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16
empty the Basin and to remove the mud by spade,
as they had promised to do in the previous July.
The Company replied that, owing to the deficiency
of rain, the reservoir from which the Canal is
principally supplied was nearly empty, and that
"it would therefore be impossible to run off any
portion of the water from the Paddington Basin
until such supplies could be obtained as would
restore the quantity so run off." The Committee
decided not to press the matter further at that time.
In 1859, owing to the deficiency of rain during the
spring, the exhalations from the water in June were
peculiarly fetid. The efforts of the Vestry to induce
the Company to abate the nuisance having proved
ineffectual, proceedings were instituted at the Police
Court, Marylebone, which caused the Company to
give immediate orders for the disinfection of the
Basin. During five days large quantities of disinfecting
fluid (McDougall's) were introduced. The
result appeared to be satisfactory; but, whenever the
mud of the channel was disturbed, the stench was
reproduced in its former intensity. In 1860, after
much pressure from the Vestry, the Company
undertook to effectually cleanse the Basin. Accordingly,
in February, about 4,000 tons of mud were
removed, and shortly afterwards Dr. Sanderson
reported that the channel was in a satisfactory
condition, and that the state of the water was wholly