Report to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State For the Home Department, from the Poor Law Commissioners, on an Inquiry Into the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain; With AppendicesChadwick, Edwin
History
Report to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State For the Home Department, from the Poor Law Commissioners, on an Inquiry Into the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain; With Appendices
Chadwick, Edwin
Housing -- Great Britain; Public health -- Great Britain
By what means may these effects be obviated?—In the Holborn and
Finsbury divisions I suggested a plan of flushing the sewers, and of
carrying off all the refuse by water. This plan has been adopted, and
it is now in operation. The breaking up of the streets is avoided by
the formation of side entrances; cast-iron flushing gates are fixed in
the sewers; the ordinary flow of water in the sewers accumulates at
these gates; the gates are opened, and the force of the water is
sufficient to sweep off the deposit; and the system may be further
extended.
What is the comparative difference in the expense of construction?—The
cost of side entrances and flood-gates, as compared with the cost of
man-holes, is from 6_d._ to 1_s._ less per foot lineal of the length
of new sewers.
What other expense is attendant on this improved practice?—The main
expense is the attendance of a man to shut and open the flood-gates.
The structural expense being lower, is the ultimate expense of
cleansing lower also?—Yes; the expense of cleansing the sewers is
about 50 per cent. less than the prevalent mode. Our expense of
cleansing the sewers was about 1,200_l._ per annum; we save 600_l._ of
that, and expect to save more; but to this must be added the saving to
the public of the cleansing of the private drains, formerly choked by
the accumulations in the sewers. This saving, on a moderate
calculation, is found to be upwards of 300_l._ per annum. There is
also the diminution of the escapes of gas from the old and continued
accumulations.
During what intervals are deposits allowed to remain on the old
mode?—The average is in one set of sewers about five years, and in
another about ten years.
During which time the public are subjected to all the escapes of gas
from the decomposing accumulation?—Exactly so. It could not, however
go on so long but for heavy falls of rain or snow, which occasion
partial clearances.
What is the effect of these accumulations upon the private
drainage?—That the drains to the private houses are stopped: the first
intimation of the foul state of the main sewer arises from complaints
of individuals whose drains are affected; the accumulations in the
private drains also occasions an expense to the individuals and much
annoyance. By flushing the sewers this expense might be, and in
Holborn and Finsbury division it is, avoided.
Are there any other defects you have, as an engineer, noticed in the
prevalent mode of constructing the sewers?—Yes, the prevalent practice
is to join sewers at angles, frequently at right angles; this
occasions eddies and deposits of sediment that would otherwise pass
off with the water; it injures the capacity of the main sewers by
obstructing the current of water along them: I ascertained by
experiment that the time occupied in the passage of an equal quantity
of water, along similar lengths of sewer with equal falls, was—
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