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54
On August 3rd—The water at "Camden" locks was almost in its ordinary condition. In
Cumberland-basin it was still foul, as also in the dock at the London and North Western
Railway Company's goods depot, which is situated just above the locks.
The conditions found to exist on these days confirmed the statement of the company that they
had taken steps to pass water from the upper to the lower reaches of the canal, with a view to
removing the foul water down the canal and into the river. The fact that Cumberland-basin is a
dead end off the main waterway accounts for the water remaining in a foul condition at a time
when that in the canal had regained its usual appearance, and the company found it necessary on
August 4th to deal with the conditions here by adding lime to the water. The dock of the London
and North Western Railway Company to which reference is made is also off the main waterway,
which it joins by a narrow entrance. The dock is in the goods depot of the railway company,
situated alongside the canal immediately above the highest lock (via Hampstead-road lock) on
Regent's-canal. and previously to July 25th, the dock was immediately underneath a part of a large
storage shed in the depot. On the evening of the 25th a fire occurred on these premises, with the
result that a great part of the shed together with its contents fell into the dock. The water here
remained in a foul condition for some time, and steps had to be taken to disconnect the dock from
the canal.
So far as the Council has information, the water after August 3rd remained in its ordinary
condition and further complaints were not received, but inspection was made frequently for some
time after this date both by the Council and the local sanitary authority. Samples of water were
also taken for analysis on three occasions, namely, on July 31st, August 13th, and August 24th. In
his reports to us the chemist states as follows—
As regards samples taken on July 31st—
" Neither sample had any distinct acid or alkaline re-action.
" The samples were offensive both in appearance and odour, and I am of opinion, both
from the analytical figures and the results of the microscopical examination, that the source
of contamination is principally of an animal and vegetable nature, most probably sewage. The
condition of the water and consequent low aeration would, I think, easily account for the large
numbers of dead fish floating on the surface. There is no evidence in either sample of contamination
with chemicals."
As regards samples taken on August 13th—
" I have to report to the Committee the result of the analysis of four samples of water
collected on the 13th instant, two being taken from the Regent's-canal, one from the Collateral
Cut, and one from Cumberland-basin.
" The details of the results obtained are set out in the table attached, from which it will be
seen that the oxidisable organic matters present in the samples are less than one-third of the
quantity present in the samples reported to the Committee on the 7th instant. The water
collected on the 13th instant is altogether of a different character to the samples collected on
July 31st. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen in the total organic elements clearly indicates that
the organic matter present in the water is largely of vegetable origin."
As regards samples taken on August 24th—
" I have to report for the information of the Committee the results of the examination of
further samples of water collected from the Regent's-canal on the 24th instant.
" The results obtained on analysis are set out in the appended table from which it will be
seen that the samples are similar in character to those collected on the 13th instant. The
oxygen absorbed by the oxidisable matters in No. 1 sample is almost the same in quantity as
that absorbed by the sample collected at this point previously. In the other three samples
there is but a slight increase in the quantity of oxidisable matters.
" The ratio of carbon to nitrogen in the total organic elements show that the organic matter
is principally of vegetable origin."
There is no doubt that the water of the canal in the neighbourhood from which complaints were
made was in a state which gave rise to serious nuisance, and it was felt to be a matter of importance
to ascertain whether this depended upon some condition or conditions present in the canal which
became apparent owing to the heat which prevailed at the time, or whether it arose owing to some
accidental occurrence such as a fire on the banks of the canal causing pollution in some way, as was
suggested as a possible explanation in the letters from the Vestry of St. Pancras and from the canal
company.
Inquiry was therefore specially made with a view to arriving at some conclusion.
The evidence which has been obtained does not point definitely to any one condition as being the
sole cause of the nuisance. The noteworthy points are these—
(1.) The canal was stated to be unusually offensive. A man engaged at the cab-rank
near the "York and Albany" p.h., and who has been on the rank for a long period, stated
that, though he had before noticed smell from the canal, he had never at any time experienced
it in a condition at all approaching that at the date of complaint. Its condition was therefor®
altogether exceptional.
(2.) The complaints, including those to the Council and those to the local authorities,
came from residents in the Regent's-park portion of St. Pancras and from the eastern part of
Marylebone. Nuisance does not appear to have occurred at the portion of the canal where the
stone-yard of the Vestry of Marylebone is situated, i.e., at the western part of the district; and
there were no complaints in Paddington, Chelsea, Kensington or Hammersmith, i.e., higher up
the canal.
(3.) Apart from a complaint to Marylebone Vestry on July 18th, no further complaints
were received by the local authorities till after the 26th ; thus the first complaint to the St.
Pancras Vestry was dated July 28th, and to the St. Marylebone Vestry, July 29th. Many
complaints were then received.
Inquiry of residents in Albert-road shows that the nuisance was first noticed on the 26th
and 27th.
(4.) The appearance of the water when seen by Dr. Young on the 31st, above the highest
lock, viz., Hampstead-road lock, was quite unusual. It was inky black, but clear, as if
suspended matter had been precipitated. Bubbles of gas were discharging freely from the
surface. Dead fish were floating on the water. These appearances are not those usually found
where ordinary domestic sewage passes into a waterway ; they tend rather to raise suspicion of
some chemical impurity either with or without sewage. The air was permeated with sulphuretted
hydrogen. y
(5.) There is no evidence which points to the foul water having come down the canal but
rather that the condition causing nuisance arose locally and spread up the canal reach which
is locked at Hampstead-road. It was stated that the foul water and dead fish did not reach
Kentish-town lock, a short distance below, till the morning of 31st July.
(6.) A fire occurred just above Hampstead-road lock at a railway goods depot. A large