The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-25 00:00:00

SITE OF CEMETERY.

" We are of opinion that, Bopp( sing the utmost avail-
able use were made of the existing cfuneteries, the wants
of the public would require at hest one additional prin-
cipal metropolitan cemetery. After an exploration
of thej districts round London, a singularly
eligible site for such a cemetery has been
found, fulfilling, with reference to situation,
distance, surface, soil, extent, and aceeisibility, the
requisite conditions. It is situated at a sufficient dis-
tance from any town or village to fulfil the conditions of
remoteness and seclusion. It forms part of an ancient
domain, a considerable portion of which is abbey-land,
and has been consecrated ground for many centuries.
It rises by a gt a-lual ascent from the river bank to the
height of 80 feet above high-water mark. The surface
is moderately irregular, being here and there a good
deal broken, but consisting, fir the greater part, of
gentle undulations and slopes. It comprises an ample
extent of land, in a tract of gra►elly and firm sandy soil
over chalk. Immediately beneath the gravel is a bed of
sand from 70 to 80 feet in depth, so firm that when cut
with the spade it stands !perpendicularly, requiring no
shoring. In excavations in the neighbourhood there are
blocks of this -sand standing perpendicularly, to the'
height of from 60 to 70 feet. Below the sand is the
chalk, which is nearly on a level with low wate-, hut
water is not arrived at for the depth of from 270 to 300
fete. There are no streams or rivulets crossing the
surface of the land in any direction and no springs
whatever.
__

"These conditions secure the dryness of the ground,
and are conducive to the natural process of decomposi-
tion. There is on the land much ornamental timber, a
considerable portion of which is of appropriate character,
but additional planting would be required, particularly
of trees and shrubs that have naturally dark foliage,
with gloat height in proportion to their width, admitting
air and sunshine freely—vegetable forms which would
give to the ground a distinetive character at once sug-
gestive of its purpose, and quite different from that ef a
pleasure ground, and which are classically and popularly
associated eith places of sepulture. It has the advan-
tage of river-side as well as railway conveyance, the
distance of water-conveyance by steam-boat being from
London. bridge one hour and a quarter, and by railway
half au hour.

"For the reasons set forth in the fourth general con-
clusion, a rivcr-side cemetery appears to possess
paramount advantages. The single superiority of
railway conveyance, that of speed, is counter•
balanced t.y objections which seem to be insu-
perable: such as the difficulty of having special trains on
any main trunk-line out of London on account
of the nature and amount of the regular traffic ; the in-
convenience and incongruity of having funeral assem-
blages at the same stattons at which the ordinary traffic
of the railway is carried on ; and the necessity of bas-
ing, f service,
this special railway mourning coaches
and hearses, which could be used for no other purpose—
thus requiring not only the exclusive use of the line at
arrihgel, Sce. The further
objection arising from the d4collision, of collison, or of break
down, need be suggested only, not argued.
certainofp liarxteideutliarrne
es
I, a butI s
,t,hfe cprovision and the exclusive
use
" On the other hand, with regard to the metropolis
especially, a reference to the map will show that the
highway of the river passes through the very centre of
the largest extent of the most densely peopled districts ;
while the quietude, the more complete isolation, the fa-
cilities for unint....rrupted transit at all hours, and the
great economy of water-cot,veyance, give to this mode
advantages with which no other can be compel-et
CONVEYANCE OF THE DEAD.

" The halfpenny stearwrF, which at pse.ent ply on the
river, iudicat3 at how cheap a rate the service in ques-
tion might be effected by this mode of conveyance. At
the tame time railway conveyance may be convenient on
s me occasions, and may be ( ften chosen by the attend-
ante, who may join the funeral at the cemetery. There
is, conve:,ieut for such caces, a raik ay station near the
spot which we have in view for the Great Eastern Me-
, tropolitan Cemetery.

"If, however, we assume that the vast wajori y both
if the corpses and attendants will be conveyed by water,
then it will be necessary to provide—first, steam-boats
ap!cially adapted and exclusively appropriated to the
object; and secondly, reception-houses placed at conve-
nient distances along the banks of the river. The adape
tations necessary to give to the boats all the requisite
conveniences deserve cart fal consideration, but may be
safely left to the authority to which the execution of this
service may be entrusted."
With reference to the reception-houses a very correct
plan of the metropolis has been prepared to show the
relative distances from the river Thames of certain pro•
portions of the population. Between Vauxhall-bridge
and Limehouse, on the north side of the river, upwards
of three-quarters of a million of inhabitants reside
within 'a mile and half of the river bank. This amount
of population would be at an average distance of three-
qteirters of a mile from reception-houses established
along the banks of the river; but it is now an average
of nearly three miles, or fine times greater distance,
from any of the present metropolitan cemeteries. The
chid portion of the dense population on'the south side
of the river is situated within ono mile of its banks, and
consists of upwards of one-third of a million. This
amc,unt of population would be at an average of only
halt a mile from the proposed reception•houser, while it
is now at an average of three miles from the nearest
present cemetery.
"For this mass of the population," says the report,
it is calculated that the river conveyance would there-
fere be the most economical, and as under all other con.
siderations it would be preferable, it may safely be in-
fe -red that whatever arrangements may be made with
reference to the existing cemeteries or other extended
p, rovi‘'on that the whole tf the poorer class, and the
great majority cf the higher, would avail themselves of
this accommodation.
Looking also a' the position of large outlying areas,
containing a great amount of population, and considering
the advalta,les which would be afforded under combined

management at the reception-houses, and the general
Eastern Cemetery, it is considered that, irrespective of
any local accommodation which may exist or may be
providfd. large additional numbers from these outside
di,tricts would voluntarily adopt also the river eon-
ve3 eqer..

" As the entire a the poorer classes of the districts
abovcmei.tioned bordering on the Thames, forming up-
s DM; of three-fourths of the whole population of tbis
part of London, may be assumed to take advantage of
tt e river conveyance, it can scarcely be safe to reckon
thatless than two-thirds the whole number ( f lunettes
,:f the metropuli, would l ave to be acc.,mmoda:ed in the
ea: tern ct-ui• t,ry, and that r.ception-houses on the river
b,nks must be p ovidcd for an aanua mortality of 35,000,
or 96 daily deaths.

- RECEPTION ROUSES.
" Is is therefore s,:hinitttd that there should be five
recel fon-houses on the north side of the river, and titres
on the south side. Tho 'collides most convenient fur
01, m would appear to to the neighbourhood of the fol.
luwieg placer, viz.:—