Report of a committee on a plan for cleansing the drains of Black Town.

Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of a committee on a plan for cleansing the drains of Black Town. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    work, is theiabor only of about 40 coolies, and as animal power is not employ- ed here, tho labor of the 40 coolies is equivalent to a Steam Engine of about 8 Horse Power, and tho expense of the 40 coolies on an average is about fl\ Ru- pees daily, which is equal to nearly 2 Annas per Horse per hour, I do not see that much, if any thing, will be gained by introducing Water Power instead, when it is borne in mind that the manual labor, when not required for the ma- chinery, can be turned into any other channel of usefulness, which will not be the case if Water or Steam Power is used; whether the whole or only part of the machinery requires to be wrought, the same amount of labor and expense must be daily expended. 4. Unless it is the intention of Government to extend the operations of this Department on a very extensive scale, I do not see any advantage in changing the system of labor at present pursued. It may prove beneficial to a Department like the Gun Powder Manufactory, where cattle are at present employed in turning the Mills and must be maintained whether the Mills are in operation or not; but in the Gun Carriage Manufactory, I do not think in the long ran it would be of any advantage or saving to the State. APPENDIX H. Gra Powder Manufactory, Madras, 7 th Dec. 1852. FROM MAJOR T. LAVIE, SUPERINTENDENT OF THE GUN POWDER MANUFACTORY, TO THE OFFICIATING SECRETARY TO THE MILITARY BOARD, FORT SAINT GEORGE. Sir,—In reference to your letter 'No. 6782, dated 5th ultimo, I have the honor to request you will do me the favor to inform the Military Board, that I have given the subject of applying Water Power at these Mills the fullest con- sideration. The proposition is not a novel one with me, I have had it on my mind for the last two years, but it has been burdened with difficulties as to a continual and regular flow of water, which I have not been able to overcome, but which the Board's project entirely remove. I do not hesitate to say that the introduction of Water Power at these Mills would prove both beneficial and economical, beneficial in producing a su- perior Gun-powder, and lessening greatly the loss of life in cases of accident; economical as it would by reducing the strength of the establishment inhuman and manual labor very considerably diminish the cost of the Gun-powder. I do not consider that any expensive machinery or apparatus would be required, the present buildings in which the incorporating mills are placed, and where Water Power would prove the most beneficial, are unfortunately not very well situated, but they might easily bo altered or even re-built, using the present materials, at a very trifling expense.
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