The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-24 00:00:00

CITY OF LONDON.

" Gentlemea,—A complaint has been made to this court
by the superintendent of the City police respecting a nui-
sance in Whitefriars. He states that a most intolerable
smell is emitted from a chimney at the City of London
Gas-works, and that it so seriously affects the health of bia
men who are on duty in the neighbourhood that ho is
obliged to change them to other beats in order that they
may recover from the poisonous effccts of the gas.
"In accordance with your request, I have examined
into the matter, and have carefully inspected the works of
the company.

" You will, perhaps, remember that this subject has
already received the perhaps,
of the court, and that pro-
ceedings were taken not long since by the corporation of
London against tho company for the purpose of putting a
stop to the offensive practice of discharging the foul lime
from the gas purifiers into the River Thames. In conse-
quence of these proceedings the company wore obliged to
adopt, at a very considerable expense, a new mode of puri-
fying. By this means the foul lime is deprived of its vo-
latile matters before it is brought out into the river. The
process by which this is effected is as follows :—The puri-
fiers are charged with dry lime instead of wet, as was for-
merly the case, and they also contain a mixture of saw-
dust and oxide of iron. The dry limo fixes the sulpha-
rotted hydrogen of the gas, as well as certain cyanogen
compounds, and that which the lime fails to arrest is re-
tained by the oxide of iron. Every day one of the purl.
dors becomes so foul from the fixation of impurities as to
require a fresh charge and as the lime would evolve a most
intolerable odour if it were at once exposed to the air, an
arrangement is adopted whereby it is ventilated before it
is taken out of the purifier. This is accomplished by re-
moving the oxide of iron, and then forcing a large quantity
of atmospheric air through the foul lime. The air charged,
with sulphuretted hydrogen and very offensive hydrocar-
bons is made to pass through chambers containing oxide of
iron, and thence into a chimney which is 150 feet high.
By this means the lime is rendered innocuous, and the
sulphuretted hydrogen which it gives up to the air is ar-
rested ; but still there are certain hydrocarbons which are
not fixed by the process, and these by escaping into the
air are no doubt amongst the subjects of complaint.
"Again, the oxide of iron which is taken out of the
purifiers before the process of ventilation is set on, is largely
charged not only with an excess of sulphuretted hydrogen,
but alq) with a quantity of stinking tarry matter. In this
state it is carried to a room wh ch overlooks the White.
friars Dock, and there, by exposure to the atmosphere, the
hydrated sulphuret of iron undergoes a slow process of
combustion, by which the mass becomes hot, and in some
cases actually takes fire. The iron is thus quickly restored
to its original state, and is again fit for the process of puri-
fication; but while all this is going on a quantity of steam
charged with offensive hydrocarb -ns is continually escap-
ing from the hot mass; and as the room in which it is
placed is freely open to the external air, there is a constant
diffusion of foul vapours into the surrounding atmosphere.
This, I have no doubt, has sometimes been perceived by .
the police, especially at that part of Temple-street which
bounds. the Whitefriars Dock.

" Another cause of complaint has arisen from the cir-
cumstances that by reason of the failure in the supply of
the usual Cannel coal the company were compelled a few
weeks ago to resort to the use of a coal which is named
Methyl. This procleces a tar of a most sickening odour,
and although every precaution was taken to guard against
the escape of its vapour, yet a little of the tar was always
volatilised at the time of charging the retorts, and also
when the spent oxide of iron was removed from the purifier
and exposed to the air in the reviving room.
"These are, I believe, the principal sources of complaint,
and, in referring to them, I am bound to state that the
company are exceedingly anxious to do everything in their
power to mitigate the nuisances which are unfortunately
inseparable from the process cf gas-making. They have
Llready appealed to the highest scientific authorities, and
have gone to a great expense in carrying out the improve-
nen ts which have been suggested. But for all this, accord-
in; to the statements of pollee, the smell from the
works is intolerable ; in fact, I am informed by the in-
spector for that district that every man who has been on
duty there has complained of it as a terrible nuisance.
They say that the worst smells are perceived at night,
when, as I understand, the oxide of iron is being removed-
from the purifiers to the reviving-room, and they add that
the nuisance is greater now than it was before the new pro-
cess was adopted. The effect of the smell is to make the
men feel sick, and sometimes vomit. They then complain
of nansea and loss of appetite, so that they fall away in
strength and condition. The inspector told mo that he
had occasion to pass the works with one of the serjeants
about three weeks ago, and the smell from the place was
so intolerable that it made both of them vomit. Such
facts as these are so forcible, and are apparently so free
from prejudice, that we cannot dispute them.
" The questions, thei afore, which arise out of the case
are these :

"I. Are the operations at the gas-works conducted in a
proper manner—that is, with a due regard to the public
comfort, and with the adoption of the best practicable
means of abating every possible nuisance ?

