The Great Stink of 1858

By:
1
The River Thames has been a hub of commerce, agriculture, and recreation since before recorded history. It was also once filled with a lethal volume of human shit.

All it took was several years of cholera and exploding cesspits for Parliament to spring into action and save their precious river!

This sh*t was literally killing people. The filthy water Was responsible for: -3 separate cholera outbreaks - Methane-filled cesspit explosions -The f

The Stink was personified in satirical cartoons of the day. They would often depict Dirty Father Thames CRACKED COM

Scientist Michael Faraday would test' the shit content by dipping white paper into the water FARADAY GIVING HIS CARD TO FATHER THAMES; And we hope th

Father Thames Introducing His Offspring TO The Fair City Of London Diphtheria Scrofula Cholera CRACKED COM

For years, lawmakers were able to ignore the stench, or mask it with lime chloride. IME But that summer's record heat forced them into action by the

Joseph Bazalgette: The Hero of The Great Stink This is how they drew people they liked. Bazalgette was tapped to design a new sewer system that ensure

Sign up for the Cracked Newsletter

Get the best of Cracked sent directly to your inbox!

Forgot Password?