obtain ing a proper supply of water—' Ob, give its water, else we die.' (Applause.) The resolution I have to submit to you is this: fhit this meeting recognises the pressing necessity of providing a good supply of water for the use of the parishioners, many of whom are suf- fering greatly from the want of it at the present time.' I may add that the Mayor, knowing that 1 was inter- ested in this question, called on me to-day, and ssid that they were about setting up a pump to the well in this Market House, and I think they have d-ne so. It may be very useful, but I don't think it will meet the requirements of from 2,000 to 3,000 people. We want a very much larger supply than that: it is very well just to meet the pressing necessities what we want is a reservoir, and that we must have, for I am sure the present sufferings cannot be endured much longer. I beg to move the resolution I have just read to you. The Rev \V. R. Rogers: I have great pleasure in seconding the resolution. I am sure I can speak experi- mentally. 1 do not know, after having lived hall a century, that I ever felt so much the want of good, clean, pure water as I have since I have lived in Haverfordwest. I was quite alarmed the first summer I came here; we were days without so much as water t3 drink except what we borrowed or begged from our kind neighbour?. During thepast summer we were not quite so badly off on account of the rain being more abundant: but, even now we may have it turned on but once in two or three days; and in a large family like mille this is most inconvenient. We have a good landlord, but he does not give us any bar- rels to hold plenty of raiu water-Mr Brown I mean— (laughter):—if we were to get two or three barrels to hold the rain water, it would be a great help to UP, if it were only for the purpose of washing ourselves. The matter should be shown to the Water Commissioners: they must be pressed to attend to it: for I am persuaded that it is very little use talking about the sanitary condition of the town—about taking care of health among our population, if we cannot, have cleanliness; and am sure we cannot have it unless we have plenty of pure water. It is one of the greatest boons that God has bestowed upon man; and it becomes us as members of this com- munity to do all we can for ourselves and as much as possible for our poorer neighbours. It' we who are better provided than they are want water, how much more seventy must their necessities press upon them ? I have heard that the poor people around us are obliged to use water for four different purposes 1st for washing themselves; '2nd for washing their cio'hes 3rd for wash- ing their floors, and there was a fourth purpose, which I have forgotten, but I understand tha; the same water is used by these poor people four different times. I ask whether this is right? 1 ask how you can expect poor people to be clean in such a condition as this? You talk very much about Haverfordwest, and wherever I go I find the people of this part boast very much of the old town and if I believe all you say, there is no such place in the world as Haverfordwest. (Laughter). And with all this boasting you do not give us as much as a cup of cold Mater to drink. I hope this meeting will act with spirit, and endeavour to put the proper pressure upon the gen- tlemen who form the Council. We have one of them here—Mr Whieher Davies. I hear him talk about his love for the po, r very often, and speak of himself as one of the people. I appeal to him, and his brethren who love us, to join in giving cffect to the wishes of the people, and help us in the time uf our extremity. (Applause ) The resolution was then put to the meeting and carried. The Chairman called upon Mr Whieher Davies to move the next resolution, which was as followsThat this meeting is assured that an ample supply: of water might be obtained if a proper reservoir were constructed at Skerryscant, so as to inti rcept the springs which at present tiow in waste to the stream at Merlin's Brook.' Mr Whieher Davies: 1 most cordially concur with this resolution. As I am a very bad reader, I hope you will excuse my reading it again to you, as I may make it rather dry sad chippy. By our having a large reservoir on Portfield, and also draining some of the lands which are rather moist, we should have a sufficient supply of water for the whole Green-that is from our Fountain down, for as for supplying my friend Mr Isaac Roberts, and his neighbours up ttere, that would be quite out of the question, for our pipes are too low. We should have a good supply in the hole in the wall for the poor people, but tuen I tear we should not have a sufficient supply for the whole town. Well many of you are aware—but per- fect some of you are not-tuat there is an Act of Parlia- ment now out, which compels the authorities of the town, -4 don't eay who they are—whether it be the Gas Coin- Biissionecs, or it may be you in the different parishes— the churchwardens and overseers, for the church wardens I have not much to do now-a-<Jay«, so that perhaps it may t{'t'.e uken them—but whoever the authorities may be, .-8iU compels them to Had water aud will compel you. to pay for it,-if not personally, then by a rate. Our worthy friend, the Chairman, has found a spring at Slade which, at this dry season, is sufficient to supply from 3,000 to 3,500 inhabitants at the rate of four gallons a day.