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11
One of the most interesting matters connected with Sewerage,
&c., during the year, was the Report of the Special Purposes and
Sanitary Committee of the Metropolitan Board relative to the
Cleansing and Ventilation of Sewers. I wrote two Reports upon
the subject, which will be found upon the Board's Minutes, and
which were ordered to be printed and copies sent to the members
of the Metropolitan Board of Works, and the Vestries and District
Boards in the Metropolis. From these Reports it will appear
that the most important suggestions made by the Metropolitan
Board of Works had been carried out for vcars in this District.
Two large tanks for flushing sewers were constructed, one in Perry
Vale, to hold 5,000 gallons of water, and the other at the top of
the Beckenham Road, Penge, to hold 4,000 gallons. There arc
other tanks now in course of construction in the District. The
Perry Vale tank has an 18-inch syphon, and discharges the 5,000
gallons in about 35 seconds. I believe this syphon to be larger
than any other in use in the Kingdom for flushing purposes. The
syphon at the Beckenham Road is 14 inches, and discharges in 28
seconds. Both syphons were made by Mr. E. R. Palmer, of
Beckenham.
The usual amount of flushing was done by means of water
carts, the water being mixed with permanganate of potash for that
purpose, and the larger sewers gone through and cleansed from all
deposit by the flushing men at regular periods. During the
summer there were fewer complaints of ventilators smelling than
last year. I cannot help thinking the continual flushing and
cleansing of the sewers conduces to a large extent to our low death
rate and good sanitary condition.
A constant inspection of the Perry Vale Sewer was made, and
a register kept of the temperature of the liquid flowing from
Messrs. Morgan's brewery into that sewer. There was an improvement,
but the temperature was not as low at times as I should
wish. The old barrel Sewer in the London Road, from the junction
of Honor Oak Road to the boundary, was found to be falling
in, and it was necessary to lay a new 15-inch pipe in the road, in
substitution of it.
It was determined to erect a ventilating shaft about the
middle of the Ivy Lane sewer, with a furnace to burn coke, as an
experiment. The work is being proceeded with. The drainage