The Republican journal., 1874-07-30

sion. The pipes are laid into the new
building and have IN aggregate length OF
nearly eighteen miles. Among the re-
markable features of lower London are
the wine-yaults of the docks. They have
been often described, but they lie little
ont OF the beat Of the average cockncy,
and far away from the regions that are
usually found to attract the visitor from
the provinces; and, except those who
have business there, few persons ever see
them. OF this kind of thing however,
there. is nothing more curious in exist
ence, and no visitor, who has an oppor-
tunitv of a brief ramble in them. should
leave London without doing So 1t is not
merely that they are very extensive, or
miles upon miles of barrels, that renders
them worthy Of special notice; but there
are several things that combine to do so.
In the first place, the way to these
dreamy. silent regions usually leads the
visitor through the busiest part of the
busiest city in the world There is no
more curious contrast to be met with in
London, than that which the stranger
experiences in passiug from the hustle
and uproar of the city into one of these
gloomy mazes.
Descending short flight Of steps. the
explorer i presented with 4 torch. in the
shape of a narrow Stri p of wood with
little oil lamp Mt the end OF lt--qnlte
primitive and old fashioned affair Very
impcricctly lighted by this, aud preceded
by one of the gcnii Of the place, the adj
yenturcr plun@cs into the gloom OF q
world in which the streets are formed of
barrels, the ground Of sawduSt and The
atmosphere OF liquor fumes; while over
head, Notwithstanding the torches and
deicctcd-loo}ing oil lamp hung here and
there, all is black rs 4 funeral pail. lt.S
only by raising yonr @limmcring torch 10
the vaulted roof, that YOU discover one Of
the most curious features of the place.
Masses Of q peculiar kind OF fungus. for
The most part black A. So0l, hut inter-
SpcrScd here and there with patches as
white a L Water-lily, hang overhead in a
thousand fantastic forms This is very
curious, but what is still more 50. is the
fact that these roofs are often found TO
produce GOOD, wholesome mushrooms
There are seven of these vaults, the
extent Of which may be gathered from
the fact that they contain altogether some
iron guides laid ON the door for rolling or
staniino barrels Ilpon The lar~est of
them covers five acres and a halt and is
by no means IN unpleasant place lor A
stroll On 4 hot summers day. Ii strikes
deliciously cool-in the depth OF winter
comfortably warm. But for an OCCASION
al dull rumble overhead, the place is n
still a. the grave; the rellarmen who are
occasionally mel have a ,uhdncd and sol
emn asnect while the dreamy ol;mmpr
Of thc oll-tashioned lamp. MINGLED here
and tbprr with Shafts Of ohostly white
lioht from onnninus to thc miner world
give fine pIl.n , ward ana njcturnelue
1pnnaronce
instances ar,. unon record in which ron.
tlemen who have cone down into these
youIts and who .,h3yen't touched = 1ror
of anythino- have nevertheless on com.
mo 10 thp omen mir been seized with an
unoccountahle oiddino.s and bodily pros
tration and hoI,. been conuallad tn oo
home in = cab. i this is to be attributed
10 the liquor. it is evident that, like joey
Ladlc, they must have taken it in by the
pores. 1t has, however, been observed,
as a remarkable coincidence that it is
only those who happen to have ''tastino
order in their pocket who are affected in
this way.
To find ones ,elI at the inner e\trcm-
itN OF Il Wine-yault Is, after all. Tar less ot
Il novelty in the way of Il sensation. than
70 peep UP from the bottom OF 4 drain
pipe. Jet one may not only do this. II
any part OF Londss, but may make hi,
way right through the heart of the me
tropoli> III draln-piper. lie may creeI
down into the sewers 1T Acton, pass right
through London ON to Abbey Mills At
Strattord, without ever seeing the light
OF day, Or hearing 4 sound other than the
heavy thundcls OF the world above him
or the rush Ot dark torrents around him
AS it has already been stated London,
full of life and activity, has beneath it a
counterpart some two or three thousand
miles i'll extent, great city Of streets
wrapped IN darkness, and swept by foul
floods, but for all that peopled by host
Of busy workers
The drainage system Of London, intri-
cate as it is In matters of detail. may in
its broad features he very simply described
Until a few wears back, nearly the whole
Of the sewerage OF the metropolis was
DISCHARGED into the Thames. On both sides
of the river innumrrahle channels noured
out their filthy cChten1s. until the ctreat
stream itself was little better than y 6uoa
sewer. The same system of drains is still
in use. but instead of their beino, allowed
to DISCHARGE into the Thames. there have
been constructed. on each side, three main
sewers running at RIGHT anoles with the
old drains-running, that is. parallel with
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