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tance of landlords to incur expense, to improve the water supply, I hope, ere
long, to be able to report that some, if not all, the localities where, the water
supply is now defective, have been provided with means of supplying water
at all times.
In order to get this existing deficiency of the water supply remedied,
I have obtained an interview with the Engineer of the East London
Water Company, and with the Inspector of the New River Company,
and also with Mr. Beggs, of 37, Southampton Street, Strand, who
is Agent for Messrs. Guest & Grimes, of Rotherham, where all sorts of
sanitary appliances are manufactured, and have conferred with each of them
upon the best mode of supplying water to the districts inhabited by the poor,
and I have much pleasure in stating that the officers of the Water Companies
expressed their willingness to render the Landlords of courts and alleys every
reasonable assistance in the matter.
The Engineer of the East London Company recommended the adoption
of the "Patent Absolute Water Waste Preventer." This machine ''consists
of two parts: 1st, a Two-way Cock; 2nd, a Cast-iron Vessel. Its action is
as follows: The two-way cock is fixed at the bottom of the vessel. One of
the water-ways of the plug of the cock admits water into the vessel, and the
other allows it to run out, but both cannot be open at the same time, so that
a continuous flow of water beyond the contents of the vessel is impossible."
Water being connected 'with the machine by a pipe from the main fills the
vessel up to the compressed air line, and which compression will vary in
height, according to the pressure of the water works' supply. The quantity
of water which this vessel is capable of holding is always ready for use, and
no sooner is it drawn off, then, by reversing the handle of the cock, the vessel
will be again filled and ready for use, as may be required. He stated, also,
that every court in the District could be supplied with water from the main;
but, upon further inquiry, I found that although this could be done, yet, the
expense of laying on the water from the main, in some cases, would be so
great, owing to the distance of the main from the court to be supplied, that
many landlords would refuse to incur it.
The Inspector of the New Eiver Company suggested that a cistern
should be erected in each court, and that a pipe leading therefrom should be
supplied to every house in the court, and provided with a self-closing tap, so
that no one could carelessly waste the water, perhaps empty the cistern, and
thus inconvenience the other inhabitants. This plan would certainly prevent
the theft of water, a matter which the New River Company think of such
importance that they will not permit an " Absolute Water Waste Preventer
" to be erected in a court where permission to erect one was recently
required, but will only allow one " to be placed within a house, and
be properly protected."* The objection made by the Company of the
inhabitants of the neighbouring courts taking water from one of these
* In most of the courts where cisterns are used, any person can now obtain water, for the cisterns
are not protected.