Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-10-25

/ OUR readers VIII ma something In
the following sketch entirely new and
undreamed of in their philosophy
We know something of subterranean
life in the mines; but nothing like the
following. Read it; and if you don't
believe il, it is none the less true for
all that.
sketch ON life in the London Sewers.
Few who walk along the streets Of
London, and see mile on mile of car
riage way and foot pavement stretch
ing out before them, and branching off
on every side, reflect upon the vast
and wonderful scheme of sewerage
that extends underneath. From the
remotest district of London to the riv-
err, small sewers flow into larger ones;
and these again, after long course
and many windings, into the Thames.
Were map executed of these subter-
ranean currents, SO intricate and yet SO
regular, like the large veins and arte-
ries of the body, it would convey
grander idea of the civilization Of the
capital than even the magnificent
streets, filled with the productions Of
the world, that extend above ground.
Formed Of substantial brick-work, well
arched and secure, they represent
sunken capital which has been various
ly estimated at the enormous sum Of
from one to one million and a half or
two millions sterling. 1t is an inter-
esting sight, when any Of the main
sewers are under repair in principal
thoroughfare. to see how deep the cx-
cavation is, and how many lines of gas
and fresh water pipes have to be ira
versed before the strong current Of foul
water, running in its capacious brick
channel, is reached by the workmen.-
Several of these main sewers were
open streams, meandering through the
fields, before London became so gigan-
tic as it is now; and among the number
may be cited the Fleet, running from
beyond Islington, through Bagnigge,
| Wells, Clerkenwell, Fieldham, Hol-
born and Harrington streets, into the
Thames, once capable, it appears. of
bearing merchant vessels as far rs Hol-
Iborn; the Walbrook, running from
Moorfeld past the Mansion House,
and by the church of st. Stephen,
Wallbrook and Dowgate, into the
Thames; and the Lang, or Long
Bourne, which still gives name to one
of the wards of London.
Any one who has walked over
Blackfriars, or Waterloo bridge, when
the tide is down, may have observed
men and boys and occasionally women,
walking upon the shores of the river,
knee-deep in the slime, with baskets
upon their backs, or slung over their
arms, picking up pieces of wood that
have been left behind by the tide, or
bits of coal that have fallen from the
NUMEROUS cool b~ssas thet have come
up laden from the Pool, where the col
ilier vessels are moored, to discharge
the:r cargoes at the wharves farther to
the west. These "mud-larks," as they
are sometimes called, bear generally a
bad character, being accused Of not
contenting themselves with the prizes
they find on the shores, but of robbing
) the coal barges or other vessels on
, board of which they can creep at night
{ fall without detection. However, this
may be, their functions do not end with
: the shore, but in the sewer. With
, torch in hand, TO preserve them from
! the attacks of numerous and large and
) ferocicus rats, they wade, sometimes
almost up TO the middle, through the
J streams Of foul water, in search OF
, stray articles that may have been
!, thrown down the sinks Of houses, or
dropped through the loopholes in the
streets. They will at times travel Tor
two or three miles in this way, by the
: light Of thei. torches, aided OCCASION
i. ally by a CLEAN of sunshine by the
wayside, far under the busy thorough
, fares Of Cornhill, Cheapside, the
Strand, and Holborn, very seldom able
to walk upright in the confined and
dangerous vault, and often Obliged to
crawl on all fours, like the rats, which
are their greatest enemies. The articles
they mostly find are potatoes and tur-
nips, or bones, washed down the sinks
| by carless sculIery maids; pence and
half pence, and silver coins, OCCASION
alIy a silver spoon or fork, the loss of
; which may have caused considerable
a - .kn