-[The Chairman: For each individual.]—That would supply the whole of Saint Martin's which is not supplied from our waterworks, the Castle Terrace, Glou- cester Terrace, and Castle Back, and 1 believe the level might reach the top of Prcndergast. It was reported that water is sadly wanted in that neighbourhood; for th"re is no place exiept down in the Alley below the Churchyard where parties can get water if they are not supplied by the persons who have private pumps. It is admitted on all hands—I admit it as a Water Commis- sioner--that we have not half enough of water to supply you; but they have borrowed all the money they could, and laid it out; but this new Act of Parliament may enable them to borrow a further sum, and the interest and capita! you gentlemen, inhabitants and householders, would have to pay. There is the rub; so don't blame us for taking steps, as it is our intention to do all we possibly can to supply you with wafer. You will have to pay either by rate or personally. We are all agreed to have water, and I hope we shall all agree to pay for it. It may be done by taking in this supply at SI >Je or by a reservoir made at Portfield, and this being dv,'e I feel full confidence that we shall have sufficient water for our tea, coffee, and our grog, and we shall have enough water at least once a week, to slush out the drains we shall bp compelled to make in the town. I assure you that only the other day, when the shop of our worthy neighbour, Mr \V. Williams, was on fire, it threatened to become a very serious question. Fortunately we had this well in the Market House. It being a druggist's shop, we thought it would become a very serious affair, for after playing upon it some time it got Worse. But it so happened, that tile place where the fire originated was discovered, but at that time there were only two feet of water left in the tank, and I don't think the supply from our main pipes would have held out for more than two hours even with our small engine. So that it would have been a very serous matter, for even if our pipes were running regularly, unless we had:a brg. quantity of water to put on a heavy pressure, we should not have had the force necessary to extinguish the fire. (Hear, hear.) I have much pleasure in moving this resolution. Mr James Miller seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Mr Brown: Perhaps you will permit me to read a letter which I have received from our member, Mr Scourfield. He says — Wiiiiamston, Haverfordwest, Aug 22nd. My dear Sir, I received your letter and the newspaper, for which I am much obliged. The question of the supply of water is undoubtedly of the greatest importance, and I shall be glad to concur in any practical remedy that can be suggested. I fceiieva that this year the spHr: are particularly low, at least I have found tl.trsi 30 wherever I have the opportunity of observing them. With regard to the meeting proposed to be cdkd, I am afraid that I shall not be able to attend it, as the time is so late. Bu\ I apprehend that as the remedy is of an engineering character, you could hardly decide that at the meeting, which would probably confine itself to the statement of the want felt, and the desirability of a remedy. I should think that the best means to adopt in tha second instance would be to appoint a committee of limited number to consider this question—if it is beyond the power of the existing authorities to deal with it; but I have no doubt that you have considered the question in all its bearings. Believe me, Very faithfully yours, J. H. ScOUItFIELD.' It does not seem that it is beyond the power of the existing authorities, and therefore I only cdl your atten- tion to it Chairman The next resolution is that a deputation be appointed from this meeting to wait on the Town Council or Water Commissioners for the purpose ot calling their attention to the pressing importance of the subject., and of urging upon them the propriety of their taking such steps in this matter as in their judgment shall be best calculated to attain the o! ject, and that the Secre- tary of this meeting to be hereafter appointed be requested to see the Town CkrJ" and to arrange for a meeting of the Council to be convened for this purpose. And now perhaps I may as well give you the information I have gathered respecting this spring at Hobby Jhck, I may say in the beginning that i don't want it for myself, for 1 have plenty of water in my own honsc, anlll supplied I think agreat part of High-street on Saturday evening last, the water at that time being rather short in the town. Two years ago I went to this well and looked at the quantity there: it was a dry summer, and I was struck with the .Urge supply there. I then borrowed a theodo- lite: I am not quite up to the use of if, but 1 struck the level on the black xit.gs in St. Martin's steeple about eight feet to the top of the root. Tho level would be about Prickett's Corner Now if the present water were blocked up at the bottom ot the Market House, and the pipes kept for the use of St. Thomas Green, the lower part could be supplied from the well at Hob by Back. I thought by dividing the town in two parts we should have enough for both. Then comes the question-' I-low much is in this well?' On Monday I ascertained that, and the plan I adopted was this: I took a quart measure, and borrowed a bucket. I found the bucket would hold 20 quarts: that is five gallons. Under the shoot that is there I put the bucket-there was a quantity of water there which did not run into the bucket,—but it filled in 30 seconds. I tried it four or five times. That gives 10 gallons a minute, or 600 gallons of water flowed every hour last Monday evening. I asked a man in the neighbourhood concerning the supply in summer and winter, and be said :—' I see no difference in the supply I have lived here for 25 years. I there is a shower it runs a little more: hut it runs off, and there is never more or less in the supply.' 