CHAPTER I.

THE TOWN SURVEYOR.

Office of surveyor first legalised — Clause of Public Health Act 1875, making appointment — Division of England into districts — Surveyor to Rural Authority — Clauses of Act referring to surveyor — Title of “Surveyor” is an erroneous one — List of subjects on which he has often to advise — Want of Government protection for surveyor — Mr. Lewis Angell on protection — Reasons for Government refusal — Time will effect a change

CHAPTER II.

THE APPOINTMENT OF SURVEYOR.

Sub-committee to fix salary and duties — Specimen report and list of duties — Test of merit necessary — Examination by Sanitary Institute of Great Britain — Particulars of these examinations — Syllabus of subjects — Specimens of examination papers — Authoritative examination, however, still necessary — Methods to be adopted to obtain appointment of surveyor — Canvassing

CHAPTER III.

THE SURVEYOR’S DUTIES.

Public Health Act and surveyors of highways — List of duties devolving upon surveyor in consequence — Meetings of boards and committees — List of suitable names for committees — Punctuality — Reports — Methodical habits

CHAPTER IV.

TRAFFIC.

Interests involved in construction and maintenance of streets — Requirements of a good roadway — Wearing effect of traffic — Mr. Deacon’s standard — Effect of horses’ hoofs on roadways — Remarks on shoeing — Traction on roads — Tables of resistance — Forces tending to destroy momentum — Table of tractive force, etc. — Another table giving inclinations — Proper gradients of roadways — Table of resistance by Crompton — Wheel resistance — Mr. Haywood and safety of traffic — Stopping and starting vehicles — Safe width of roadways — Vehicles and pedestrians passing each other — Sanctuaries — Danger of crossings

CHAPTER V.

MACADAMISED ROADWAYS.

Laying out new roads — Macadamised roads a luxury — Telford and Macadam — Specification of roadway, fifty years ago — Modern specification of roadway — Advantages of Telford’s system — Hard core — Concrete — Table of depths of materials — Ellice Clarke’s tables of comparative cost — Further particulars of comparative cost — Streets of Paris — Cross section of roadway — Objections to macadamised roadways — Notes on maintenance — Bituminous roadways

CHAPTER VI.

ROAD METAL AND BREAKING.

Test of fitness of stone — Primary investigations — Qualities necessary — List of stones used as road metal — Variety of materials used — Table of comparative efficiency of road metal in France — Hand-broken stone — Gauging the size — Quantity broken per diem — Machines for breaking stones — Price of machines — Work effected by machinery — Precautions necessary — Objections to machinery — Weight of broken stone — Specification for supply of road metal

CHAPTER VII.

ROAD ROLLING.

First introduction of rollers — Mr. Parry on steam rolling — Cost for repairs — Number of men necessary — Fuel used — Other uses for engine power — Spikes for chequering — Binding material — Gradients — Work effected — Description of manner in which roller should be applied — Method adopted in the United States — Use of roller for repairs of roads — Method adopted at Gloucester — Effect of weight of roller on roads — Advantages of steam rolling — Mr. Paget on rolling — Disadvantages of steam rolling — Horse rollers

CHAPTER VIII.

PITCHED PAVEMENTS.

Economy under heavy traffic — Noise and slipperiness — Improvements effected — Size of setts — Description of best class of stones — Mr. Walker and wear of stones — The Euston pavement — The Guidet paving — Manchester pavement — Concrete foundations — Grouting — Bituminous mixture — Stone tram-tracks

CHAPTER IX.

WOOD PAVING.

First introduced into metropolis — Improvements since — List and description of many various modern methods — Sanitary objections to wood pavement — Power of absorption of wood — Preserving processes — Wear of wood paving — Different estimates of life — Woods employed — Advantages of this description of paving — Objections to it — Cost of wood pavement — Tables of cost and life — Specification of wood pavement

CHAPTER X.

COMPRESSED ASPHALTE ROADWAYS.

Description of asphalte — Mr. Deland’s test — Percentage of bitumen necessary — Method of construction of compressed asphalte roadway — Advantages of this description of pavement — Objections to it on account of slipperiness — Gradient — Cost of asphalte pavement — Tables on the subject — Specifications for a compressed asphalte roadway — Other descriptions of asphalte roadways — Hints on the success or the reverse of asphalte roadways

CHAPTER XI.

FOOTPATHS.

Foundation — List of materials for footpaths — Mastic asphalte — Description of manner of laying — Proportions of asphalte, bitumen, and grit — Yorkshire flagging — Specification for York flagging — Caithness flagging — Its advantages — Blue lias flagging — Concrete footpaths — Description of American concrete path — Artificial stone pavements — Brick footpaths — Granite slabs — Artificial asphalte paths — Specification of tar pavement — American tar pavement — Gravel footpaths — Sections of paths — Tarred paths

CHAPTER XII.

KERBING AND CHANNELLING, ETC.

Necessity for kerb — Section of granite kerb and channel — Setting kerb — Cost of kerb and channelling — Necessity for gutter or channel crossings — Gully gratings — Objects to be attained — Drawing of a gully-pit — Drawing of a buddle-hole — Mr. Baldwin Latham on the subject

CHAPTER XIII.

