View report page

48
NUISANCES.
On the 9th November, complaint was received of the dilapidated and insanitary
condition of a barge lying at the Hollows, Brentford.
An inspection was made the same day. The barge was used as a dwelling by a
man and wife with seven children. The barge was very old, rotten, leaky and in a
dirty condition, and quite unfit for use as a dwelling. The owner's attention was
called to the nuisance, with the result that the barge was vacated and was no longer
used as a habitation.
A complaint was received from the Medical Officer of Health for Southend-on-Sea,
that various substances have been found on the foreshore of that Borough, which in his
opinion had come from the ships lying off Southend, on which German prisoners of war
are interned. It was stated that in one place on the foreshore there was an accumulation
which consisted of cabbages and leaves, undervests, old boots and boot leather,
parts of lemons and oranges, pieces of potatoes, cigarette packets, torn letters, rabbit
skins, rabbit heads, and general litter. Your Medical Officer visited Southend, and in
company with the Medical Officer of Health and the Chief Sanitary Inspector, made a
careful inspection of the foreshore. At the time of the visit there was, however, little
or nothing to be seen which formed the subject of the complaint.
A letter was sent to the Officer in charge of the ships, stating that
complaints had been received, and suggesting that all possible foundation for such
should be removed. This might be done by having all refuse from the ships burnt in
the ship's furnaces.
A reply was received from him stating that he regretted exceedingly that any
such complaint should be made against the ships, and that he had taken measures to
prevent rubbish of any sort being thrown overboard. As it is probable that the
vessels will be removed this month no further complaints should be received.
CREW'S QUARTERS.
On arrival of the s.s. " Den of Ruthven," of Dundee, 133,323, from Rangoon, it
was ascertained that two Natives had been suffocated in their berth, while the vessel
was lying off Southend, awaiting orders. On making enquiries, it was found that no
heating arrangements had been provided for this berth, and the men had utilised a
five-gallon oil drum for the purpose, and that the fumes arising from this improvised
heating apparatus had caused death in both cases. The owners were communicated
with, recommending the provision of a suitable warming arrangement, with a view to
preventing the recurrence of such an event.
On the 3rd February, a complaint was received respecting the alleged " bad"
accommodation of the s.s. " Flaminian," of Liverpool, 137,386. The vessel was
duly inspected, and the conditions found were briefly as follows :—
The firemen's quarters are certified for twelve men, and were, at the time of
inspection, occupied by eleven men. The cubical capacity and superficial area comply
with the minimum Board of Trade requirements. One ventilator is placed over a bunk,