Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-09-02
The Water we Drink.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE On HY.
GEENE OF BOARD OF HEALTH.


Delivered Tuesday, August 2sfE. 1866.
! Mr.. President Your Committee on
| Hygiene beg leave TO submit the following
in connection with their duty:
In general terms, pure water, pure air,
good food, personal cleanliness, regular and
temperate habits embodies the whole subject
of Hygiene, and personal application and
use of these general considerations is in the
| highest degree conservative of health We
| will invite your attention in this report
especially to the subject Of the water with
/ which the citizens Of Nashville are supplied.
We have recently made an inspection of the
/ Waterworks, the reservoir, the source Of its
| supply, the topography Of the southern
slopes in the vicinity of the city; also the
public springs in and around the city.
We are happy to reportthat the superinten-
dent of the Waterworks, Mr.. WYATT, is
using commendable al to supply the city
with as pure an article of water as the nature
of the case admits. He has already gotten
in operation two ten feet gravel filters, which
will certainly improve the quality Of the
water very much. The chairman of your
committee invited the attention of Mr..
WYATT to this subject several weeks since,
and is happy to report his enterprising and
cordial cooperation with the Board of
Health, to improve the sanitary condition Of
our city, within the sphere of his duty.
Your committee was impressed with the great
importance of building up the outer wall of
the reservoir at least fifteen feet above the
present level Of its high water mark, thereby
increasing its capacity about three-fold, and
thus supply water to a corresponding higher
level over the more elevated portions of the
city.
An inspection of the river Immediately
above the point of supply discovered num-
bers of sodden logs and trees in a decaying
condition. Also, within few hundred yards
above the engines, Immediately on the bank
of the river, is the large -four and grist mill
known as MCCANN's. The sour and decay
ing refuse Of this establishment, together
with the decaying rubbish of two extensive
saw mills in the immediate vicinity, gets
easy access into the river.
The mouth of Browns creek is about
three-fourths of a mile above and on the
same side with the engines supplying the
reservoir. The topography of the Southern
slopes from the city shows that large basin
of country empties Its drainage into this
stream. The Northern boundary of this
basin is a ridge starting from the river at
the city reservoir running South of West
through the University ground, North Of
the city cemetry to Fort Negley,
thence across country in line
with the outer defences of the city. All of
that portion of the city south of this line is
naturally drained into Browns Creek. 1t is
unnecessary to dwell in detail upon the i'm
mense amount of garbage and filth of every
description which accumulates about tene-
4 I'D. -
into this creek. The meadows and plains
as far back as Trimble's Spring, distance
of about mile and half, are strewn with
the carcasses of hundreds Of animals of every
description, besides being the great depot
for the rubbish and garbage of the south end
of the CITY. 1t would also appear from the
great number of barrels and other evidences,
that the cleanings of all the privy vaults of
the city were deposited not only along the
banks, but actually in the channel of this
stream. There is also large lanyard near
the Nollinsville pike, Immediately upon its
banks, the ofIal of which assists in poisoning
its waters. Your Committee would espe-
cially invite your attention to the fact that
four cemeteries are drained into this creek,
viz the City Cemetery, the Catholic Gene
terry, the Federal burying ground and Mount
Olivet.
1t requires but glance at the topography
of the country, to understand that all the
scapage which drains from these resting
places of the dead, naturally finds its way
into this stream and thence into the city
reservoir. 1t is a matter of great astonish
ment to your committee, that the authorities
ever permitted cemeteries TO be located any
where MP the river, and especially where it
is so palpable that their drainage empties
above the point from which the city is sup
piled with water. We would respectfully
suggest that no burying ground should be
located south of the Harden pike And we
would recommend in view of the above facts
that the attention of the city authorities be
Immediately invited to the propriety Of
changing the point Of supply by removing
the engines, &C., above the mouth of Browns
creek, as the only remedy for growing evil,
which cannot, in the nature of the case, be
abated while the city continues to extend in
a southern direction. Indeed radical re-
form is clearly indicated in reference to this
subject The mere recital of the above facts
is offensive to every refined sentiment of
human nature, and will doubtless unite our
entire population in an earnest demand, to
have the evil abated at whatever cost.
1t would be greatly conservative Of health
and in the end prove economical, if a reser-
voir on large scale was built on Fosters
| Hill. near the site of the old toll-gate. This
elevation would command every point in the
city, and by attaching hose to the fire plugs,
would throw water over the capital building,
and thus prove economical in reference to
keeping up large fire establishments. But
in an hygienic point of view, the reservoir
might be constructed with filtering arrange
ments so as to supply water almost perfect
Iy pure, and the quantity would be sufficient
for all sanitary emergencies.
In reference to the public springs, your
committee found them generally in a very
bad condition; this is specially true of Viii
sons Spring and the branch leading from it,
also the spring at or near the barracks Of the
10th u S. Regulars, and the one on Broad
Street Pike, beyond McNairy street. The
poor mainly use from those springs. Chem
teal analasys, as we'll as medical observation,
sustains the conclusion that-these waters are
! less pure las will be seen below and more
fertile in producing disease than the river
water. Every consideration demands that
the authorities should take immediate
| action in reference TO their improve
ment Instead of being nuisances to
the, neighborhood in which they are To-
Gated. they might, with small outlay of
money, be made ornaments to the city,
pleasant and refreshing retreats and their
waters, instead of being filthy and fertile in
producing disease, would be pure and
wholesome. A little money well invested
| here would be like the sprig the prophet
threw into the fountain of Marah, which
| changed its bitter and poisonous waters into
| A sweet and refreshening stream.
At our request, DR.. d. G.. SHERMAN and
| Mr.. J. C. WHARTON have furnished us with
a qualitative analysis Of Cumberland river
water, of Wilson's Spring and Judges Spring.
These gentlemen, without any concert of ac-
ton. have arrived substantially at the same
conclusion. The former, after giving de-
| tail Of his various experiments, remarks that
"the foregoing examination proves the
greater purity of our river water (hydrant-
| not muddy by the comparative absence Of
chlorides. sulphates, carbonates and organic
matter" Wilson's Spring is shown to be
most abundant in these impurities, especially
in the organic impurity. A comparative
cumulative, as well as qualitative analysis
furnished by the latter, is as follows;
Cumberland Riuer Water.-Taken from the
Upper Wharf. Analysis expressed in wine
| gallons. One gallon contains:
| Organic suspended matter (sedement
| and floating. )---..--....---.- $50 grains
| Organic and mineral. lin solution and
| suspension, Wv
Total. grams