The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-24 00:00:00

THAMES AND METROPOLIS IM-
PROVEMENT PLAN.

Our attention has been drawn to the pamphlet of
Mr. John Martin, of Allsop-terrace, embodying his
" Plan for the Improvement of the Thames and the
Metropolis," the last edition of which was, pub-
lished by Ridgway in 1842. Our own impressions on
the importance of the general objects contemplated by
the arrangements about to be carried out by the Me-
tropolis Improvement Commissioners remain so strong
and decided, that we cannot but urge once more upon
the public the views we have announced in former
articles, touching the necessity of narrowly watching
the developement of all proceedings preliminary to the
commencement of any embankment of our noble river.
. Having already protested against the execution of any
mere engineering work, which shall reduce the grace-
ful flexures of the Thames between Vauxhall and
London bridges, for the mere sake of straightening the
lines of the two shores—diminishing the distance
between the extreme points we have just named—
and deepening the bed of the river, at the expense
of all the noble vistas which have been opened of
late years, and maintained at so much expense, of the
bridges, churches, towers, &c. &c., we need not re-state
i.the principles which we are desirous of seeing care-
mlly upheld in the final selection of any project for
the adornment of what may be termed the " river
'rootage" of the metropolis. But Mr. Martin's pam-
phlet comes recommended to us at least by these
statements—that he has devoted many years of his
life to the project of such an embankment, as that
Which is understood to be under the consideration of
the Commission in question ; that the present de-
cided steps of Government are fairly to be presumed
in a very great degree attributable to his own perse-
vering exertions during that protracted period ; and
that the second portioa of his printed plan comprises
the design which is at this moment under
.the delibe-
ration of the Metropolis Improvement Commissioners.
Now the objects of Mr. Martin's plan, as set out in
his title page, were to supply the metropolis with pure
Water—to embank the river Thames, and preserve
the sewage ; to improve the navigation below
London Bridge, and to connect the port of. London
With the inland railways. And we find that the
second division, of which we have spoken, compre-
hended accordingly " the embankment of both shores
of the river from Vauxhall Bridge to the Tower, the
imProvement of the drainage of the metropolis, and
preservation of the sewage, for agricultural purposes."
These are certainly very important features in Mr.
Martin's scheme. The supply of London with the
Pure water of the Thames," unmixed with the foul
drainage," is, in our eyes, an object of far greater
moment than the question whether it can be accom-
fished " without the aid of engines ;" and even the
design “ to improve the health,. beauty; and naviga7
Lion of the river above Hammersmith, has less im-
mediate claims on our sympathy and good wishes
than an assurance that Londoners may, on this
Plan, drink water instead of contamination ! We
have not yet forgotten the terrible revelations
Produced by Sir Francis Burdett's " Supply' of
water Select Committee" many years ago, touch-
ing the unheard of miscellany discharged, and the
monsters engendered by the " Dolphin" sewer,
somewhere (if we recollect aright) in the. imme-
diate vicinity of one of the great companies' re-
servoirs between Hammersmith and Chelsea. After
the publication of that " Report," and the subsequent
..3srperiments on the magnifying powers of Lieutenant
-uratrimond's light applied to the monster-microscopic
discs_ of the Adelaide Gallery and Polytechnic, we
have always wondered how a race so fatuous as
water drinkers" could really exist in London. Talk
(If the ,4 water cure," truly ! The best cure for a pro-
Pensity to drink water unqualified, is surely. to repair
to the exhibitions of one of those large microscopic
reflections, of a 500,000'magnifying power, in which
We witness the terrible monsters of our dirty pools
exaggerated into dragon-like cannibals of 14 feet in
length, who prey upon innocent gnats. 'as large as
sheep, snap off the gigantic heads of infant midges,
and finally eat up their fathers, mothers, or other
most convenient next of kin. Father Mathew, strong
though he be in the holiness of temperance, must
tremble at the aspect of these avenging furies, the
scourge of water-pledged takers. Seriously speak-
ing, it is scarcely possible to overstate the
nameless filth and enormities which the inhabitants
of -
certain districts 'of London are daily absorbing into
!heir systems, with their water. Sir Frederick Trench
1n his interesting letter to Lord Duncannon, enforc-
ing on the attention of the Woods and Forests De-
tila.rtment, his own plan for such an improvement of
Embankment
river, quotes, from the Report of the Thames
-rdnbankment Committee, evidence to prove that the
removal of Old London Bridge, and the erection of
the
, new one, had produced the effects anticipated
froth them. " Shoals increased to impede the navi-
gation ; mud banks accumulated, and• a larger
surface of the bank of the river at low water being
exposed, therefore, the injurious or unpleasant effects
fromdischarge of, the sewers,. is greater than
before.
" 'The Emperor of. Russia (Sir Frederick tells
!Is) " lamented that the finest .river in Europe should
be condemned to be a cloaca maxima, and complained
that, after a fortnight's residence in London, he had
not obtained a sight of the Thames, of which he had
heard so much." It also appears that since the creation
of the terrace on which the New Houses of Parliament
are being built, banks have been created on which
the backs of barges are frequently broken:" * * *
The banks of mud have increased in size and
consistence," said one witness; " and where, near
Westminster, we used to have five feet water before the
embankment took place, it is now unfilled up'with mud."
