The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-30 00:00:00

GATESHEAD.
Deaths on the 27th of September :
Cholera ..
Diarrhcea..
The total number of deaths from cholera and diarhave.
in Gateshead to the preaent date has been 347. During
the like period (viz, the first 21 days) in 1831-2, the
deaths amounted to 134.

18

At the instance of the Inspectors of the General Board
of Health the exercise of a power, under a local act, for
" Closing Houses unfit for human habitation," has been
strongly urged, and in several instances orders for dos-
.. ..

ink h:isheel-I given.
sort of houses closed :--

The following are examples of the

HOUSE IN PiNDON-STREET.—Uneven damp brick
floor, walls dirty and wet through ; a low house, built
round on three sides by lofty warehouses, rendering ven-
tilation impossible ; incapable of being made dry with-
out being entirely re-built. Medical evidence of two
physicians that the house Nvas decidedly unwholesome
and unfit for human habitation. As the owner said that
be had already closed the house, he was not fined the
costs, but was informed that he would be fined 10s. per
day if he re-opened it.
T.IITCIIISON'S-BUILDINGS, LIME-STREET. Built up
against the back of another house ; external walls only 9
inches thick. No ventilation possible ; always reeking
with wet.
LIME-STREET, "LITTLE DUBLIN."—Three other houses,
built into a hill-side. (clay) ; always wet. The walls so
plastic that a walking stick run into them stands out
horizontally.
Mr. Lee, one of the engineering inspectors of the
general board, has been for several days engaged in the
examination of the worst parts of the town, with the
view of advising the local authorities on immediate
works or means of mitigation for rendering parts of it
habitable. His reports were adopted by the health
committee. The following are examples of the descrip-
tion of places examined :
" Mr. Lee states that the part of the town known as
Pander' Dean and its neighbourhood are paved almost
entirely with shingle or bouders, and between the
rounded stones there are wide interstices in the surface
gutters ; the combined action of liquid refuse and occa-
sional sweeping has opened the joints between the
stones, so that even where the inclination of the surface
is considerable there is always practical stagnation.
These gutters are everywhere close to the doors ; they
average about a foot in width of fluid, and there is
nearly a foot more on each side always quite wet. The
subsoil underneath is satured, and there is a surface of
from two to three feet in width from whence a constant
evaporation of moisture and deleterious gas is going on
in places where a breath of fresh air can scarcely pene-
trate—where every dilapidated unwholesome room has
at least one family as occupants, and where, from the
general absence of any privy accommodation all the
excreta of the inhabitants is poured into these same
surface gutters. Mr. Lee further states that he was in-
formed that the public privy under the lower-bridge is
used by about 1,000 men and boys every day. Few
houses in the neighbouring district have any accommo-
dation. A man was attacked with cholera in that privy
and died in a few hours. The Generalßoard of Health's
Inspector perceived the stench from the place at the
distance of many yards. He also called the attention of
the local authorities to the public Middenstead in Sand-
gate, belonging to the Corporation. A signboard an-
nounces ' All ashes and refuse to be put into the Mid-
denstead, on pain or prosecution by the Corporation.'
" But at the present time it seems calculated to be
dangerous, especially as it is in close vicinity to dwel-
ling-houses is frequented by many persons, and is stated
to be only empted once in 24 hours. At the time of
Mr. Lee's examination there was a large quantity of
foul straw, which he was informed was the bedding of
persons who had died of cholera, and also a consider-
able quantity of other refuse, several persons came in
while he was there. He recommended either that their
place should be shut up at present, and carts be sent fre-
quently to collect all refuse ; or that it should be emptied
at least several times per day. Another matter to which
he called attention was that there are several tripe-
boilers in the same infected district, and in other parts
of the town. The contents of the intestines and paunches
were settling into the open joints of the boulder pave-
ment, and the skin and hoofs from the feet of sheep
were sweltering upon the ash-heaps. lie recommended
that if possible the committee should prevent such trades
being carried on in the town, at least during the con-
tinuance of the epidemic.
"In a house contiguous to one of these places be
found two persons dying of cholera. He lastly referred
to the marine store dealers, of whom there is a consider-
able number spread over the district where the cholera
is, and has been, most fatal. He examined several of
their premises. At one of them, Rouen's, he had to
climb over several tons of shank bones, to get a sight of a
larger quantity of general bones stored in a build-
ing. There were fragments of cartilage and ligament
upon some, and a very unpleasant effluvium proceeded
from the whole premises. The owners stated very frankly
that they had not been there more than a month, evidently
thinking that a short time. He submitted that these accu-
mulations were not protected by law, any more than other
' nuisances of mere accumulation of dead matter. There
is no trade process carried on, and he suggested that the
committee should not only zequire them to be imme-
diately removed in every instance, but should adopt
some stringent regulation to prevent any similar accu-
mulations.

" At Ilowden one house was examined by Dr. Gavin
and Mr. Lee, In one room of which the first case of
cholera appeared and proved fatal in the severe outbreak
of 1831, 1848, and 1853."

.
The noxious influence of the atmosphere at Newcastle
and the neighbourhood has been exemplified in its effect
on the body of medical visitors, on all of whom it pro-
duced simultaneously unusual physical and mental de-
pression, and entire loss of appetite. Two have been
obliged to leave, in consequence of attacks of diarrhoea,
accompanied with cramps. They described the atmos-
phere as being heavy, thick, and misty, giving to dis-
tant objects the appearance of being seen through
muslin ; and they describe the plague of flies with which
the district is visited as greatly adding to the impurity
of the air, and the discomfort of the people. In the
lowest and most affected districts, the visitors met with
cholera corpses in groups of two and threes ; yet in
some of the houses in which death has been most busy,
the survivors remained, in spite of all exhortation, in a
state of constant intoxication, refusing all visitation and
medicine.