Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-27
THE LAKE WATER.
ImPursty Of the water with which tbe
city is supPIfed-What's n Matter
and How 20 Remedy It.

civ is suDpIfed-WhaI's the Matter
and How 10 Remedy It.
Probably no more villainous compound of
vile ingredients was ever decocted, than the
lake water with which the city is at pres
supplied. There is a general outcry
against it, and a demand that the cause of
the trouble shall be discovered and re-
moved. 1t must now be about ten days
the city water began TO taste and smell
as if it were g solution of petroleum oil and
in the abominable oder or taste. At first
il was scarcely known what the cause Of it
was; some facetiously declared old Lake
Erie-had struck a flowing spring of "ile,"
and was supplying the city with the crude
stuff as free as water ;our astute cotemporary,
the Herald, laid the blame at the doors of a
little glue factory which discharges its offal
in an Insignificant brook that empties into
the lake west of the in~let-pipe of the water
works but the general opinion now has
settled into the conclusion that the trouble
is attributable to the C~uyahoga river.
The inlet-pipe of the water works extends
from the shore into the lake 400 feet The
supply of water for the city is obtained,
therefore, at a point in Lake Erie 400 feet
from the shore, and something more than
half a mile above Tor west) of the mouth of
the Cuyahoga river. The supposition is,
that the ice has sunk and damned up the
| eastern side of the outlet ofthe river to such
an extent that the current of the water, as
, it is discharged into the lake, is forced
westwardly toward the inlet-pipe of the
water works, instead of flowing freely
in its natural current to the east.
The river water is highly ~impregnated with
the benzine and sulphuric acid drained
into it from the oil refneries along its banks
and from Walworth Run which is lined
with refneries; as well as oozings of the
excrement and filth of the city from some
Ten miles Of sewerage, and the DRAWINGS
of slaughter houses and soap factories. This
abominable slush flows into the lake and
poisons the water that goes down the Threats
of our citizens. That the river water is
forced westwardly and sucked into the
pipe of the water works, is proved b. the
fact, which has been ascertained by exper-
iment; that the lake water below Tor east
of the river is perfectly pure in taste and
clear in color. The current of the Cuya
hoga is turned in the wrong direction with.
out a doubt, and it thoroughly SatlsrGtes the
lake water. The s~trainer of the inlet-pipei
eighteen inches only beneath the surface
but that seems to be no objection. There il
no oil perceptible on the surface: Water
has been procured, by sinking bottles, at
depth of from four to six feet, and found Il
have the same offensive peculiarities o
taste and smell as that dipped from the ssr
face. How far out into the Lake the waite
is affected we are unable to say; but still
west of the water tower, the distance o
three fourths of a mile, the water near th,
shore is permeated with the ~oleaginou
tincture. As the ice in the river is nov
breaking up, the sunken and walled up ic
at its mouth will speedily rot and disappear
allowing the current of the river to resum
!, its natural course, and the offensive cit.
water will soon be free of impurities. TIL
water works commissioners, we are in
formed, will empty the reservoir and refill
it just ss soon as a supply of pure water cal
be obtained.
In a few days, at farthest, we shall agail
have drinkable water, barring the remem
brance offs past dizziness which will prob
| ably lend imaginary odors to the coolin
l draught for sometime to come. But th
: came conditions are likely to occur agair
not alone in winter from a frozen dam. bu
may happen at any time when
7 north easterly wind prevails TIE
wears ago, when our water works were bein
built, the LEADER objected to having the il
let pipe located in such close proximity I
: the mouth of the Cuyahoga and the Obi
: canal, for the reason as we stated then, the
there was danger of the lake water bein
diluted with the filthy water of the rive.
That danger has now come to be a reality
. The delicious" liquid of the river, whic
is the receptacle of the sediment of the az
. tators of oil rehneries, the offal of slaughtC
6 houses, the scum Of soap factories, and tn
carcasses of dead horses, dogs, cats an
rats, as well as the entrepot for the sewers
: the city. is sucked through the strainer
E The inlet pipe to the reservoir and frol
thence this foul juice is distributed throug
q the city as pure water! The matter can |
remedied by moving the inlet pipe farther U
the Lake-two miles will be sulficient-an
: extending the underground canal just TIL
= much farther for the purpose of conductin
d the water to the pumping engine. This ca
a be done at a cost of but a few thousand do
: lars. If two miles is not far enough, the
go three. Any distance, rather than ru
S the risk of having our water pipes agai
converted into sewers!
If this improvement is not made, o.
d King Cholera will hold high carnival here
the summer. We call upon the City Coui
ell and the Water Works Commission,
behalf of over sixty thousand people, to tai
immediate steps to secure TO the city her
e after at all seasons of the year a supply
PURE WATER.