Mr, Robert L. O'Brien, proprietor of the "Boston Herald," higher; and that of 1881 yet another three inches. The flood of last January rose eleven inches higher even than that of 1881 or five clear inches above the 18ft. flood-protection works. The Committee. are of the opinion that there was no reason from previous records to anticipate what actually occurred on January 6; but as each preceding flood within well-recorded history had. been some inches higher than the one before it, this opinion does not seem worth very much.. The truth of the matter is, probably, that no one thought much about the old records until' the catastrophe occurred and no one certainly would dispute that it was abnormal. The combination of causes behind the disaster was 'a spring tide; the raising of the water in the estuary due to heavy gales in opposite directions in the North Sea and English Channel, apparently tending to heap up waters round the mouth of the Thames; and flood waters in the upper river. The Committee will not say pre cisely how far they think the last-named cause contributed; but any layman remembering conditions round about Christmas time would think the contribution must have been great. Even before the heavy snowfall of Christmas and Boxing Day night, the Thames had been overflowing its banks in several places; and the snow lay for some days to a depth of nine or ten inches, and even four or five feet in the drifts.
The Committee refrain from making any precise recommendation, except that more information and expert advice must be sought, for which application is to be made to the Liverpool Tidal Institute. the highest authority on such matters in the land, No general raising of the flood-prevention works is recommended at present: even to add a foot to them would involve the necessity of considerable strengthening and the cost of such work might amount to millions. Meanwhile the cost of the Liverpool Institute's _investigations is to be borne by the London County Council and a system of warnings against possible dan. ger from Southend upwards is put into force. The most horrible part of the story of January's catastrophe. was the number of people who were trapped in basement dwell Here again, unfortunately: remedy can be applied except gradually. It_is impossible to has been paying a short visit to Shanghai shift all the dwellers in basements elsewhere; in fact, many of them would refuse to move, as it is essential for them to live alongside the river near their work. The best that can be done is to see that no new buildings or old ones reconstructed: are built with basement dwellings and to do all that can be done to hasten the realization of a comprehensive housing programme for London. But, while the floods have already taught something new about the Thames and will result in yot more being learned, the only clear conclusion of the whole matter is that there is no possibility of legislating against the abnormal,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.