Preliminary report on the drainage of the metropolis / By Mr John Phillips, Chief Surveyor. July 23rd, 1849.

  • London (England). Metropolitan Commission of Sewers.
Date:
[1849]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Preliminary report on the drainage of the metropolis / By Mr John Phillips, Chief Surveyor. July 23rd, 1849. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    No. 57.] etropolttan eta e r s. PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE DRAINAGE OF THE METROPOLIS. By Mr JOHN PHILLIPS, Chief Surveyor. In pursuance of tlie Order of Court of 5th July, 1849, I have the Instructions honour to present a preliminary Report, explanatory of the leading features of the Tunnel Sewer scheme, which I submitted on the 21st of June last, for the permanent and perfect Town Drainage of the Metropolis, including the City of London. This area possesses some peculiar characteristics as regards drainage, essential Description of til6 cIl'Gti to be noticed. The valley of the Thames was originally a broad arm of the sea, expanding itself every tide over the flat districts upon which are now built the City of Westminster, Battersea, Lambeth, Newington, Camberwell, Southwark, Ber¬ mondsey, Rotherhithe, Deptford, East Greenwich, Poplar, Bromley, as well as the other marshes from the Nore to a considerable distance above London, on both sides of the Thames. At a very early period this immense tract was reclaimed from the sea, and the estuary narrowed by embankments to the width of a deep river, leaving the marshes so secured at a level varying from two to ten feet below high water, those further removed from the River mouth being proportionably lower than those near the sea. The higher grounds comprised within this area present a variety of undulations intersected by several tributary streams. ( 50 ) A
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