, 1860-02-27
The VAl1fa nE Drink.

Editors Trrs. and TEitiune:
Thousands will thank you for your well-timcd
and wellwritten, though too brief, article, in to-
days paper, on the horrible condition Of the
hydrant wcter Of the city, or large share Of it.
3. The subject Of pure water for q great city, is
one Of no ordinary magnitude. 1t takes hold of
the most vital interests Of the entire people.
On it, IL great c-tcnt, hangs the temporal des.
tiny Of every man, woman ans! child. For, who
can epp'y health, life, or happiness, without
pnre water FOR drinking and culinary purposes.
Scarcely less important is it than pure air for
breathing. Certain it is, that neither can Ion.
be dispensed with withoC: disease and suffering,
IL not death, ensuing.
Knowing thes. truths, and feeling their it1,-
pUr.ance, it hns ever been first great care
with philanthropists and the founders Of grea:
cities aud communities to look out for purc
water. And if pcrcllancc through natural causes
a city grows up where Nature had NOT provided
this Indispensable beverage, with whit prodi..
gious labor and expense hare the people set
about supplying tue deficiency. Without resort
to hlles countries. New York mud o,l,er Ameri-
can cities afford abundance Of proof Of this wise
forecast, and Of I'll" vat.ss they hare placed uoon
the giving iilld.
hut, not intending, at this time, to enlarge on
this topic. u,sxst come home with ,ny remarks.
from your-re'rk4ks to-day, aud from the nature
VI tu- EA-ct LHu IHE5kA1J3 uAtuTullS hf1SE. VIII
the remedy in each case.
First: Ii the minority Of the lydrant water
dvriyc.. FROM The lake? While tic old water
works were in operation all admitted that a
large share Of the impurity Of the water came
fr0m the lake. The reason fur this opinion was
so obvious that it need not be mentioned. But
i'll the locntion of the new works all thought tile
evil would be cured. Being located three
fourtlls Of u mile North Of the rivers mouth,
and d natural current OIL this shore Of tic lake
setting South, it seemed to be fair conclusion
that the lake wafer ut that point, would not be
contaminated by the til.h Of the river. And it
is noticeable fact that for several years little or
no complaint WAS made.
1t is true ,ha: the filth Of the city and Of tic
river has been accumulating us the population
Of the city hns Increased. and it is now said
that SO much Impurities arc carried into the
lake, that, NTH south wind setting the water
strongly 10 the north, the Infected water reaches
the Water Works, causing the horrid smell and
taste which has u,:lt1t it SO disgusting for few
days cazt. This affirmative answera4o the qucs-
ton may or may not be true. 1t is stirmed by
many aud doubted by many. More correct ob-
scsvations are needed, made by reliable persons
before the q estlon will be definitely settled.
atlyely demands TINT The Water Commissioners,
or other city func1ionaries, should cause, at the
earliest day, such obsersAtions to be made as
will afford bass for a lust anu safe conclusion.
1t the solution OF the difficulty already given be
tie true one. tlen the remedy is plain. Let the
Water Worss so a mile farther North; and let
no time be LOST iu dong it. But there are sou,c
difficulties in the way Of this solution. The
badness Of the writer has not always occurred
after the same amount Of South wind; and it
has ut times been nearly as bad as now without
any South blow.
Again, the bad water, as fur as I can learn,
has never been general at the same time, NOS is
it nos so all over Tie city. This, Of course,
ought to be the case, it it came frcir. the lake
The other question, with its solution, lest
make this article too long, will hare for another
paper. Meantime, hoping tue intrinsic impor-
tauce Of the subject viii cali out abler ren than
minc MD.
CHICAGO, Feb. q, 1860.