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162
The Report of the Committee was adopted by your Vestry,
as also was their recommendation "That the system of pipe
ventilation be carried out in this parish where necessary and
practicable, as heretofore, and that all obstructions to the
ventilation of the sewers be removed by frequent removal of the
mud from the air openings in the gratings on the road level."
The latter recommendation arose out of a favourable notice by
Sir Henry Roscoe 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 Mr.
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 dilute, oxidize, and
favour the escape of the foul emanations from the sewage.
Sir Henry Roscoe, in December, 1888, presented a further
report to the Board dealing with
The Deodobization of Sewage at the Outfalls,
setting out the proceedings taken in 1888. From this document
we learn that Deodorization was commenced at both
outfalls—Crossness and Barking—May 7th, by the addition of
three grains of bleaching powder to the gallon of effluent
sewage, and continued until the stock of that material in hand
(839 tons) was exhausted. After May 27th, at the Northern
Outfall, and June 17th at the Southern Outfall, manganate of
soda, in the same proportion, was used until July 11th, when the
condition of the river was much improved by a heavy rainfall ;