1 asked another tnanwho had been there 10 yehr3, and he said the same: a shower increased the supply, but it came back again to its usual flow. On my mentioning this, William Richards, the waterman, disputed the amount, saying that, there was only half the quantity there. 1 spoke to the Mayor, and saw Mr Cecil, who fetched Mr Richards, and we went out together. We adopted the same plan, and timed the flow with a seconds watch, and iL filled regularly every 30 geconds—lOgaUonaamimjteonthntday. Six hundred gallons an hour will give four gallons of water each to o.t'Od poroons every 24 hours-, and that is enough to supply the vvnole ot the lower part of the town. This will give you some idea of what you should propose to the Water Commissioners. I asked a land surveyor to bring out a theodolite and a chain, fori think the level will reach higher than what I have stated: I think it will half way up Market-street: but he failed to keep his appointment, and I have not done what I wished. God has given us plenty of water, only we should bring it in, and beautiful water it 1, if yoti keep tti,, whole of the Portfield water for the Green, and make a fresh supply for the other part of the town, the whole of St. Martin'?, Quay-street, New Bridge, and High-street, can be sup- plied from this spring. The matter is easily managed, and it is not very expensive. (Applause.) Mr Brown 1 must confess I am really disappointed at the meeting we have here. I think it, is quite as nume- rous as ono could wish, but I do think that there is a considerable want of sympathy manifested on the part Of the proper classes, so to speak-on the part of those who feel, or should feel, lor their more humble neighbours, (Applause.) I did expect to see in this Batj agoou propor- tioll of those inhabitants who are rendere d by circum- stances pietty well above the want of water which you and others feel. (Hear, hear.) I thought wo were entitled to expect their presence here. However, 1 beg to pro- pose that instead of a deputation being appointed to wait upon the Council from this meeting, we should send an address, which I have been at the trouble to write out, and which should be signed by the Chairman on behalf of the meeting. (Hear, bear.) We could send the address to the Commissioners to be considered at their first meeting, instead of a deputation, which would involve a certain degree of formality. The address I have prepared is as follows To His Worshipful the Mayor and the Town Coun- cillors of the Borough of Haverfordwest, being the Water Commissioners, &c. The householders and inhabitants of the parish of St. Thomas, in public meeting assembled, beg very re spentfully to call your attention as managers of the waterworks of this Town to the deplorable want of water which exists in the parish generally, but particu- larly in that part of it known as St. Thomas Green. There is no public supply open to them nearer than the Fountain in Barn-street, and many of them who are aged and indigent are unable to provide themselves with an element so necessary to health and comfort. The sufferings to which these poor people have been exposed during the late dry weather have been intense, 1 and this meeting believes it needs only to be brought to s the notice of your Worship and other parties, on whom r the responsibility rests, to be promptly redressed. 1 Very earnestly but respectfully urging that such steps [ may be taken as in your wisdom may appear best adapted to ensure a plentiful and permanent supply, this meeting refers the matter to your consideration. Signed on behalf of the meeting, CHAIRMAN. Aug, 23rd, 1866.' Mr W. Devereux: As a householder and parishioner, I most cordially move that the address just read by Mr Brown be presented to the Town Council from this meeting. Mr Wm Thomas: I have much pleasure in seconding the motion. The proposition was carried with unanimity. Chairman There is no need we should frighten our- selves, but you know as well as I do that one of the great causes of the. scourge of cholera is the want of pure water. We know now that in the east end of London, where they died at the rate of a thousand a week, it was traced to the bad state of the water the people drank. Now, there have been two or three cases of diarrhoea in the North Gate, one of which proved fatal. I was led to examine into the matter, and I tried to Bad out how it happened. Mr John Jones, of London: Look at the Pigs' Parade, sir it is a disgrace to the fown it ought to be covered over and made a high road of. Chairman It ought to be done. Well, I was saying that I tried to find out the origin of these cases, and I learnt tt-at the people go up to the Cooper's place there, and get the cleanest water they can out of the stream, but the filth from Canton's Row pours