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In order to get sufficient heat, trade refuse from other boroughs in London is accepted, mixed
with our own refuse, allowed to accumulate on top of the hoppers, rushed through the furnaces,
and raked out half consumed. The consequence is you have nuisance from the carting in of refuse
in very large quantities by dust vans, which are ill packed and overloaded, and have to wait their
turn for hours in the Neckinger ; accumulation of filth and garbage, &c., in the building, fermenting,
giving off fumes and dust, attracting flies, and smelling from incomplete combustion when it emerges
again from the furnaces.
Complaints are received from time to time from the houses in the Neckinger, the Town Hall offices,
and the Neckinger school, all of which can be traced to the above causes.
The next complaint concerns the electric light undertaking. As additional electricity is
demanded, it is necessary to put up new plant, but the dust destructor, no matter how loaded,
cannot supply sufficient heat, and additional boilers have to be erected. As the tall chimney is now
taking its full complement of furnaces it has been found necessary to erect three iron chimneys for
the new boilers, and these I submit have put the climax on the nuisances caused since the erection
of the destructor. These chimneys, though short, have a very large diameter, and the furnaces
they relieve bum coal alone and are fed by a forced draught. The result is that though combustion
is fairly complete and black smoke the exception, they emit enormous quantities of light coloured
smoke containing a very high percentage of sulphur compounds. The chief of these is sulphur
dioxide, a gas obtained by burning pure sulphur, and extremely irritating to the nose, throat and
bronchi of persons breathing it. It is the gas we use for disinfection of rooms and in sufficient
concentration is deadly to all forms of animal or vegetable life. Now, owing to the lowness of the
new chimneys, this gas finds its way into all the buildings round the depot in turn according to the
direction of the wind, but as the west and south-west winds are most prevalent the Neckinger school
suffers most frequently. I have been in there on several occasions and find that the school rooms
and passages, especially those situated on the side next to the depot, are frequently filled with these
sulphurous fumes to the detriment of the teachers and scholars. As there are about 800 of the
latter it is obvious that such a nuisance may have very serious and widespread consequences.
As regards the third complaint, I do not think Ellis's tannery is the sole one that causes unpleasant
odours. There are several tanneries in the neighbourhood, and it is very difficult to pick out one
specially. As long as you have tanneries you will have smells, but a great deal can be done by
enforcing general cleanliness. Unfortunately the tanning trade does not come under any bye-laws
for offensive trades. Some of the sewers in the neighbourhood also occasionally cause offensive
smells. The nuisances, however, from the tanneries and sewers in this part of the borough are, in
my opinion, much less serious than that due to the dust destructor and the electric light chimneys.
To remedy these nuisances I am of opinion that the dust destructor and electric light undertakings
should be separated and the former moved down to its old place in Rotherhithe. The buildings
are still there and the neighbourhood is much more suitable. Ido not believe that adding a few feet
to the present iron chimneys will remedy the sulphur nuisance or touch the nuisances from the
destructor.
The smoke from large coal-fed furnaces should be discharged into the atmosphere at a height of
150 to 200 feet, otherwise it cannot be sufficiently diluted, and will be a source of danger to the
immediate surroundings." .
Overcrowding.
The following cases of overcrowding were visited by the Medical Officer of Health during
the year under report:—