It's arguable that the Great Stink — and, in turn, London's new sewer system — led to what author and historian Angela Jean Young calls (via Londonist) "the worst maritime disaster in Thames history."
It happened on Sept. 3, 1878. The Princess Alice was heading back to London with 750 passengers — many who had just enjoyed a day at the beach — when she collided with another ship and was cut in half. Men, women, and children alike were thrown into the river, and here's where the truly horrible stuff starts. According to the BBC, the crash happened just downstream of the sewage outputs from London's brand new sewer system, and the water into which those 750 people were dumped was filled with excrement. The smell was so bad that the air over the river was toxic — and those who tried to stay afloat were suffocated by the fumes.
Only about 130 people survived the disaster, and one — G.W. Linnecar — later wrote, "Men, women, and children rolled over and clutched and tore at each other; and all through were the ceaseless screaming and appeals for help. How, in such a sudden and unexpected catastrophe, could help be given?"
Bodies washed up along the Thames for days, mostly unrecognizable by the time they were pulled ashore. The disaster prompted changes to the sewage output, as well as changes in navigation routes up and down the river.