LIGHTING STREETS.

Gas v. Electricity — Public Health Act on lighting — Different hours at which public gas lamps are lighted — Hints for a contract with a gas company — Supply by meter — Objections to meters — Regulators — Lamp-posts — Lanterns — Burners — Numbering lamps — Formula for determining distance of lamps — M. Servier on spreading light uniformly — Tables of different lights — Points to be considered in public lighting by electricity — Motive power required — Machinery necessary — Regulations as regards fire risks — Lamps — Value of electric light — Difficulty of photometrical measurement — Cost of electric light — Mr. Shoolbred’s tables — Comparative cost on Thames embankment — Value of these investigations — Acme of all lighting

CHAPTER XIV.

STREET NAMING AND NUMBERING.

Necessity of naming and numbering streets — Public Health Act on the subject — Different methods of naming — Minton’s china letters — Cast iron plates — Painted names — Enamelled iron — Wooden figures — Enamelled glass tablets — Size of letters — Association of names — Methods of numbering — Forms of notice to number

CHAPTER XV.

BREAKING-UP STREETS.

The law on the subject — Water Works Clauses Act, 1847 — Consideration of the clauses — What is meant by “plan” — Specimen of specification or plan — Damage caused to roads by opening them — Private individuals breaking-up streets — Clauses of the Public Health Act — Telegraphs Act, 1863 — Clauses of this Act — Advantages and disadvantages of subways — Power of individuals to open streets for drains — Clauses of the Public Health Act on the subject — Uncertainty on the subject — Forms of notices necessary — Customs prevailing in different towns

CHAPTER XVI.

OBSTRUCTIONS IN STREETS.

List of subjects discussed — Improving line of frontages — Assessing value of compensation — Removing projections of buildings — What are legal projections? — Doors or gates opening outwards — Forms of notice necessary — Vaults or cellar coverings — Forms of notice necessary — Advantages of an “Easement book” — Rain water from shutes or down pipes — Form of notice necessary — Blinds or awnings over paths — Trees overhanging roadways — Form of notice necessary — Surface water from premises — Hoardings and scaffolds — Dangerous Buildings — Tall chimney shafts — Dangerous rock — Forms of notice necessary — Temporary obstructions

CHAPTER XVII.

IMPROVEMENT OF PRIVATE STREETS.

The 150th section of the Public Health Act — Criticisms of this section — Duties of the surveyor in connection with it — Specimen forms of notices — Carrying out the work — Taking over private streets — Agreement to take over a road — What is a “road”? — Legal definition of the term street

CHAPTER XVIII.

NEW STREETS AND BUILDINGS.

Important duty of surveyor — Clauses of the Public Health Act — Model bye-laws — What is a new building? — The term “ground floor” — Alteration of existing buildings — Deposit of plans — Clauses of the Public Health Act — Clauses necessary in the bye-laws with regard to deposit — Form of notice in respect of deposit of plans — Suggestions for town surveyor in connection with this duty and examination of plans — Supervision of buildings in course of erection — Stringency of bye-laws — Protection of life from fire necessary — Party walls through roofs — Space at back — Fee for inspection

CHAPTER XIX.

SCAVENGING.

The Public Health Act on the subject — List of duties involved by the clauses of the Act — What is house refuse? — Removal of trade or garden refuse — Position of dust bin — Objections to fixed bin — Different methods of collection of refuse — Public dust bins — House to house call — Receptacles brought out into streets — Carts employed for scavenging — Life and cost of wooden carts — Improved sanitary carts — Disposal of refuse — Methods adopted in various towns — Destruction by fire — Cleansing of streets — Machinery v. hand labour — Durability of brooms — Scavenging at Liverpool — Quantity of material removed from roads — Cleansing private courts and alleys — Removal of snow — Mr. Hayward on the subject — Clarke’s apparatus — Hints on removal of snow — Street watering — Several methods described — Brown’s system — Mr. Parry on hand-watering — Headley’s machine — Street watering in Paris — Bayley’s Hydrostatic Van — Mr. Scott on watering and stand-pipes — Advantage of using disinfectant with water — Cost of scavenging, &c. — Heads for a contract — Administration of work without intervention of contractor the best

CHAPTER XX.

SEWERAGE.

Public Health Act on the subject — Definition of sewer — Definitions of sewerage and sewage — Requirements of good system of sewerage — Position of sewers should be at back of houses — Form of notice to carry sewer through private lands — Hints for carrying out sewerage — Stamford’s joint — Pipe sewers — Drawing of various pipes — Causes of breakage — Causes of chokage — Separate system — Advantages of partial separation — List of different methods of sewerage — Dry systems

CHAPTER XXI.

SEWAGE DISPOSAL.

Magnitude of question — Interception — List of methods of disposal — Tidal outfalls — Broad irrigation — Crops for sewage — Intermittent filtration — Action of earth on sewage — Mechanical subsidence — Artificial filters — Screening — Precipitation — List of chemical processes — List of chemical ingredients — Disposal of sludge — Effect of plants on sewage

CHAPTER XXII.

