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41
Unwholesome and dilapidated houses have been
cleansed and repaired during the year to the number of
84, in addition to which 58 dirty rooms have been
cleansed and made habitable, besides 23 staircases and
passages which were in a filthy condition. Also 66
leaky house roofs and gullies have been made good, 27
houses supplied with water, and the large number of
471 water-cisterns covered andrepaired. Nearly the whole
of these numerous works have been carried out at the expense
of the owners of property, and arc evidence of the
interest taken in the dwellings of the poorer classes in
the sub-district by the sanitary authority and its officers,
and have been the result of much care and exertion,
necessitating frequent re-inspections and close supervision.
Reference was made in the report for 1885 to the
great necessity for improved ventilation for the sewers
by means other than surface ventilators. Much has since
been done in this direction by upcast shafts affixed to
the sides of houses in proper positions. Of the efficacy
of the system there can be no doubt, as a stream of evil
smelling sewer gas constantly flows from the opening at
the summit. Many practical men, members of the Board
and others, who were doubtful of the result of attempting
to ventilate the sewers by this means, having convinced
themselves by experience, are now amongst its
most earnest advocates.
The Metropolitan Board of Works has now adopted
this method of ventilating the Bridge Road sewer, and
the engineer in charge has expressed his satisfaction at
the result, and is prepared to erect shafts at other points
where available.
Much credit is due to Mr. Pilditch, the Surveyor for
the method of construction by which he collects the