Title

London Main Drainage: works at Barking Creek Outfall, 1861. Creator: Unknown.

Caption

London Main Drainage: works at Barking Creek Outfall, 1861. '...there is poured into the River Thames every day about sixty millions of gallons of sewage, the filthy washings, scourings, and cleansings of the three millions of people who inhabit the mighty city that has grown up on its banks. It is with not a little pleasure, then, that we have taken up for illustration and description the main-drainage works now being carried out, because, according to the report of the engineer who superintends them, we may hope in the course of two years or thereabout to see the Thames assume its original character. We cannot make sure of catching salmon at London-bridge so soon as that, but we may certainly expect at the expiration of the time stated to see the Thames a clear, wholesome stream, attractive for its natural beauties and adding to the healthiness of the metropolis generally. The object sought to be carried out by the works called the London Main Drainage is to intercept the sewage in its progress towards the river, and divert it by covered channels to Barking Creek, on the north side, and Erith Marshes on the south'. From "Illustrated London News", 1861.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/The Print Collector

Reference

HRM23B24_366

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

16,8Mb (1,5Mb) / 12,5in x 5,2in / 3738 x 1570 (300dpi)

Keywords

transport transportation river building London England technology railways train sailing boats sailing boat boat boats arts engineering chimneys steam art barking smoke British geography railway color sewer chimney innovation creek railway line sailboats sailboat Victorian century railway tracks barge Britain steam power train track newspapers railway track press print concept civil engineering drainage United Kingdom B&W engraved engraving sewers sanitation Colour 19th century water transport black & white black and white B W white and black nineteenth century steam locomotive The Print Collector Barking & Dagenham geographical feature Illustrated London News TGN Thames barge ILN newspaper Unknown Joseph William Bazalgette Bazalgette Joseph Bazalgette Sir Joseph Bazalgette sewage system Sir Joseph William 19th-century