View report page

4
was asked of the Secretary of State for War, whether the Chief
Engineer of the Works Department at Woolwich Arsenal had on
several occasions lately found the tubes of his condensers choked
with whitebait, and whether he would cause an endeavour to be
made to prevent fish from being so sacrificed and the machinery
from being blocked. Mr. Campbell-Bannerman replied, that these
facts were true, and that measures were being taken to prevent any
such occurrence in future. This improved condition in the Thames
is due to the satisfactory measures which of late years have been
adopted in the treatment and disposal of the sewage at the Barking
and Crossness outfalls. On June 5th it was reported to the County
Council, that the condition of the river Thames continued to be in
every way satisfactory. The analysis of the samples collected at high
and low water off the outfalls, show, "that although the quantity of
sea water present is steadily increasing, and therefore the downward
movement of sewage matter proportionately decreasing, still the
aeration is high and the evidence of pollution low." On June 12th
a sturgeon was caught in the Thames, weighing 280 lbs. Dace,
clean living fish, were found at Greenwich and Westminster Bridge.
The Chairman of the County Council, in his annual review of work
done and progress made in 1893-94, stated, that the offensive black
mud banks had disappeared arid given place to clean shores, consisting
of gravel, clay or river mud; he also stated that 2,102,000 tons
of sludge had been sent to sea.
I have no doubt that the Thames would quickly regain its name of
"silvery" if the West Ham sewage ceased to be discharged into the
Lea and Thames—but was pumped into the northern outfall—and
increased sewer accommodation for the Metropolis were afforded by
the London County Council, so as to obviate the necessity for the
numerous storm outlets, and if all other great sources of pollution
were prevented.*
*Mr. Dibdin, the Chemist to the London County Council, in his report to the
Main Drainage Committee, 27th September, 1894, on the Results of the examination