The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-21 00:00:00

MORTALITY IN THE WANDS-

WORTH-ROAD.

Yesterday the adjourned inquest on the body of
the Rev. Thomas llarriFon, aged sixty-one, who
died of cholera, and a report of the first day's pro-
ceudings at which inquest appeared in The Sun of
Tuesday last, was held at the William IV., Wands-
worth-road. It will be remembered that no less than
twenty-three persons had died of cholera in Albion-
terrace, together with the whole of the deceased's
family and establishment, save one servant, who is
now doing well.

Mr. Willings, of Heath-street, Hampstead, sur-
geon, said, he was first called to see the deceased on
Thursday week, at the Jack Straw Castle, Hampstead.
He complained of nausea and pin in the stomach, and
stated that several of his family had died of cholera,
and he had removed to get out of the way, for he
would never live there egain. Witness ordered some
medicine, but in the morning was sent for again.
The deceased had then cramps and was in a state of
collapse, the pulse scarcely perceptible, and the ex-
tremities cold; there was also a profuse cold perspi
ration. He adopted the hydropathic system, and
him placed in a wet sheet, with seven or eight cover-
ings of blankets. In less than half an hour re-action
took place, and instead of being cold he complained
of great perspiration. After remaining in this state
for two hours diarrhea came on, and then followed
all the other symptoms of Asiatic cholera he bad ever
witnessed, and he died at two o'clock.

In answer to the jury the witness said that his
belief was that the deceased's whole system was im-
pregnated with cholera, and he was labourino•' under
heavy grief at the loss he had sustained in his family.
At the time witness first saw him he was making his
will, and was perfectly sensible and composed. He
was dictating to M. Maxwell what to write.

The COR—ONEE.—Did he attribute the illness to
any particular cause f—The witness said he stated
that in his belief it arose from bad drainage add
impure water.

Mrs. lloughton, the nurse, who had been called
in at Albion-terrace on Tuesday week, when the
cook and nurse died, said that Mr. Hirrison, the
decased, desired they would drink no more of the
water. It had been bd ever since the storm on the
26th of last month. The cook said she thought it
was the water that had caused the illness. There
was also a great smell from the drains, especially in
the front kitchen.

Mr. Maxwell, who had lived in the adjoining house,
and said he was an attorney, deposed that on Tuesday
week he went in to see the Rev. Mr. Harrison, and
then he told him Mrs. Harrison and Mrs. Edwards
were dying. He stayed with him all night, and on
the Wednesday morning deceased asked if he would
go with him to some place, for he would not stay
there. A fly was procured, and at six o'clock they
went to Jack Straw's Castle at Hampstead. He was
there taken ill (as given in Mr. Willing's evidence),
and requested witness to write his will, which he (lid.
To the jury—He had left witness a legacy of 1001.
Dr. Milroy, who is an inspector under the Board
of Health, had sent a report to the coroner of his ex-
amination of those houses, to which his attention had
been specially called, and which has in substance
already appeared. It referred particularly to the ex-
halation from the drains and their proximity to the
tanks for the supply of water, and that after the late
storm, from some deficient drainage or overflowing
of the sewer, the contents, or a part, had been taken
into the tanks.

Mr. Grant, the assistant-surveyor to the Commis-
sioners of Sewers for the district, was examined at
great length, and produced samples of the water he
had found in the tanks, which were frightful to
look at; and he said, that in some of them there
were seven or eight inches of sediment. Other
water was also shown, which was perfectly clear.
lie considered that from some overflowing of the
sewer or the bad drainage the soil had got into the
well from which the houses are supplied. He had
no reason to think the water itself was bad, but that
it had been contaminated.

Dr. Milroy's report stated, that in the first house
where the epidemic commenced the cellar was swarm-
ing with filth and maggots, amounting altogether to
some cartloads.

After a very long deliberation, the jury returned a
special verdict to the following effect :—" That the
deceased died of Asiatic cholera, and that the disease
broke out only in one place where the drainage was
very defective ; also that a large quantity of filth was
allowed to accumulate at one or more of the houses ;
also that the tanks and the water in them were im-
pure from their close proximity to the cesspools; and
the jury could not separate without expressing a hope
that the owners of the prcperty would take immediate
and effective means, by improved drainage and a
different supply of water, to prevent for the future,
as fir as huma❑ means can go, the recurrence of so
terrible a calamity."