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IN 1859 REYNOLDS MAP (Quarter Mile Section - S 33) |
BRIEF HISTORY DURING THE SNOW ERA (1813-58)
In August and September of 1854, at the same time when the great cholera outbreak occurred in the Broad Street neighborhood, there was another outbreak in the Deptford area of London, but of a more limited extent. Deptford lies on the River Thames, south of the Isle of Dogs. The community was originally a fishing village, viewed as the last stopping place before London on the road from Dover (middle left). In the fifteenth century, a bridge had been built across Deptford Creek near its influx to the River Thames. Later in the nineteenth century many Irish were employed in the area.
Of the 1854 cholera outbreak, Snow wrote:
"About ninety deaths took place in a few days, amongst two or three score of small houses, in the north end of New Street and an adjoining row called French's Fields."
- Snow, John. Communication of Cholera, 1855, p. 55
A score is 20, so two or three score of small houses is 40-60 houses. The houses were located in cell S 33 of the 1859 Reynolds map, just east of the period in "St." (i.e., North end of First Street) and one street over (i.e., French's Fields).
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IN 1859 REYNOLDS MAP (Quarter Mile Section - S 33) |
Snow went on to write:
"Deptford is supplied with very good water from the river Ravensbourne by the Kent Water Works, and until this outbreak there was but little cholera in the town, except amongst some poor people, who had no water except what they got by pailsful from Deptford Creek -- an inlet of the Thames. There had, however, been a few cases in and near New Street, just before the great outbreak. On going to the spot on September 12th and making inquiry, I found that the houses in which the deaths had occurred were supplied by the Kent Water Works, and the inhabitants never used any other water. The people informed me, however, that for some few weeks the water had been extremely offensive when first turned on; they said it smelt like a cesspool, and frothed like soap suds. They were in the habit of throwing away a few pailsful of that which first came in, and collecting some for use after it became clear. On inquiring in the surrounding streets, to which this outbreak of cholera did not extend, viz., Wellington Street, Old King Street, and Hughes's Fields, I found that there had been no alteration in the water."
- Snow, John. Communication of Cholera, 1855, p. 55
So what caused the outbreak? Dr. Snow offered an answer when he wrote:
"I concluded, therefore, that a leakage had taken place into the pipes supplying the places where the outbreak occurred, during the intervals when the water was not turned on. Gas is known to get into the water-pipes occasionally in this manner, when they are partially empty, and to impart its taste to the water. There are no sewers in New Street or French's Fields, and the refuse of all kinds consequently saturates the ground in which the pipes are laid. I found that the water collected by the people, after throwing away the first portion, still contained more organic matter than that supplied to the adjoining streets. On adding nitrate of silver and exposing the specimens to the light, a deeper tint of brown was developed in the former than in the latter."
- Snow, John. Communication of Cholera, 1855, pp. 55-56.
Sources:
Snow J. On the Mode of Communication of Cholera, 1855.
Weinreb B, Hibbert C (eds). The London Encyclopaedia, 1993.
