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72
upon the Company by the Board of Trade, acting under
the authority of Parliament, for the protection of the public
safety.
In the months of January, February, and March, however,
the Vestry received complaints from certain ratepayers in
Piccadilly that they had been compelled to frequently
renew their water supply pipes, in one case as many as
four times, since November. An inspection of the pipes
removed from the ground led to the belief that the mischief
was due to electrolytic action, and as neither of the two
Electric Light Companies who have mains under the footway
in the portion of Piccadilly referred to appeared to be
disposed to uncover their mains for the purpose of
examination for the evident leakage, the Vestry were
driven to appeal to Major Cardew, R.E., for his assistance.
The ground was accordingly opened, and the outer casing
of both mains exposed and tested when a very perceptible
leakage from the main of the St. James's and Pall Mall Company
was at once manifested. The Vestry were so exceedingly
dissatisfied with the Company for having sat with
folded hands for some months, although the fact of a
leakage in some part of their system must have been
known to them, and the mischief in Piccadilly was localised
between two of their distributing boxes, that they
communicated officially with the Board of Trade on the
subject. The reply of the Board of Trade, which took
the form of a report from Major Cardew, was not
received until after Lady-day, but it is of such great importance,
especially in view of what transpired at the
above-mentioned inquiry by Major Cardew in November,
that it is given in full, as follows:—