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58
An "Obnoxious " Pond.*
13. Complaints were made, in the summer, of smells arising
from an "Obnoxious" pond, in a field, at the back of some houses
in Southwood Road, and of illnesses arising therefrom. As these
complaints appeared to be well founded, and the water was very
foul smelling and crowded with Animalculæ, an order was obtained,
in July, from the Magistrate, at Woolwich police court, that
the pond should be drained and filled up in a month. From time
to time the Sanitary Inspector has reported that the filling up
was going on; but that he believed the owner had found it
impossible to literally comply with the order of the Magistrate, in
consequence of the difficulty in getting a proper quantity of earth
A complaint has been again made, this time to the Local Government
Board, that the pond is still a nuisance and had not been
filled up at the end of the year. I find that a great deal has
been done to it, for it is now three parts full; and the owner
declares that he has carted into it upwards of 1,000 loads of earth
At the present time I do not think that what is left of it is a
nuisance; but it may become so when hot weather sets in. You
have consequently called upon the owner to finish the filling in
forthwith.
Insanitary Dwellings.
Pelham Terrace.
14 Two years ago, at your request, I made a special report on
the state of this row of 26 houses, at New Eltham, in consequence
of complaints which had been made, that they were "Unfit for
human habitation". I found that the rooms were large, for this
class of Cottage, and that the arrangement of the drains was
good. They had however been allowed to fall into a sad
* "This has been filled up since the above was written."