into tho place before it comes to be drunk. Now, if the water is brought to the town—as I hope it will —there should be a tank placed in convenient places, where every person can go and draw water whenever he likes. (Applause.) Mr John Brown I beg to propose that the thanks of this meeting be given to Ollr Chairman for his kindness io presidmg. He has very kindly come up into our parish, and given ns much useful information. It shows the sympathy he takes in the wants of those who really do need the sympathy of those above them. ( Hear, hear) Mr John James: I beg leave to second Mr Brown's motion. Chairman 1 can only say, gentlemen, that I am very much obliged for the < xpression of your kindness. Mr Brown se-ami to think that other people ought to he here: 1 think you are the very men who should lIe here, and I am much pleased with the attention you have given me this evening. Air James Miller: I don't know the distance the spring of water is from the town: I may mention that there is ri very nice spring of water in Mr W. Williams's field in the Jury Lane. Chairman. The spring I refer to is on Mr Beynon* land. The meeting then separated. ANCTKNT BRTTOXS.—Mr Jno. Crawford, F.R.S., con- tributed to the British Association last week, an in- vesting paper on 4 Caesar's Account of Britain nndita Inhabitants in reference to Ethnology.' Having minutely described Caesar's account, and commented en it, he summed up tho whole in the following words;- The clin lusion to which we must, I think, come, from the perusal of Cro-Jar'a account of such of tho Britons ao he saw, is that, although they were certainly barbarians, they were very for from being savages. They were in possession of nearly all the domestic animals known to the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. They possessfd the art of making maileable iron, and they mixed, smelted, and exported tin. They had a fixed money, aithougn a rUdiJ one. In war they had an infantry, a cavalry, and chariots. There can be Il,) doubt but that they possessed tho art of manufacturing pottery, and 1 think it most probable that they had the art of weaving their wool in a coarse fabric and perhaps of dying these fabrics with woad. We may then safely pronounce our I forefathers to have been a more advanced people than were the Mexicans and Peruvians when first seen by Europeans 1,600 years after the time of Caesar. They encountered the first invaders of their country with far more courage and even military prowess than did the Mexicans the Spaniards, or than did even the Hindus the Greeks and Macedonians of Alexander; but these last results were more nn affair of race than of civilisa- tion. Such were the Britons Ccesar saw-, and assuredly j he saw no savages.' WHAT W( CAN Do.-Among the strangers in Philadelphia at this moment are two ladies from Martins- hurg, West "Virginia. Yesterday they were purchasing a seed drill, a mowing machine, and other agricultural implement, whose cost in the aggregate was about 800 dol. Their home was very close to the theatre of the late war. Between the two contending armies their houses and barns were burned, their horses and cattle driven off, their only brother conscripted into the rebel j army, and themselves left utterly destitute and homeless Any one who, seeing a young lady such as v-e saw yesterday, had been told that she had personally pionghed and planted many acres of land, would have laughed to scorn the party so informing him. Such, however, is literally the case. We learned the facts from a gentleman residing in the vicinity. The smoking ruins of the farm upon which these young people had resided had scarcely cooled when the neighbours clubbed together, built them a loghouse, and extemporised a sort of barn. Horses were loaned them, and the girls with their own hand," ploughed the ground and seeded it with corn. The corn grew apace, and with their own hands they harvested it. They sold it to good advantage. They had owned forty-seven negro slaves. Some of them went into the Union army others deserted the locality. The girls were left alone to battle with t'uo vicissitudes of the war. Our informant says that these locality. The girls were left alone to battle with t'uo vicissitudes of the war. Our informant says that these girls produced by their work in the field more deoidcd and productive results than were accomplished by the entire gang of slaves. They toiled for three years, and now have a comiortablo house and most substantial barns upon their property, while improvements have been made upon it to an extent that makes it of considerably more value than before the torch of the conflicting armies reduced its building to ash.es. One of the young ladies has sixice married, but the others still do duty as their own 'overseers,' and they themselves purchased yester- day and directed the shipment of the agricultural imple- ments to which we have above referred. The wonder to the dealer was that a lady, delicately-gloved and attired as though she had never overstepped the bounds of the boudoir, should descant experimentally and intel- ligently upon the respective merits of the different, reaping machines, and up.on the comparative values of (he different patents for thrashing out the cereals. These young ladies were educated in Philadelphia, and are well known to many of our best people.—Phila- -le I delphia North-American.