Every country has had its share misfortunes; plague, fire, and cholera are all incidents that have greatly affected London’s history. Geocaching is a great way to discover more of London’s history as people uncover the locations and learn the significance of the caches. Geocaching has led me to several fascinating places, such as The Monument and John Snow’s pub, that I would have normally bypass without realizing the significance it holds.
Disease was rampant in the 17th century. In 1665, London received a devastating blow from the plague killing some 100,000 people. The plague was a horrifying disease that stalked the streets of London. It struck swiftly and causes agonizing pain to those infected as they struggle from fevers and swelling; victims died within days of contracting the disease. With no cure, people were dying at a horrifying rate as the plague swept through the country. Theories of the cause behind the plague abounded. These included clouds of poisonous air and livestock; many simply thought it was a punishment from God for their sins. In reality, the plague was actually caused by a bacillus in the fleas that lived on black rats. Rats flourished in the towns and cities and the plague bacillus was able to thrive due to the unseasonably hot weather. There are three human types of the plague: bubonic plague, septicaemic plague, and pneumonic plague. Historically, the majority of those infected died of the bubonic plague (most common and spread through fleas).
With little time to recover from the plague epidemic, London found itself in the face of another catastrophe. In September 1666, much of London vanished in the Great Fire. The fire broke out early Sunday morning and lasted for four days and nights – the last of the fire was extinguished on Thursday night. The fire destroyed over 13,000 houses, 87 churches, St. Paul’s, and the main buildings in the city. Only about a handful of deaths were officially documented but the actual death toll figures remains unknown. The London that grew up after the Great Fire was very different from the city it replaced. The urgent need to rebuild presented an opportunity for development and served as a driving force for the city’s expansion. The London that rose from the ashes formed the basis of the modern city we see today. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, the building simply known as “The Monument” was erected in commemoration of the Great Fire of London. The structure stands tall at 202 feet and has become a familiar London landmark.
In 1854, a severe outbreak of cholera occurred in the Soho district of London, in and around Broad Street. Poor sanitary conditions of the city’s water supply served as the source of this terrible outbreak. Due to the large influx of people and lack of proper sanitary services, the River Thames became contaminated with the waste thus leading to the chorea outbreak. Early theories blamed the infection on mist and miasmas. John Snow, however, was skeptical about these theories and performed data analysis to prove theories on the source of cholera. His analysis led him to a water pump located on Broad Street which he later proved to be the source of the contaminated water. Snow went back to remove the pump handle and the cholera outbreak ended almost instantly. In the present day, the site of the water pump is marked by red granite on the curb outside of the present day John Snow pub.
data sources: wikipedia & channel4.com
Disease was rampant in the 17th century. In 1665, London received a devastating blow from the plague killing some 100,000 people. The plague was a horrifying disease that stalked the streets of London. It struck swiftly and causes agonizing pain to those infected as they struggle from fevers and swelling; victims died within days of contracting the disease. With no cure, people were dying at a horrifying rate as the plague swept through the country. Theories of the cause behind the plague abounded. These included clouds of poisonous air and livestock; many simply thought it was a punishment from God for their sins. In reality, the plague was actually caused by a bacillus in the fleas that lived on black rats. Rats flourished in the towns and cities and the plague bacillus was able to thrive due to the unseasonably hot weather. There are three human types of the plague: bubonic plague, septicaemic plague, and pneumonic plague. Historically, the majority of those infected died of the bubonic plague (most common and spread through fleas).
With little time to recover from the plague epidemic, London found itself in the face of another catastrophe. In September 1666, much of London vanished in the Great Fire. The fire broke out early Sunday morning and lasted for four days and nights – the last of the fire was extinguished on Thursday night. The fire destroyed over 13,000 houses, 87 churches, St. Paul’s, and the main buildings in the city. Only about a handful of deaths were officially documented but the actual death toll figures remains unknown. The London that grew up after the Great Fire was very different from the city it replaced. The urgent need to rebuild presented an opportunity for development and served as a driving force for the city’s expansion. The London that rose from the ashes formed the basis of the modern city we see today. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, the building simply known as “The Monument” was erected in commemoration of the Great Fire of London. The structure stands tall at 202 feet and has become a familiar London landmark.
In 1854, a severe outbreak of cholera occurred in the Soho district of London, in and around Broad Street. Poor sanitary conditions of the city’s water supply served as the source of this terrible outbreak. Due to the large influx of people and lack of proper sanitary services, the River Thames became contaminated with the waste thus leading to the chorea outbreak. Early theories blamed the infection on mist and miasmas. John Snow, however, was skeptical about these theories and performed data analysis to prove theories on the source of cholera. His analysis led him to a water pump located on Broad Street which he later proved to be the source of the contaminated water. Snow went back to remove the pump handle and the cholera outbreak ended almost instantly. In the present day, the site of the water pump is marked by red granite on the curb outside of the present day John Snow pub.data sources: wikipedia & channel4.com
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