VENTILATION OF SEWERS.

Duty of dealing with noxious sewer vapours — Germ theory and open ventilation — Open shafts and objections to them — Shafts against dwellings — Use of rainwater pipes — Use of lamp posts — Charcoal trays — Use of chimney shafts — Lofty shafts — Failure of furnaces — List of methods tried — Annihilation of sewer gas — Composition of sewer gas — Direction of flow — Importance of disconnecting house drains

CHAPTER XXIII.

PUBLIC CONVENIENCES.

Clause of Public Health Act empowering their erection — Selection of site — Construction of Urinals — Why iron is preferable — Description of urinals — Public w. c. accommodation — Description of a simple w. c. — Jennings and Macfarlane for urinals

CHAPTER XXIV.

ARTIZANS AND LABOURERS’ DWELLINGS.

The Act of 1868 — Mode of procedure under it — Amendment of Act in 1879 — Further amendment in 1882 — Importance of this amendment — Act of 1875 for improvement of dwellings of working classes — Mode of procedure under it — Amended by Act of 1879 — Further amended, 1882 — Duties of surveyor under these acts — Health of model dwellings — Description of industrial dwellings — Labouring classes’ Lodging Houses Acts — Copy of bye-laws under them — Table of sizes of rooms

CHAPTER XXV.

DEFECTS IN DWELLING-HOUSES, ETC.

Cellar dwellings — Clauses of the Public Health Act on the subject — Insufficient w. c. accommodation — Clauses on the subject — Forms of notice to be served — W. C. accommodation for factories — Houses without a proper supply of water — Clauses on the subject — Mode of procedure — Disadvantages of cistern storage

CHAPTER XXVI.

HOUSE DRAINAGE.

Definition of drain — Difficulty of always deciding what is a drain — Duties of surveyor in connection with house drainage — Inspection of new drains — Form of “regulations” necessary by a local authority — Difficulty of efficient inspection — Drains of new buildings — Inspection of defective drains — Several clauses of the Public Health Act on the subject — Procedure necessary to carry them out — List of a few requirements of good house drainage — Necessity of register of all house drains

CHAPTER XXVII.

PUBLIC PLEASURE GROUNDS AND STREET TREES.

Law empowering acquisition and maintenance of parks, &c. — Duties of surveyor in connection therewith — Public playgrounds — A few hints — List of a few useful shrubs — Trees in gales — Planting trees at sides of streets — Qualities necessary in trees for this purpose — List of suitable trees — Precautions necessary — Grating and grill — Description of Paris planting — Cost of trees in Paris — Damage to street trees

CHAPTER XXVIII.

PUBLIC ABATTOIRS.

Necessity and law for their establishment — Defects of private slaughter-houses — Legal powers to close private slaughter-houses — Particulars of London private slaughter-houses — Site of public abattoir — The Manchester abattoir — Accommodation necessary — Lairs and pens — The killing-house — Floor, drainage, rings, pole-axe, lighting, &c. — Machinery for hoisting — Plans of public abattoir — Condemned meat department — Pig-killing department — Blood-house — Tripery — Tallow market — Other accommodation — Dr. Chancellor on slaughter-houses — Difference between public and private slaughter-houses

CHAPTER XXIX.

MARKETS.

Law authorizing their establishment — Site for a cattle market — Accommodation necessary — Paving — Cattle enclosures — Sheep pens — Dimensions of pens and lairs — Weighing machine — Markets for general merchandise — List of requirements — A few hints on their accommodation

CHAPTER XXX.

CEMETERIES.

The surveyor’s duties in connection with these — Some legal points to be remembered — Selection of site on sanitary grounds — Mr. Eassie on soils — Dr. Parsons on requirements of cemeteries — Unsuitability of clay soil — Amount of land necessary — Points to be considered in laying out a cemetery — Division of cemetery — Description of sections — Cemetery rules and regulations — Suitable trees for cemeteries — Regulations by Secretary of State, 1863 — Cremation — Its great advantages over burial — Area of some existing cemeteries — Necessity for reliable information as to causes of death

CHAPTER XXXI.

MORTUARIES.

Evils arising from keeping corpses — Some clauses of the Public Health Act on the subject — List of different descriptions of mortuaries — A German Leichenhaus — Requirements of a mortuary — The chapel — The dead-house — The post-mortem room — The coroner’s court — Other accommodation necessary — Plan of a model mortuary — Disinfection — Apparatus necessary — Dr. Ransom’s machine — Fetching infected clothing

CHAPTER XXXII.

BORROWING UNDER THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD.

Clauses of the Public Health Act — Stimulus to public works — List of time for which money can be borrowed — Mr. Rawlinson on procedure and plans, &c., necessary — Responsibility of Local Government Board — Captain Galton on Government responsibility

CHAPTER XXXIII.

CONTRACTS.

Clauses of Public Health Act — Public contracts different from private ones — Specifications necessary — Conclusion — A list of useful books