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I may add that Sir H. Roscoe's assistant speaks favourably
of a " method of ventilating" sewers recommended by Mr.
Parker, late Surveyor to the Poplar District Board of Works, and
in use for many years past, viz., " by carrying a shaft from the
sewer to the side of the road, and connecting to it a vertical pipe
attached to the head of which is fixed a' cowl.'" The Flushing
Inspector of the Metropolitan Board's Sewers in the district,
" spoke well in favour of the system," and I must say for
myself that, upon hearing Mi;. Parker describe his system, some
years ago, and looking at his drawings, the Medical Officer of
Health for the district, moreover, testifying to the good results
obtained, I formed the opinion that the method was likely to
afford a solution to the difficulty, based, as I understand it to be,
upon the principle of flooding the sewers with fresh air so as to
oxidize, dilute, and favour the escape of the foul emanations
from the sewage.
Sir Henry Roscoe's Reports were referred by your Yestry
to the Works, Sanitary, and General Purposes Committee for
consideration, and on July 25th inst., the Committee reported
as follows :—
(a) " That having regard to the statement that' the effects of the chemicals
used are imperceptible,' they doubt the propriety of continuing the
attempted deodorization of the sewage as recommended by Sir H.
Eoscoe, at a cost] of £40,000 per annum, especially as it is stated that
this outlay will not prevent a foul condition of the river occuring
during the summer months in drought or hot weather, and as it had
been previously stated that such an expenditure is not justifiable.
(b) " That as Sir H. Eoscoe is' convinced that sooner or later the recommendations
of the Eoyal Commission on Metropolitan Sewage Discharge
will have to be adopted, and that the Sewage, whether
previously clarified or not, must either be filtered through land or
discharged into the Estuary, at a point not higher than the Sea
Beach,' it would appear that the Board are proceeding upon erroneous
lines in dealing with the Sewage at the Outfalls, and hence the great
expenditure being incurred will have been practically thrown away.
(c) "That the methods of deodorizing the emanations from Sewers, at a
cost of £11 or £12 for each station where it is applied, appear to be
practically unsuccessful, and therefore might as well be discontinued.