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57
The figures showing the amount of salt present in the River Thames at
various localities are interesting.
It should be borne in mind that the greater proportion of the salt used or
misused in households, &c., finds its way into the sewer, and thence into
the River.
At Teddington there are 3.13 grains of common salt in each gallon ; this
gradually increases to 15.35 per gallon at London Bridge, and 38'89 grains
at Woolwich at low water, 1,216 grains at Greenhithe, 1,495 grains at
Gravesend, 2,064 grains at the Chapman Lighthouse near the lower end of
Canvey Island, and 2,252 grains at the Nore at high water, which may be
taken as the usual amount in sea water.
As would be expected, the amount increases with the flood tide :—
At London Bridge, from 15.35 to 68.21.
„ Greenwich, „ 15.59 „ 178.78.
„ Woolwich, ,, 38.89 „ 362.
It is not likely that any water from the sea reaches as high as London
Bridge, and the increase is probably due to the salt in the sewage effluent from
Barking being brought up on the flood tide.
In relation to this matter, the question arose as to whether certain of His
Majesty's vessels moored in the estuary of the Medway do not contribute
substantially to the pollution of that estuary, and in particular a vessel on
vessels moored in the mouth of Stangate Creek, there being in another
portion of the same creek certain oyster beds or layings.
I accordingly visited the spot, and by the courtesy of the officer commanding
H.M.S. " Actteon," was allowed to inspect the arrangements for the disposal
of sewage, garbage and slop water from the vessels forming the Torpedo School.
At the time of my visit, the number of officers and men living on board
the School Ship numbered about 250 in all.
I found that the discharge of soil, &c., from the heads and urinals, went
direct into the River, and that a man was specially detailed to supervise this
arrangement, and his duty was to see that the troughs receiving the drainage
were only emptied into the River during the first two hours of the ebb tide.
It was also evident that the accommodation was sufficient for the temporary
storage of the sewage during the flood tide, and that the arrangement was
a perfectly safe and reasonable one.
Slop water from the kitchens, garbage, &c., was thrown into a shoot at the
side of the vessel, at the bottom of which shoot was a grating. The grating
stopped the solid garbage which, with the ashes from the ship, was once a
week collected in a dirt boat and sent ashore. The garbage would be
collected oftener than once a week if required, the ship being provided with a
special boat for the purpose.