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offsets until it reaches a 14 ft. 6 in. square; owing to the water met with in the bottom it
was deemed advisable to execute the footings to the underside of the flue in cement mortar
3 to 1 instead of lime as provided in the contract, for a height of 7 ft. above the datum or
dock coping level, the base of the shaft maintains a square having sides 14 ft. 6 in. long
and above the giound line, it is faced with pressed blue Staffordshire bricks finished with
two courses of sloped bricks; above this the base is 13 ft. 9 in. square for a further height
of 15 ft., and in each side of the square a sunk panel has been inserted. The square baso is
finished with three courses of Portland stone of a total thickness of 6 ft. G in., the corner stones
of the top course being worked with a splay and forming top to octagonal side of the shaft,
which is 12 ft. 4 in. outside diameter at this point, the thickness of the brickwork of the sides
being 3½bricks, decreasing ½ brick for every 20 ft. in height, except the last 10 ft. which is
built in 1½ bricks. The total height of the shaft when finished will be 150 ft. above datum
level, the sides batter 2.963 inches in 10 ft., and the outside diameter at the top will be G ft.
3 in. finished with a 6 in. by 6 in. by ½ in. angle iron forged in one piece, to fix closely over
the outside of the brickwork; near the top of the shaft is a cast iron cove cap formed of eight
segments securely bolted together at the angles. The interior of the shaft from bottom to top
maintains an octagon 4 ft. diameter, and is lined with firebrick for a height of 100 ft., with
an air space between it and the outer shell; the firebrick lining is 9 in. in thickness for a
height of 50 ft. and 4½ in. in thickness between 50 ft. and 100 ft. The flue from the destructor
cells to shaft will be underground, formed of 9 in. of brickwork, and an inner lining of
4½ in. of firebrick with a 1 in. air space between the lining and the outer brickwork,
the bottom is flat, and sides vertical with semicircular arch, it is 5 ft, high by 3 ft. wide.
The work was commenced 27th October, 1897,
Excavation completed 17th December, 1897,
Concrete foundation completed 8th January, 1898,
and upon the 25th March, 1898, the shaft was completed to a height of 50 ft. above
datum level.
The drawings, specification and quantities for the erection of the Destructor Buildings,
inclined roadways, engine house, disinfector buildings, etc., are now ready, and the
advertisement for tenders will shortly be issued.