All about Battersea. Henry S. Simmonds
to swimmers and became a famous place for bathing. Hayle Foundry Wharf, Nine Elms, is now occupied by H. Young & Co., Engineers and Contractors, Founders, Smiths, etc. Their Art Works are at Eccleston, Pimlico, and are noted for casting the statues of Lord Derby, opposite the House of Lords; John Bunyan, erected at Bedford; Wellington Memorial in St. Paul's Cathedral, and (part finished) Sir John Burgoyne.
THE SOUTHWARK AND VAUXHALL WATER WORKS.—The Borough Works at St. Mary Overies, in 1820, became the property of one J. Edwards, who in 1822, also purchased from the New River Company the Works on the South side of London Bridge, and combined both concerns under the designation of the "Southwark Water Works." The whole being thus possessed by one opulent individual. In 1805, several persons united to give effect to a scheme for organising the South London Water Works (subsequently called the Vauxhall) and by an Act of Parliament passed in July, 1805, they were incorporated as a Company, with authority to raise capital for attaining their object amounting to £80,000 in 800 shares of £100 each. In June, 1813, another Act was obtained for empowering the Company to raise a further sum of £80,000. The operations of this Company commenced inauspiciously for their interests by reason of their having originally adopted wooden pipes, and having then been compelled to substitute iron in their place. The principal works were on the south side of Kennington Lane, formerly Kennington Common, near to Vauxhall. These companies experienced various vicissitudes in their progress, until in 1845, when an amalgamation took place under an Act of Parliament, to which we owe the creation of the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company as it now exists. The area of the district supplied extends for about 13 miles E. and W., and 3 miles N. and S., the home district stretching from Rotherhithe to Clapham and the suburban and rural districts from Wandsworth to Richmond. Thus an area of 39 miles south of the Thames receives a supply of water distributed to about 80,000 houses, having a population of 550,000. The Company's property at Battersea consists of one Pumping Station, standing on freehold land of some 50 acres, and six Cornish Engines, erected by Messrs. Harvey and Co., with a total of 1,200 horse power; two Reservoirs of about 10 acres, containing about 46,000,000 gallons of water, and six filter beds, having an area 10¾ acres, with a filtering capacity for 1,300,750 gallons of water per hour. The Filters are to a certain depth filled with sand, through which the water percolates, leaving the impurities on the surface to be removed at pleasure. There are 18 fires or furnaces in the boiler house, the daily consumption of coal is about 22 tons. The water at this station is pumped partly over a stand pipe 186 feet high,[1] and the remainder through an air vessel to a height of about 380 feet. The Company have considerable property at Hampton and Peckham. The Registrar General's return shews the Company possess about 685 miles of mains and service pipes, 100 miles of which (mains) are perpetually charged, and could be made available for constant supply should circumstances render it desirable. Office, Sumner Street, Southwark; Chief Engineer, Thos. W. Humble, Esq.; Resident Engineer, Mr. John Sampson. Adjacent to the Water Works are premises belonging to Harvey and Co., Machine, Hydraulic, and Mining Engineers of Hayle, Cornwall.
[1] A gentleman told the writer that this was vulgarly called by the sobriquet of "Punch's Tuning Fork!"
Fitz Stephen (William) a learned Monk of Canterbury, being attached to the Service of Archbishop Becket was present at the time of his murder. In the year 1174 he wrote in Latin the life of St. Thomas, Archbishop and Martyr, in which as Becket was a native of the Metropolis, he introduces a description of the City of London with a miscellaneous detail of the manners and usages of the Citizens; this is deservedly considered a great curiosity, being the earliest professed account of London extant. He describes the springs and water courses which abound in the vicinity of Old London as "sweet, salubrious, and clear," so that all that the inhabitants and water-carriers had to do was to draw water from the wells and springs, or dip their vessels in the pellucid stream of the river which was fit for culinary and all ordinary and domestic purposes. London then though considered a "Great City" was as a small town when compared with its teeming population of nearly 5,000,000 which people its City and environs now.[1] Since that time the Majestic Thames and its tributary streams have been so polluted with sewerage and other deleterious and poisonous matter as to induce some of the most scientific men of the age to consider not only the desirability but the necessity of obtaining for London a pure water supply. It is asserted as a fact that in England and Wales alone upwards of eight hundred persons die every month from typhoid fever; a disease which is now believed to be caused almost entirely through drinking impure water, and Dr. Frankland, the official to whom is entrusted the analysing of such matters reports "The Thames Water" notwithstanding the care that is taken to filter it by certain Water Companies is so much polluted by organic matters as to be quite unfit for dietetic purposes.
