Cholera and the Thames
Familar in their Mouths as HOUSEHOLD WORDS - Shakespeare
Household Words
A JOURNAL
Price 2d.
Thursday 25th of April 2024
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CROSSNESS OPENS
David W and Samuel W
Yesterday, the Crossness Sewage Engines, designed by chief engineer Joseph Bazalgette, was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales.
Bazalgette asked Prince Albert to turn the wheel that would start the engines running. According to Bazalgette the sewage pumps would rid the Thames of the raw sewage being pumped into it by the old sewers.
Not everyone is pleased about the sewage works; we spoke to hotel owner, Lee Simkins, and asked him what he thought, “I am very displeased at the fact that parliament chose to pump hundreds of tonnes of raw sewage down the river. Those hypocrites at parliament only chose to do something about the problem when they couldn’t stand the smell anymore, and all they did was flush it down here. Do you have any idea how many customers I am going to lose?”
After the sewage works opened, the Royal party were treated to a celebration lunch, in one of the sheds.
We asked Joseph Bazalgette what he thought the works would do, he aid “I think they will do great things for the City.”
14 Jun 2012, 16:16
CHOLERA CHAOS
Toby and Charlie
Disaster has struck London in the year 1829. A terrible disease called cholera is killing people almost instantly. The local people reckon it is the sickening smell that is causing cholera. But one keen doctor, Dr. John Snow, is determined to prove to everyone that it is the dirty water causing the disease. At this very moment he is walking around Broad Street, searching for evidence to prove he is right.
Disaster has also struck Millbank prison in Pimlico after all of their prisoners have been infected with cholera. Lord Palmerston (Home Secretary) is sending all 700 prisoners to a place in Dorchester, though the Mayor of Dorchester was extremely furious, this is what he had to say “I am furious at Lord Palmerston for sending prisoners here to Dorchester, a place that is not infected with cholera, but I can’t do anything about it, the home secretary is too powerful, we have to accept his orders whether we like them or not.”
Reverend Henry Moule is in Fordington, near Dorchester, he is praying for all those who are infected with cholera. He is being a great help to people in Fordington by checking up on those who are infected. He is especially praying for a little girl called Evans who died of cholera from playing underneath Nellie Hall’s washing line, it has just been discovered that Nellie Hall broke the Mayor’s rules by washing the infected prisoners clothes, which probably caused Evans death.
14 Jun 2012, 16:14
CHOLERA CRISIS!
Jessica P and Abigail s
Deadly disease hits Soho in London killing thousands. It is a ghastly disease called cholera, which is a vicious water-borne disease. The first victim was baby Frances who lived in Broad Street. Her mother, Mrs Sarah Lewis did not notice but the water she was washing Frances’s dirty nappies in was going down to Broad Street water pump, which people were drinking from.
Lots of people were bringing home the deadly contaminated water in bucket loads for themselves and their family to drink. While all this was happening Yann Kermogant, (who works in a brewery and lives down Broad Street) had heard about all the people dying and wondered why he hadn’t been affected. This is what he had to say, “I had heard about all of the people dying in Broad Street, and since I live there I wondered why I hadn’t become ill yet.” Only recently Dr John Snow and Rev. Whitehead have discovered that cholera is a water-borne disease, and they have closed down Broad Street pump. Although this has helped, many people think this is a dangerous idea because they have to walk miles to the next water pump to survive.
14 Jun 2012, 16:11
DEADLY DISEASE
Nathan S and Samson L
On Tuesday the 20th June 1858, chief engineer Joseph Bazalgette went to see sir Benjamin Hall, the president of the board of health, to talk about the sewer system, but Sir Benjamin Hall disapproved because it was too expensive. The reason Joseph Bazalgette wanted to put in a new seer system was because the infected water was being drunk, causing the cholera to spread. People were becoming so ill and eventually dying.
This is what Sir Benjamin Hall had to say about the sewer system. “The only reason I said no to Joseph Bazalgette was because it was too expensive and I had other plans to do with the money.”
This is what Joseph Bazalgette had to say, “I was very angry when Sir Benjamin Hall said to me that I couldn’t build a sewer system but then Sir Benjamin Disraeli, the leader of the House of Commons, found some money that I could then build the Sewer system with.”
14 Jun 2012, 16:06
CHOLERA CRISIS
Henry P, Harry P and Connor W
Yesterday, in the St James Vestry, Dr. Edwin Lancaster ordered Victor Delany to remove the pump handle from the Broad Street Pump. He was the doctor who helped set up the committee to investigate cholera. He ordered George Buzzard (Vestry Clerk) to take the pump handle off the Broad Street Pump.
Mr Buzzard ordered Victor Delany to take of the pump handle. The result of this was that the death rate began to fall around the Broad Street area. Victory Delany (vestry maintenance man) told us, “I wish those posh people could just make up their minds about where the cholera comes from, the smell of the water, which? For the past week I have been disinfecting the streets with bleach to get rid of the smell. Now they tell me that it comes from water!”
The miasma theory is that the smell is the cause of cholera, but we have been told it was water-borne disease. After the pump handle was removed, less deaths were recorded in Broad Street. People are still dying from the dangerous disease cholera; it is still reported to be causing many deaths in London.
14 Jun 2012, 16:03