Lower down the banks are covered ,with vegetation,
Which, being manured by the sluggish filth from the
sewers, present the strange spectacle of a rich green
el.°1"), and make the air absolutely pestilential."
We reserve, until after the general question shall
(lave been brought under discussion in Parliaffient, :a
we examination of the magnificent plans, and,
w
_e will venture to say, the somewhat doubtful cal•
c, Illations of Sir Frederick Trench, as set out in the
letters we have just cited. They do not, howevei,
s 0
immediately touch upon the all-important means Of
Purifying the water, regulating the sewers, and clis-
r,;'sing of the seveage, as the little pamphlet before us.
e details and the indications of the proposed modes
8-L
-n
Pcrandi for the attainment of these purposes are too
Manifold and connected together to adinit of our
ex-
tracting them. Nevertheless we can give Mr. Martin
hopportunity of speaking for himself in the passages
ich follow. And first as to purifying the water—
, I propose to separate the tide waters aod filthy drainage of
to.n4a korn the stream,—to give an abundant supply of water
to each house, from the lowest to the highest level, at the dis-
ace of only four miles from London and its suburbs, without
thea?.ssistanee of engines ; that even in time of flood the water
a enter, the pipes in as bright and pure a state as when
gushes from its native springs, instead of entering from the
ha4;_ent stagnant and fermenting reservoirs,,to afford public
r,..L,ns,—running fountains for Kensington and. Buckingham
parks leaving
to Hyde, Green, St. James's, and the Regent's
te I's, leaving no staenant waters in the metropolis; and lastly,
rn,Prove the health, beauty, and navigation of the River.
lo effect these great objects, , I recommend the construe-
,,,_.7sof. a weir across the Thames, about ma
_mile above Ham-
. .„7
_rnith bridge, from the proximity of this point to the
W:l'e road, and to the Dolphins of the. Grand Junction and
h. hit Middlesex Water Companies. This weir should be as
~,i,8„11.,s mean high water mark, with a moveable fiend-gate to
ti-cre`",se the height of the water in extraordinary tides. .The
and foul drainage being thus separated from the pure waters
w" pu_s vit the weir, the property and beauty of the residences and
thcilona its banks would be proportionately improved, and
e `
pßiver would, be secured as .a never-failing reservoir of
talthy running water, sufficiently deep to be at all times. na..
I,,rie up to Teddington, affording the advantage of an in-
able high tide for such is the fall that the whole space
o r_lii l
be filled in the course of one tide, as much water being
ti,7l to run down with the stream, as flows up with the
, besides being free from the objections whieh attach to
aohs, deriving the supply at a higher level, or At the Colne;
• est the most important of which are compensation for
Nos
8" 000,0001. according to Mr. Telford's plan, taking the
grevaPt`Yinat Bushey klill,—and my own from Denham) ; and the
ojury to the river between Staines and Loodon, cense-
thel' n abstracting so much water, as wuuld le required for
'aPPly of the Metropolis?'
tr,h,ol4:::rran Martin's plan includes, through the adoption of
of: arid . other accessory measures, the formation of
walk extending from Twickenham to the.
i:se. In the next place, as to the regulatioa of
,w, weirs and the diiposal of the sewage
Y Proposition, in the first instance, as formerly, is
ta serve the whole sewage of the western extremity
>tb
ntm by diverting it from the river into receptacles
of.°v° Vauxhall-bridge, forming one at the termination
distii•lllanelagh sewer. The, great sewer which now'
.time rogues below Westminster-bridge, should be eon-
Alin, along Parliament-street, Abingdon-street, and
.ank, all the minor drainage above' the Houses of
drha
int meat being turned into it, and be finally discharged
o the
receptacle at the termination of King Scholars'
diaie,,°_,ewer, effecting great benefit to this inadequately
.xsti`,(l part of the town, without entrenching upon
.verio lig interests. The ground should be recovered at
plan a 8 points above the Houses of 'Parliament '(see
.the ) and a public walk and drive formed, uniting with
PiroPireZP°,sed weir, and making a beautiful drive from
,the eit airing the banks of the river. For the body of
,and Y /Propose to continue the uniform embankment,
gerfor.,,rm an interceptine. sewer, commencing at Hun-
and r "e!narket, passing behind the different docks, &c.,
with ae receiving all the minor drainage in their course,,
e„ ~,e Tall receptacle near Hunger-ford-market to re-
streetu.a contents of the sower as far below as Essex-
the r , where the fluid should be pumped up a pipe to
vatineneeptaele at the nearest railway, or convenient ele-
laid ter 'n
general line of time intercepting sewer eing
Si
Orfl'si
should be divided info portiena of from a'
tlarter d a
to a mile or more, ticording to the
!eased e the localities, and the works always come eetZ In, lower end, as these means each divi-
ue -executed independently of the at
greatly diminished expense • the requisite ,eces ewers being small compared to what would a nrde s
size 7
lion
4sharYin the continued line. The end of each por-
bke °Lad be
, should be completed, having pipes whieh would act
CO
rerovis I...conveying the sewage, previously stirred
loOwverecl barge bar? to the elevated receptacles, or into
t , and _
B,u. , using a super- when it should be very
he No,„,' lee to let offabundant flood drainarre
%Iv "'a works being fr 11 6
1)0 contamination e ectua..y covered to prevent
the Air. Small floating piers should
allowingac. of
ti" tinielnhatikinetit,*forming (looks for barges,
me unimpeded flow of the water, and the full