Subterranean survey of the Westminster District.

  • London (England). Metropolitan Commission of Sewers.
Date:
[1849]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Subterranean survey of the Westminster District. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    filled up within a few inches of the soffit, but it is supposed that the scavengers emptied the road sweepings down the gully-grate in this instance. From the progress the subterranean parties are now making, the whole of the town area will be completed about the end of this year. They are now five parties in strength, and will be able to keep much in advance of the increased office force above recommended. The tie levelling above ground (already reported) is now completed, at an expense of about 120/. We beg to append a description of the most remarkable features which have been met with in this portion of the Subterranean Survey. From this description, and an examination of the accompanying illustrated Map of the sewers, and the weekly progress reports, it will be found, as a general conclusion, that much of the sewerage of the City of Westminster itself is in a rotten state, and contains a large amount of foul deposit; that in the more modern district of Belgrave and Eaton Squares, although the brick-work of the sewers is generally sound and good, they contain several faulty places, and abound with noxious matter, in many cases stopping up the house-drains and smelling horribly; that in the district of Grosvenor, Hanover, and Berkeley Squares, as a rule, con¬ siderable deposit is found in the sewers, emitting much effluvia; that the same remark may be made of the sewers in the neighbourhood of Clare Market, Covent Garden, Soho Square, and Fitzroy Square ; that much of the work north of Oxford Street, about Cavendish, Bryanstone, Manchester, and Portman Squares, is in such a state of rottennes and decay, there is no security for its standing from day to day; that there is a large amount of the most loathsome deposit in these sewers, but the act of flushing might bring some of them down altogether; that even throughout the New Paddington district, the neighbourhood of Hyde Park Gardens, and the costly squares and streets adjacent, the sewers abound with the foulest deposit, from which the most disgusting effluvium arises; and that amidst the whole of the Westminster District of Sewers the only little spot which can be mentioned as being in at all a satisfactory state is the immediate neighbourhood of Seven Dials. Gentlemen, Your most obedient humble Servants, % HENRY AUSTIN, Consulting Engineer. JOSEPH SMITH, Assistant Surveyor. March 3, 1849.