Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-06-07
SKETCH OF LIFE IN THE LONDON SEWERS.
Yaox cuAnnEns's rplssuneu JOURNAL.

X s1
SKETCH OF LIFE IN THE LONDON SEWERS. 4
II FROM cHAMRERs's RuneH JOURNAL
Few who walk along the Of London and see mile
on me o. carnageway and ootpvement stretching be-
lore then and launching Of on every sde reflect upon the
vast aud wonderful scheme Of sewerage that extends under
meath From the district Of London 10 the river
small sewers flow into larger and these again after
long course and many windings, into the Thames Were
map executed Of these subteranean currents intricate YET
so REGULAR like the large veins and arteries of the bNy
would convey grder idea Of the civilization Of the capital
han even the magnificent Streets filled with the Productions
Of the world that extend above ground Formed Of susta-
al brick well arched and secure they represent sunk
capital which has esn vuosy estimated the enormous
sum Of from one TO million and half millions
ing IL IS an interesting sight, when any Of the main sewers
are under repair in principal thoroughfare to see how deep
the excavation and how many lines gas and water
pipes have to be traversd before the strong current
water running in its capacios brick channel reached by The
workman Several Of these main open streams
meanderng through the fields before became so gigan
TIC as IT is now and among the number may be cited the
Fleet running from beyond Islington through Bagnippe
Wells, Clekenwel, FieIdham Hoborn and Farringdon
street. into the Thames, capable it appears of bearing
merchant vessels far Hobon the Walbrook running
from Mooe past the Mansion House, and by the church Of
ST. Stephen, Walbook and by Dowga,e, into the Thames
and the Lang, Long bourne which still gives name 10 one
Of the wards of London
Any one who has walked Blackfriars or Waterloo
Bridge when the tide is down. may have observed men and
boys and occasionally women walking upon the shores Of the
nyer, knee-eep III the slime with baskets upon their backs
or sung over their picking up pieces that have
been left behind by the tide or b Of coal that ha fallen
from the numerous coabarges that up laden from the
Pool where the collier vessels moorcd discharge their
cargoes at the wharves further the These mud
arks, as they sometimes called, bear generally bad
character heng accused not containing themselves
prizes they find the Shore but Of rohng the or
other vessels board Of which they can creep at niqhtfa
without detection However this may he, their functions do
not end with the Shore but in the With torch hand
to preserve them from the attacks of numerous large and
cous rats they wade, sometimes almost up to the middle
through the streams Of foul water search Of stray articles
that may have been thrown down the houses or drop
ped through the aophocs in the They will at times
travel for two three miles in this way, by the light Of their
torches aided occasionally by CLEAN Of sushne by the way
slde TAR under the busy horoughnes of Cornhi Cheap
side the Strand and Honn very seldom able 10 walk up
right IN the confined and dangerous vault and often obliged
TO crawl all ours like the rats which are their greatest
enemies The articles they mostly find potatoes and tur
np or bones, washed down the sinks by careless scucry-
maids pence and hafpence, and silver coins occasionally
silver fork the loss Of which may have caused cons
derabe distress and wl in house above and not un-
frequently more vausbe articles which thieves Cor fear Of de-
iept have thrown down when they have been press
ga by The officers Of justice. II might be Thought that life
amid the ye filth and much danger and unpeasan,ness
OF every kind but few the hope of the great
prizes sometimes discovered in this miserable ay DERIVES
its terror and all the principal sewers that branch into the
Thames have their regular fcqueniofs Were not that the
aas gives shem too !le time for that purpose they would
exsnd heir researches to the exremites Of London
or three miles inland is the hound Of peregrna
tons Those who value their lives will not be tempted 10 OK
bend their researches further est they should be drowned by
we rising waer Of The river.
About years ago these and some other particulars Of
their mode Of life ELECTED il consequence Of the following
circumstance An old who had long pursued this calling
was suddenly missed Every search made for him by the
few TO whom he known and Ills wiic and family not
without fears that he had lost his way the sewers or
had bee surprised by the tide and drowned in his efforts to
escape, made anxious inquiries every police office in Lon
dom but without receiving any tdngs Of his fate Months
elapsed and his name passing from the remembrance OF eli
bHt thse who had lost their husband and her by his dsp
earancr when young man. passing with his torch up the
feet at nearly mile distant from the place where discharges
itself into the Thames startled seeing the figure Of
amid the darkness sitting the juncture Of smaller sewer
with the main current Of the feet He shouted but received
answer and heard nothing but the rolling Of the black and
frtd wser and the splash squeak Of the
which be had alarmed Advancing nearer be held the light
70 the ace q e silent figure and behed the shssty coyn'
nance Of skeleton ne was not Of strong mind and,
losing his self possession in his terror be stumbled against Il
and fell Insight was extneuished His situation wasnow
sufficiently awful but The added horror Of the total darkness
recalled his startled faculties psicnd Of scattering them entirely
lie knew his way by The number Of Ton gy,inga intervals
above, and CROPPED along cautiously, shouting loudly he
could TO keep up his courage and to stae the from
his pah lest he should tread upon which would turn upon
him and fasen his flesh Grating grating was thus
passed. and he heard he carriages rafting above whenever he
near and at times the conversation Of people Once he
stopped under grating by the side Of which old woman
Of hereIpesa and her discourse with rcpstoe
and was tempted give the alarm that he might be Jrawhup
This however would have bern work Of Time and be there
decided 50 On He proceeded accordingly and arrived
the Thames without Incident and Immediately informed his
companions Of the discovery he had made Il surmsed
at once that the skeleton that Of the man who bad been
atae was despatched u zoe tie issue He would not how
ever venture Up the sewer bit remained by The side
await tho return of the ppd laks who went UP With
torches and basket 70 bring np tho remains Of the dead man
They found reaching the spot that the dscover in his
fright by filling against the skeleton had overturned II from
lie sitting position. skull, mass Of bones with few hut
and portion Of his shoes alone remained his flesh and
his attire having been devoured pecemeal BY the rats Inc
remains collected and brought without accident
corones inquest held on the following day ana identity
was established blythe butons the only nFsns ~ WEEP
antv how the ifc Of this unfortunate being had been lost
but he general suppoon was either that he had been uo
Gated by foul air. or TINT he had been nezed with NJ APP
poplexy that dcrksome sewer ne @mPe VERDICT
dead was returned by the jury ~ ~ l8s