[1] The London Metropolitan District covers an area of 690 square miles—contains 6612 miles of streets. 528,794 inhabited houses; Population (June 1873) 4,025,559.
The first conduit erected in the City of London (Westcheap now Cheapside) was commenced in the year 1235 but was not completed till 50 years afterwards (1285). The Citizens, who had to fetch their water from the Thames often met with opposition from those who resided in the lanes leading down to the river who monopolized the right of procuring a water supply by stopping and imposing a duty upon others who sought to obtain it. This state of things as might be expected became unbearable and in 1342 an inquisition was made and persons were sworn to inquire into the stoppages and annoyances complained of in the several Wards. In the fifteenth century the authorities of the City had erected New Conduits and had laid down leaden pipes. "In 1439 the Abbot of Westminster granted to Robert Large, the Lord Mayor, and the Citizens of London, and their successors, one head of water containing twenty-six perches in length and one in breadth, together with all the springs in the Manor of Paddington for an annual payment of two peppercorns." In the sixteenth century owing to the increased population and the drying up of the springs other means of supply were obtained in the neighbourhoods of Hampstead Heath, Hackney, and Muswell Hill. An Act of Parliament applied for by the Corporation was passed in 1544 for the purpose of obtaining from these springs an increased supply for the North Western portions of the City. The scheme however was not carried out until the year 1590 when another important source of supply had been procured. In 1568 a conduit was constructed at Dowgate, for the purpose of obtaining water from the Thames. "In 1580 Peter Morice, an ingenious Dutchman brought his scheme for raising the Thames Water high enough to supply the upper parts of the City, and in order to show its feasibility he threw a jet of water over the steeple of St. Magnus Church, a lease of 500 years of the Thames Water, and the places where his mills stood, and of one of the arches of London Bridge was granted to Morice, and the Water Works founded by him remained until the beginning of the present century." About the same time that Morice propounded his scheme for utilizing the Water of the Thames, Stow informs us that a man of the name of Russel proposed to bring water into London from Isleworth. In 1591 an Italian named Frederick Genebelli said that he could cleanse the filthy ditches about the city such as the Fleet River, Hounsditch, etc., and bring a plentiful supply of pure, wholesome water to the City through them, but his offer does not appear to have been accepted.
"In 1606 nearly £20,000 was expended in scouring the River Fleet, which was kept open for the purpose of navigation as high as Holborn Bridge." An Act was passed in 1609 for bringing water by means of engines from Hackney Marsh, to supply the City of London; the profits arising from the enterprise were to go to the College of Polemical Divines, founded by Dr. Sutcliffe, at Chelsea. At the close of Queen Elizabeth's Reign an Act was passed empowering the Corporation to cut a river for the purpose of conveying water from Middlesex and Hertfordshire to the City, but nothing was done in this direction till after the accession of James I to the throne. In 1605 and 1606 Acts of Parliament were passed empowering the Corporation to bring water from the Springs of Chadwell and Amwell to the northern parts of the City. The Corporation transferred their power in 1609 to Hugh, afterwards (Sir Hugh) Middleton, Citizen, and Goldsmith, who with characteristic energy entered into the vast scheme which was effectually carried out at an immense expense. On Sept. 29th, 1613 the New River was opened, and London from