"2. I 3 the heart of a crowded city a proper locality for
conducting a business which is admitted to be injurious
to the public health?

" To the first of these questions I have already replici
by saying that the company have done everything in their
power, and everything which science has suggested, for the
mitigation of the nuisances which are inseparable from the
business. Tu the second I must give an equally emphatio
inswer, although it is in the negative ; for it cannot be
doubted that operations which oast into the air all sorts of
poisonous vapours, to say nothing of the clouds of smoke
which are continually emanating !rem hundreds of retort,
must be injurious to tho public health, and ought to be
removed as far as possible from the city walls.—l have the
honour to remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
(Signed) HY. LETIIEBY, M. 8.,
"Professor of Chemistry, &c., in the College of
the London Hospital, and Officer of Health
for the City of London.
"Guildhall, Sept. 23, 185 G."
Mr. Ross moved "That a copy of the report be sent
to the City Gas Company."

Mr. ABELATIA/i said he did not think the motion sub-
mitted to the court by his friend went far enough. He
(Mr. Abraham) was of opinion, that instead of a copy of
the report being sent t 3 the gas company the matter
should be referred to the general purp3ses committee,
with instructions to them to take alegal opinion 54 to the
power of the court to deal with it as a pubiic anti inju.
lions nuisance. (Hear.)
Mr. Ross said ho had no objection to alter his resolu-
tion to meet the view of Mr. Abraham.

The motion Wa3 then altered in conformity with the
luggestion of Mr. Abraham, and carried,unanitnoumly.
The court a.ijourned.

A correspondent of the Times suggests that, as the
ornamental water in St. Jamee's-park is about to be
cleaned out, and its bed permanently brought, by a layer
of concrete, to a uniform incline, which will give to the
water a depth of five feet at the upper and four feet at
the lower end, thus removing all chance of fatal acciden II
during the skating season. The depth of water of Ile
Serpentine should be in general three feet, except at a
limited space in the upper part of the Serpentine, which
might be sunk to four or even five feet, to afford racm
and depth for summer bathing.
Her Majesty's ship Melville, 72, has been removed
froze the ordinary at Portsmouth, and ordered to b 3
docked, to he fitted as a hospital ship for Hong Kong
to take the place of the Minden, worn out in the Berrie).
We hear that a court of inquiry has been ordered t)
assemble at the Royal William Victualling-Yard, Ply-
mouth, to inquire into certain differencts which have
arisen between Captain Nitta and the civilians of the
yard. The members of the court are :—Sir
William
Parker, G.C.8., commander in chief at Devonport ;
Rear Admiral Sir Henry Ducie Chads, K.C.B , and
Rear-Admiral Martin.
BOOKS, &c., FOR TURKS ISLAND.—GENERAL POST.
OFFICE, Sept. 20th, 1856.—0 n the lAt'Octeber next,
and thenceierward, the provisions of the Cu! e4ti
Book Pest will be extende.l to books transmitted by
packet between the United Kingdom and the colony of
Turks Island, in the West Indies. Upon book packets
for the aboyeenentionel colony the rates of postage
will be as follows, viz. :—lfor a packet not exceeding 3lb.
in weight, 61 ; for a packet exceeding 3 lb. and not
exceeding 1 lb., ls. ; for a packet exceeding 1 lb.
arid not exceeding 2 lbs, 2e. ; and so on, increasing
one shilling for every pound or fraction of a pound.—
By cotnniand of the Postmaster-General.—ROWLAND
HILL, Secretary.
PRICE OF GOLD.—TLe quotation of gold at Paris is
about 6 per mile premium, and the short exchange on
Landon is 25'25 per 1/. sterling. Oa compering these
rates with the English Mint price of 3/. 17s. 1031 per
ounce for standard gold, it appears that gold is
nearly 3 10:13 per cent. dearer is Paris than in Lon-
don. B advices•froep Hamburg the price of gold is 424
per 'nark, and the short exeliange on London is 13.2. per
1/. sterling. Standard gold, at the English Mint price,
is therefore about 9-10ths per cent. dear 4 in "Hatnbur
than in London.