View report page

28
THE REFUSE DESTRUCTOR.
During the year there were frequent complaints of smells
alleged to be due to the Refuse Destructor.
At one time it was not working well, partly due to some
temporary defect and partly to the large amount of house
refuse which had become sodden with rain owing to the
dust-bins being left uncovered. This was remedied, but later
on fresh complaints came in, and in consequence the patentees
were communicated with. Their representative made
an inspection and reported that the smell complained of
came from the neighbouring gasworks, and from the brickfields,
where London refuse was being burned.
As the complaints still continued, at the end of October,
in company with the Mayor and the members of the Health
Committee, 1 made an inspection of the brickfields and presented
a report on the subject, in which I stated that the
burning ballast and brick clamps undoubtedly gave off unpleasant
effluvia, but it was difficult to be absolutely certain
of the origin of the smells complained of, as the gasworks,
brickfields, and refuse destructor were all in one area. As
the gases given off from heated masses at first rise upward,
they may not be very perceptible to anyone standing in close
proximity, but as they are carried away by the wind, become
cooled, and fall downwards at some distance from their place
of origin, they may cause serious nuisance. In such cases
there is great difficulty in localizing their exact origin. I
saw no refuse deposited in the brickfields which could cause
offensive emanations appreciable at a distance, except that
which was undergoing combustion,