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82
The 4.0 ft. Barrel Local Sower, which runs southward,
through the Rye Common, burst on the Common for a
length of about 20 feet; this result, it need scarcely be said,
was to be expected, as this Local Main Sewer met stubborn
resistance at its outfall.
This bursting enabled the pent-up Sewage to spread
itself on the Common, passing into the Rye Pond, which
overflowed, and thence passed down the steep Roads towards
and along Rye Lane, Copeland Road, and adjacent Streets,
doing much damage by flooding in its course.
This Road and Street flooding, I am of opinion, was
intensified through the recent removal of the Penstock,
at the north end of the Peckham Rye Pond, the present very
small outlet of the Pond prevented the storm water passing
into the old course, viz., into the Brick Barrel Sewer, consequently
the run of the flood was diverted on to the
surface of the Roads.
The bursting of the Sewer on the Common as before
referred to, relieved to some extent the Sewer in Forest Hill
Road, where (although the Basements were unfortunately
again flooded near the foot of the Hill by Dunstan's Road)
the Sewer was but slightly overstrained.
At Lordship Lane also, this Main Metropolitan Sewer
was so overpowered with the storm water, that a side
entrance on the footpath at North Cross Road was lifted
by its force, aided possibly by the confined air in the Sewer
seeking an escape.
As I remarked in my previous (printed) report of July
13th last, the "palpable cause " of these recurring floodings