On the north side of the Thames the Water Companies and their districts remained the same, but some alterations were made in the sources of supply. The East London Water Company ceased to obtain water at Old Ford, and got it from the river Lea, above Lea Bridge, out of the influence of the tide and free from sewage, except that from some part of Upper Clapton. The Grand Junction Company removed their works from Chelsea to Brentford, where they formed large settling reservoirs. The New River Company entirely ceased to employ the steam engine for obtaining water from the Thames. The supply of the other Water Companies remained the same as in 1832.
The accompanying table (No. 3), shows the mortality from cholera in the various registration districts of London in 1849, together with the water supply. The annual value of house and shop-room for each person is also shown, as a criterion, to a great extent, of the state of overcrowding or the reverse. The deaths from cholera and the value of house room, are taken from the “Report on the Cholera of 1849,” by Dr. Farr, of the General Register Office. The water supply is indicated merely by the name of the Companies. After the explanation given above of the source of supply, this will be sufficient. It is only necessary to add, that the Kent Water Company derive their supply from the river Ravensbourne, and the Hampstead Company from springs and reservoirs at Hampstead.
TABLE III,
Showing the mortality from Cholera, and the Water Supply, in the Districts of London, in 1849. The Districts are arranged in the order of their Mortality from Cholera.
| District. | Population in the middle of 1849. | Deaths from Cholera. | Deaths by Cholera to 10,000 inhabits. | Annual value of House & Shop room to each person in £. | Water Supply. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotherhithe | 17,208 | 352 | 205 | 4.238 | Southwark and Vauxhall Water Works, Kent Water Works, & Tidal Ditches. |
| St. Olave, Southwark | 19,278 | 349 | 181 | 4.559 | Southwark and Vauxhall. |
| St. George, Southwark | 50,900 | 836 | 164 | 3.518 | Southwark and Vauxhall, Lambeth. |
| Bermondsey | 45,500 | 734 | 161 | 3.077 | Southwark and Vauxhall. |
| St. Saviour, Southwark | 35,227 | 539 | 153 | 5.291 | Southwark and Vauxhall. |
| Newington | 63,074 | 907 | 144 | 3.788 | Southwark and Vauxhall, Lambeth. |
| Lambeth | 134,768 | 1618 | 120 | 4.389 | Southwark and Vauxhall, Lambeth. |
| Wandsworth | 48,446 | 484 | 100 | 4.839 | Pump-wells, Southwark and Vauxhall, river Wandle. |
| Camberwell | 51,714 | 504 | 97 | 4.508 | Southwark and Vauxhall, Lambeth. |
| West London | 28,829 | 429 | 96 | 7.454 | New River. |
| Bethnal Green | 87,263 | 789 | 90 | 1.480 | East London. |
| Shoreditch | 104,122 | 789 | 76 | 3.103 | New River, East London. |
| Greenwich | 95,954 | 718 | 75 | 3.379 | Kent. |
| Poplar | 44,103 | 313 | 71 | 7.360 | East London. |
| Westminster | 64,109 | 437 | 68 | 4.189 | Chelsea. |
| Whitechapel | 78,590 | 506 | 64 | 3.388 | East London. |
| St. Giles | 54,062 | 285 | 53 | 5.635 | New River. |
| Stepney | 106,988 | 501 | 47 | 3.319 | East London. |
| Chelsea | 53,379 | 247 | 46 | 4.210 | Chelsea. |
| East London | 43,495 | 182 | 45 | 4.823 | New River. |
| St. George’s, East | 47,334 | 199 | 42 | 4.753 | East London. |
| London City | 55,816 | 207 | 38 | 17.676 | New River. |
| St. Martin | 24,557 | 91 | 37 | 11.844 | New River. |
| Strand | 44,254 | 156 | 35 | 7.374 | New River. |
| Holborn | 46,134 | 161 | 35 | 5.883 | New River. |
| St. Luke | 53,234 | 183 | 34 | 3.731 | New River. |
| Kensington (except Paddington) | 110,491 | 260 | 33 | 5.070 | West Middlesex, Chelsea, Grand Junction. |
| Lewisham | 32,299 | 96 | 30 | 4.824 | Kent. |
| Belgrave | 37,918 | 105 | 28 | 8.875 | Chelsea. |
| Hackney | 55,152 | 139 | 25 | 4.397 | New River, East London. |
| Islington | 87,761 | 187 | 22 | 5.494 | New River. |
| St. Pancras | 160,122 | 360 | 22 | 4.871 | New River, Hampstead, West Middlesex. |
| Clerkenwell | 63,499 | 121 | 19 | 4.138 | New River. |
| Marylebone | 153,960 | 261 | 17 | 7.586 | West Middlesex. |
| St. James, Westminster | 36,426 | 57 | 16 | 12.669 | Grand Junction, New River. |
| Paddington | 41,267 | 35 | 8 | 9.349 | Grand Junction. |
| Hampstead | 11,572 | 9 | 8 | 5.804 | Hampstead, West Middlesex. |
| Hanover Sq. & May Fair | 33,196 | 26 | 8 | 16.754 | Grand Junction. |
| London | 2,280,282 | 14137 | 62 |
A glance at the table shows that in every district to which the supply of the Southwark and Vauxhall, or the Lambeth Water Company extends, the cholera was more fatal than in any other district whatever. The only other water company deriving a supply from the Thames, in a situation where it is much contaminated with the contents of the sewers, was the Chelsea Company. But this company, which supplies some of the most fashionable parts of London, took great pains to filter the water before its distribution, and in so doing no doubt separated, amongst other matters, the greater portion of that which causes cholera. On the other hand, although the Southwark and Vauxhall and the Lambeth Water Companies professed to filter the water, they supplied it in a most impure condition. Even in the following year, when Dr. Hassall made an examination of it, he found in it the hairs of animals and numerous substances which had passed through the alimentary canal. Speaking of the water supply of London generally, Dr. Hassall says:—
“It will be observed, that the water of the companies on the Surrey side of London, viz., the Southwark, Vauxhall, and Lambeth, is by far the worst of all those who take their supply from the Thames.”[[13]]
In the north districts of London, which suffered much less from cholera than the south districts, the mortality was chiefly influenced by the poverty and crowding of the population. The New River Company having entirely left off the use of their engine in the city, their water, being entirely free from sewage, could have had no share in the propagation of cholera. It is probable also, that the water of the East London Company, obtained above Lea Bridge, had no share in propagating the malady; and that this is true also of the West Middlesex Company, obtaining their supply from the Thames at Hammersmith; and of the Grand Junction Company, obtaining their supply at Brentford. All these Water Companies have large settling reservoirs. It is probable also, as I stated above, that the Chelsea Company in 1849, by careful filtration and by detaining the water in their reservoirs, rendered it in a great degree innocuous.
Some parts of London suffered by the contamination of the pump-wells in 1849, and the cholera in the districts near the river was increased by the practice, amongst those who are occupied on the Thames, of obtaining water to drink by dipping a pail into it. It will be shown further on, that persons occupied on the river suffered more from cholera than others. Dr. Baly makes the following inquiry in his Report to the College of Physicians.[[14]]
“How did it happen, if the character of the water has a great influence on the mortality from cholera, that in the Belgrave district only 28 persons in 10,000 died, and in the Westminster district, also supplied by the Chelsea Company, 68 persons in 10,000; and, again, that in the Wandsworth district the mortality was only 100, and in the district of St. Olave 181 in 10,000 inhabitants—both these districts receiving their supply from the Southwark Company?”