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main lines of the Sewers themselves where the
whole of the general sewerage must arrive at last. A
large, comprehensive, and correct map of the whole of
the London sewerage as at present existing would
hardly be believed as an actual reality. The
alternative suggestion occurs, is it possible to
prevent noxious matters from finding their way into
the Sewers at all? Unless the Sewers can be kept
fresh as a country brook, smell will escape from
them somehow; stopping or extracting this at
one point, will not check it at another, and
hundreds of the most costly ventilators would
have but little practical effect. I will not venture
to guess the amount of mileage of the London
Sewerage on both sides of the water, but I am
sure it would be found to be counted by thousands
of miles, instead of hundreds, counting tributaries
and gully drains, side entrances and other
numerous adjuncts all of which are receptacles
more or less for unpleasant odours, I do not say
whether noxious or no.
Whether it will ever become practicable to
construct public conveniences at sufficiently frequent
intervals so as to be able to remove and utilize
the soil, and to relieve the private House Drains,
so that as a rule they could be resorted to instead
of those at present in use in Houses, time will
show, such a suggestion at present seems improbable
but in the formation of new streets space might
be reserved for some such purpose, so that in