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43
cisterns. There were no dust bins save such as were so
dilapidated as to be useless. The back and front walls of
the houses Nos. 3 and 4, and the outbuildings of Nos. 12
and 13 were so dangerously dilapidated (resulting from
defective drains) that the Metropolitan Board compelled
the owners to take them down and re-build them. The
yards were flooded with sewage caused by the drains which
were found in the following condition. The drains of the
houses Nos. 1 to 7 were connected with a main drain
passing to the sewer under the passage of the house No. 3,
laid close to the party wall of No. 4. This drain
which throughout its course was solidly blocked, appeared
to have been laid in the most thoughtless manner. Straight
pipes were found where curved ones should have been used
to secure an easement. Brick receivers were formed which
tended largely to check the flow of sewage, and no attempt
appeared to have been made to seal the joints of the pipes;
indeed some of the pipes had open spaces between, the
leakage from which caused the subsidence of the party
wall of Nos. 3 and 4, and consequently the dangerous
condition of the back and front walls referred to. The
outhouses, under which the branch drains were necessarily
laid, have all suffered much from the same cause, especially
those of Nos. 12 and 13, which as before stated it has
been neccessary to take down and re-build.
A good system of drains has been laid down ; waterclosets
thoroughly cleansed and repaired; water laid on
and concrete floors provided; yards have been paved with
concrete; improved dust bins provided; water supplied
direct from the main, and the houses cleansed and repaired.
It may be useful to state that these houses have only
been built about 20 years, and to point out again, that
their ruinous condition involving the owners in very heavy
expenses, for re-construction was a sure and natural result