Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-02-12


4 ON THE gUBJECT OF a SUPPLY 1T'
FgnE AND MHoLEBOME WAITER
FOR THH CITY.
Published BY order Of me City Council.
To THE HONORABLE THE Cry COUNCIL OF
WILMINGTON:
The Joint Committee, consisting of the
Committee of Five appointed by the meeting
Of citizens on the 12th OF May last at the
City Hall, and the Watering Committee OF
the City Council, to whom was referred the
subject OF supply Of pure and wholesome
water for the Uity, beg leave to present the
following as their report.
Ihey nnd that our medical men differ
widely IN their opinions as to the positiDe,
prdehodl Injurious effects of the Brandy
wine Water when impregnated with the
foreign matter put into il by the mills above
us, and which was so much complained OF a
year or more ago; and although few of them
were willing TO say that IL was positicelv d.
trsmental to hs health Of our citizens, still
they believe. and your COMMITTEES believe,
That IL Is the duty OF your honorable body to
furnish the best and purest water that can
possibly be obtained. The question then is;
Can absolutely pure water be obtained, or
can better water than the BrRndywine be
obtained.
Your Committee are aware that In foW
localities favored by nature with mountain
lakes or streams near them, pure water may
be had; but they submit that there is no
lake or stream near our city froR which
water pure and indebted can be obtained.
Nor can Artesian Wells be depended upon,
either for quantity or quality; even the cele-
brated "Grenelle WE'LL" bored by the
French Government at great expenss in
Paris, yields but halls million OF gallons
per day of twenty-iour hours, while we need
In summer now one and quarter million Of
gallons daily, with constantly increasing de-
mand. The celebrated wells In this country
are not even so successfil the "Belcher
Well, " In st. Louis, yielding only 1903, 900
gallons per day, while that at Charleston,
s. O., yields only about 90, 900 gallons. POSI-
bly, there are wells doing better than those,
but your Committee have been unable to
hear OF any town or city OF any considerable
size being supplied successfully in this way.
Then again comes the risk as to quality,
many Artesian Wells not producing water
fit to drink at all, and besides nearly always
at such high temperature from deep wells as
10 DO Objectionable Ia summer.
II Is no mitigation Of our trouble to know
that well grounded complaints as to quality
OF drinking water are not confined by any
means TO this city. Washington, Philadel-
phia, New York, Boston, Albany, and many
other cities In this country, as well as most
Of the leading cities OF the Old World, are
similarly inconYenienced. The fact is mere
~ mentioned to prove the extreme difficulty,
i not impossibilily, OF obtaining pure water
for cities.
These are the facts as they exist, and al.
though not pleasant to contemplate, still
they must be met.
Now what Is to be dOneg Brandywlne
Water unsdulterated 10 most desirable
drinking water. Even adulterated il 10 yery
valuable for putting out fires, for the various
kinds OF washing, for watering streets, and in
fact for nesrly every purpose except drinking
and cooking. For steam boilers il Is proha.
bly, unsurpassed, and for tanning and other
manufacturing purposes equal to the very
best.
The water Of Red Clay Creek Is yery SINH.
lar IN many respects; makes rather better
analysis, though more subject to become
muddy by rains washing its billy banks
Both can be brought into our city by CRAWL
ty, but the quality Of neither so brought will
certainly be and continue better than our
present supply, rithout toe buy out eosry
todter Potoer on either stream dbooe The p0fnt
from Ubieh zoe bring The todter 5y gravity.
because Objectionable manufacturing estab
lishments may exist now, or may be erected in
the future at many points on either stream
Then again, all the water powers below the
point OF departure must be purchased. be-
cause they would be rendered comparatively
valueless by such a great volume of water
being diverted from tho stream This would
not only require an immense expenditure of
money, but legislation Of very arbitrary
kind would be required in Delaware and
Pennsylvania, and while we might possibly
obtain II in our own State, 1t is extremely
doubtful If we could do so in Pennsylvania
The cost Of introducing "Red Clay Creek"
water in this way, estimated by the friends
OF the project, would probably be not less
than seven hundred thousand dollars, while
the whole stream would only be reliable at
all seasons to supply city OF two hundred
thousand people; thus by the time the great
debt incurred would be at all bearable, the
supply would probably not be sufficient for
long continued drought. Again, il these
streams are bought out from source to tide,
they are still liable to have organic aud
earthly matters put into them from the hill.
sides by rains, and Red Clay in greater dc.
gree than Brandywine, from the character
OF the country through which it passes.
Taking this view Of the case, your Com
mttee can see nothing bettor TO be done
than 10 use eosry possibl6 e-eFtion 10 oct the
Brdndgyfno todter purer than Il aOU q, and 10
arrange for larger and fuller supply Of 1t
in future.
To get II purer, the law forbidding impu.
rifles being put into 1t, now existing, should
be carefully examined, and If possible ba
improved as past experience in prosecuting
under II may suggest.
To get fuller supply the water power ut
Brardywine should be enlarged by purchase
whenever It can be done at fair prices. 1t
should also be improved by the erection of a
large dam below the fret dam, which new
10 UNI t,an1 l.. M.
as well as increase the power of the stream
practically fiily per cenlum. The water for
all the pumps sheuld be taken from this dam,
say ten feet below the surface, so as to avoid
the floating Impurities, and also the sediment
from near the bottom,
There should also be erected IN proper
locality, ono or more new Reservoirs. that
would hold at least sufficient water to give
the City two weeks srpply in hot weather,
thus securing the advan'as es of safety against
accident to machinery, dams, races or the
present Reservoirs, security against extern
slve fires, and water purified by settling.
Care should also be taken to increase the
pumping machinery In advance of the actual
wants OF the City, and to improve the pre-
sent machinery In every possible way. II ad.
dltlonal water power be OF purchased, other
steam pumps should be prepared In leasona-
BILE time.
As temporary improvement In advance
OF the more extensive ones recommended
herewith, connection that would supply
all OF our present BrandYwine pumps from
the race Of the lower dam would be very
advantageous to their well working.
The use of Filters in dwellings is found
advantageous with some families, and might
be generally useful. A greater demand for
them will no doubt discover something of
thiS kind convenient, cheap and simple.
The present pumping apparatus al Bran.
DIVINE, or part OF it, at least, 10 not so secure
from the effect Of FIRE as it should be, and it