Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-11-10

IA VAIN III tllt IViiuuu StWtTSs
Most OF the prevailing impressions as
to the Lo"don sewers have no founda-
ton III fact, as. for instance, that thieves
are in them. that they arc swarminr
with rats. and that they are frcuuentcd
by aged muGlarkS who scratch among
the Nth in search of spoil. The idea
that they are exceedingly unpleasant
places To cNpl"rc is more natural, but
Is commonly exaggerated. There are
some scores of back street, in London
which are much more trying to the
noStrlS than Il main sewer. As one of
my companions said: "They get good
deal more OF it up above than we do
down here" an opinion in which one is
inclined 10 concur. The filth which
must necessarily make its way into the
sewers has been in some degree clastised
into cleanliness before it reaches the
main lines, and the discomfort of an en-
pl"ration is caused by water and by the
c.oseness Of the atmosphere rather
than by any diSagreeable eilluvia. The
Kings Scholars Pond sewer follows the
line of Il natural depression from he
yond the Swiss Cottage to Pimlico. The
water is drawn of in the manner al
ready described at point near the June
ton of Oxford street and Davies street.
Thence for some distance the pavement
OF the sewer is almost dry. Every few
yards OF our progress. however, dis
CLOSED TO us some new inlet. Some
OF these were mere earihenware pipes.
with stcnch-trap affixed Others
were square brick "gullies," generally
in bad state of repair. These are
all private property. The more i'm
portant connections, which are under
the control of the Board of Works, are
solidly built. and are in shape like
huge egg standing on the thin end
Here ana there glimpscs may be OBJ
tanned of old and diSuScd sewers, rs un-
dcrncath Davies street. where n long
low tunnel brings us into Il space al
most rs large rs Il village church. and
with roof 50 constructed rs to suggest
the comparison.
a large sewer is very gloomy and
mysterious. 1t has most resemblance
to the tunnel of a canal. As we walked
along the water gathered about OFT
feet. 1t seemed TO enter in insignili-
cantly small quantiticS-a buckc,ful
now and then running down Il drain
pipe. continuous trickle here and
there from one of the street cOnnec-
tions-yet after about mile or so we
were walking in water up To our knees.
Then once more We heard the sound of
rushing and tumbliny. this time in
front OF us; and by api by were able
TO pass over weir - TO dry ground.
Our course lay under Berkeley News.
down Charges street, and across Picca-
dilly. Our companions above ground
had saluted us ut every entrance as we
passed, and on reaching Piccadily We
determined to have n breath of fresh
air. We emerged in the Green Park.
1t had been raining, and the strong
sunlight was sparkling on dripping
leaves and moistened grass Around
Us flock of sheep was feeding, and
for Il moment il seemed as if we We're
miles away from town. To enjoy
London park thoroughly nothing is
necessary but to come upon it suddenly
from Il sewer. 1t was II poor exchange
for the sheep, when We had once more
descended. to encounter the first rat.
We saw, perhaps, dozen more during
the remainder of our journey. OF the
many varieties enumerated by Mr.
Browning. only one seems to frequent
the sewers. Sewer rats are gray; and
it is peculiarity of theirs that. though
they do not like to he driven into the
water, they can swim admirably. 1t is
also worth noting that they have mas
tered the secret OF stench-trap, and
mt, Il 1,
In 1.-The good old times sewers used
to be cunningly introduced under the
flooring of our houses instead of being
carried along the front. A few years
ago the Kings Scholars Pond route
would have taken us under Buckingham
Palace. Now, however. it makes n bold
curve, sweeps round in front. and passes
under the gardens. 1t gets broader and
higher from this point, and there are
more frequent glimpses of the upper
world. Through small square gratings
the sunshine pene,ratcS, making tall
obcliskS of light, which. inverting them
selves. are dmly repeated in the black
waters. Archbishop Manning lives
there" said one of my companions,
pointing to 4 square yard of stone
work that was visible through one of
these crates. We fixed our locality in
this way Us we went along. Such
casual glimpseS of the world above
served to relieve a journey which,
much to the wonder of the passers-by,
was again broken in Victoria Street.
From thence we had what the chief of
my guides described as a "stitf bit"
The water was broad and deep, and
there was a heavy. clinging sediment at
the bottom. Besides we had to pass
underneath n great brewery, where all
the drains vOmited steam. The effect
was much the same as if we had been in
n Turkish bath, and matters were scarce
ly improved when the close and heavily
laden air warned us that we were ap-
preaching tho gasworks at Pimlico.
Here, after wading through the deepest
piece of watee that we had vet encOun-
tered. We came upon the last of the
openings through which the sewer
empties itself into the lower levels.
Thenccforward, instead of having the
earth above us. we had merely n wooden
roofing. and after passing through what
seemed like the hull of a great ship.
and was exactly similar in form, we
came upon the double flood d-gates which
interpoSe between the sewer and the
Thames. Only on occasion of great
storm do these require to be opened,
and then the whole course over which
we had travelled is occupied by an inn
petuouS torrent. which not infrequently
rises to the height of six or seven feet
Pail Mall Gd:ct;e.
Surprised Duelists.