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43
Plans for the construction of a high chimney stack have been submitted to the
London County Council.
Complaints are occasionally received of nuisances from offensive fumes
from other premises which have been dealt with in former years. These are
now only due to some accident or temporary defect, and the nuisances are
soon abated.
POISONING BY FUMES DUE TO FUSING OF ELECTRIC LIGHT CABLE.
Early on the morning of the 10th June the Police gave notice to the
Borough Surveyor, of an escape of gas in several of the houses in Neal Street,
and that a number of the occupiers had been poisoned by the "gas" and
removed to hospital. The Borough Surveyor at once communicated with the
Gas Light and Coke Company, Limited. No escape of coal gas however was
found, but on opening up the public way in front of some of the houses the
ground was found to be very hot, and the bitumen around the cables of the
Charing Cross, West End and City Electricity Supply Company in a molten
condition. The Borough Surveyor at once communicated with that Company,
who found about 150 feet of their cables opposite the houses Nos. 48 to 68
had been fused.
I made a careful investigation, and, at the request of the Local Government
Board presented a detailed report respecting the matter.
Eleven persons, viz., 6 from No. 56, 3 from No. 60, and 2 from No. 62,
were taken to Charing Cross Hospital; those who were unconscious in
ambulances. In addition, some other occupants of the houses informed me
that although they did not go to hospital they suffered more or less.
Dr. Mott kindly sent me full details respecting the cases, and expressed
the opinion that the symptoms were due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
In the houses where the cases occurred the front walls of the basements
were defective, and the front areas and stall boards were quite enclosed so
that the "gas" could easily enter the houses. At the other houses there
were either open gratings over the front areas, or in the stall boards, or the
front walls were well concreted, or a combination of these conditions, so that
the "gas" could not enter those houses in any quantity.
The Public Health Committee expressed the hope that the Local Government
Board would see its way to advise as to the steps it might think desirable
with a view to preventing as far as possible any recurrence of similar dangers.
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