Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-12-01
UNDER LONDON STREETS.

"There it is again, worse than ever !
I'm sure if you studied that dear child's s
health, you would see to it at once. A
man, too, with your power on the press
it's disgraceful."
"What is? My power on the press ?"
There was rustic of Gros de Naples
and whirlwind that nearly swept up a
hassock; tragic look that would have
made Miss Glynn envious of its wither-
ing scorn, loud closing of the break
fast room door, and mamma-on my
wife's side-left me alone.
My power on the press consists in the
right-when it suits the editor-to ap-
pear in the poets corner of the North
Oe8t London Journal, q journal that ap.
pears weekly, and the 1t that was there
again" is an unpleasant eff1uvium.
Mamma, who is not always particular in
her language, called it by far less pol
isheG term but then, when angry, she
is strong in Saxon. This unpleasant
scent had knack of coming up stairs
and diffusing itself through the house,
and though we had set traps innumera-
BILE to catch it, we had never succeeded.
Again and again had the workmen been
called in, the sole result being a bill.
At all events, the charming villa resi-
dence upon a gravelly soil, with all the
the modern improvements, and drain
ing right into the main sewer-see
house-agent's observation-disclosures de-
ciIedly ineligible respecting sundry
odors; and to get it habitable necessi-
tated the construction of drain, during
ol I hoI Of
down into the black watery way running
along beneath our road, and became so
Interested in its appearance, and moved
by so strong a desire to explore its mys-
teries, that presented myself one day
at the door of the palatial building in
Spring Gardens devoted to the Metro
politan Board of Works.
Nothing could have been more cour
teous than my reception and after a
few minutes conversation, [ was fur
nished with couple of cards-pass-
ports to the lower regions; and the
same day I presented myself before a
man who looked at my cards, looked
at me, and then smiled.
I" L don't think as you'll like to go
down, SIR" he said, "Why, you'll have
to wade through sewage up toyour mid
die; but we can dress you up, if you
like" ....,..
did like-or at least I said so; the
same spirit that has urged me on to do
several similar things was thrusting me
on me now, at the same time keeping
me in a most horrible stew, by present
ing to my excited imagination rising
waters, strangling men, and corpses
swept away into the river.
In twenty minutes | was fitted with a
suit of extremely unpleasant clothes of
an india-rubbery texture and following 6
my guide, who was provided with Ian
tern, we stopped at last at an iron door
in the pavement, over which, key in
hand, my leader stopped, what time |
was seized with an exceedingly strong
inclination to say, "Thank you; that
will do )" and to 60 back.
However, said nothing, but watched
my friend while he raised the door, re-
vealing grating, up which stole viii
famous mist, pale, blue, ghostly-looking,
and seeming like the vehicle that would
bear disease through the streets and
courts Of the great city. l knew that
mist in moment; it was the parent of
that nasty smell which pervaded our
house. 1t was vile, mephitic, drainy,
gassy, and repugnant to the nostrils,
and / involuntarily shrank back.
My companion, however, was not de-
tered; he quietly performed an act
which raised new sense of discomfort
in my breast he lowered the lantern
by the string, and stood watching to see
if it burned brightly.
IF that there wouldn't burn, we
shouldn't burn," he said. MANY 8
poor chaps been suffocated by that
there bad gas, sir"
The lamp burned tolerably we'll and
he then began to descend square, we'll
like place, provided with iron foot holds
till he stepped with hollow plash into
a quantity of foul liquid mud, anc
turned to look up at me.
"Come on, sir, back'ards way first,
he said; and l slowly descended, ask
ing myself the while whether [ hac
done enough. The next minute the
huge boots I wore had taken me sud
denly into the mud, for one slipped
from the damp iron upon which 1t rest
ed, and l was beside my guide, looking
through an opening whereinto glldee
along a black, whispering river, through
which my guide waded, and | followed
the water being about two feet deep.
If you will imagine what your coal
cellar would be if it were continued TO
miles, its walls wet and shiny, and ;
tilthy stream ever running through it
you have the exact appearance of on,
OF the main sewers Of one of those sub
terranean channels that, varying il
diameter from three, feet to nine. form
a vast network beneath London