Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-02-21
THE WATER SUPPLY.

THE WAITER btFFt.h.
This the Time to Secure IL.
WILMINGTON, February, 1867.
Editors Of tie Commercials you allow me
u few words in relation to the water supply ques-
ton, and the report of the communication whi,l,
Inns just been printed.
Allow me to enquire Of your rcl" ter in the
first place whether the report wa, o'ed by the
town meeting, or merely dccepte1: 4 1cceptfd
only, | suppose the City Council al moi bound
to follow out to the letter all its recommends
tions, and make this remark because 1t does not
seem to me proper that any such expense Us is
proposed should he gone into, without our hnv-
Ing the water more thoroughly examined and
reported on than has been DONE or probably
could be done by the Committee. II the report
of the Committee had been simply II recomlnen-
daton that the city authorities should, in con-
Junction with the other mill owners on the Bran
dywine. take means TO improve the powers 10 the
greatest possible extent, leaving the questions of
how this is to be done to examination by thor
oughy competent engineer, could have gone
along with them The Recommendation Of n new
dam, however, as the means Of accomplishing
this may, or may not, be judicious. Are there
no methods involving less expense and danger of
loss with equal certainty, that can he thought of
for accomplishing the same object. A friend ut
my elbow, knowing In such matters, suggests the
wdeng OF the present races 81 rs to save the fall
which now occurs in the length Of thc long races,
and to bring the water to the mill wheels at an
elevation equal to that Of the breast of the present
dam. BY this means II is stated two and n half
feet of fall may be saved or gained. Another adj
vantage would be in the increased amount Of
water retained by the races when enlarged scry-
ing as n reservoir to hold water over night and
Sundays. The substitution Of turbine wheels
for those ut present in Use mny he another Inn
provemcnt TINT will tell iaworby on the power.
presume. however, that the adoption on accept
ance of the Committees report whichever il
was, will not prevent this whole subject from be-
ing still further examined and the best means
taken, all things considered, to improve the
power. A thoroughly competent engineer ac-
customed to the work of developing unmprovcd
power, and familiar with the whole subject,
should he employed Mt the joint expense of ali
concerned and when this is done, aud the prop
er calculations made and laid before u.s. we shall.
! think, he in much better position to decide
what shall be done.
It seems to be matter Of the greatest prac-
tcal Importance just ut this tlme that we should
realize exactly the state of things as IL exists, and
the Importance Or necessity Of doing promptly
the best thing for the citys interests.
The City of Wilmington, with some half-dozen
| individuals, own the water power on the Brandy
wine, probably one of the finest in the Middle
States, when Its location is taken into considera-
ton. This water power is not at present fully
improved; il may be increased, we are told, to a
large amount by such dams, races, wheels .xc, as
may be recommended to us by competent au-
thority in engineering. We want all the addi-
tional power that can he got from the stream. to
increase our supply OF water for the city. The
other mill owners too are anxious TO make the
same improvements and reap the same profits.
Our property now is in the condition Of coal
mine, which is hut half worked, for want of adj
dtiona facilities for transportation of its product
while customers are waiting and urging for u
supply. Common sense seems evidently to re.
quire that the neediul arrangements should bt
made to secure this Improvement, and the gain
that will accrue from it but this cannot be done
except by the joint action of NIL the owners the
the city included. Dams cannot be built moi
races enlarged, except MI concur in the expens,
who are to reap the benefit.
The great question then is, not what shall b'
DONE for this suppose can readily be decided
upon its merits in the way suggested, but how
shall the necessary joint action be secured, while
the independence and necessary interest of TIT
city are jealousy guarded The water supply o
10000 people is not thing to be tnfed with, ant
trust that whoever has the making Of the agree
ment or contract will sec to II that every securit,
is obtained, for Its pcrmanencc and absolute Ger
tainty for all time to come. II.
In answer to the query in the first part of on
correspondents communication, we will stat
that our report of the meeting shows distinct
that the report was merely accepted and nc
adopted.-EDs. COMMERCIAL.