Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-07-03
IMPURITIES IN TIE BRANBYWINE.


OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION BY THE BOARD OF HEALTH |
--REPoRr OF THE SPECIAL COMMIrfEE-TnE RE |
FUSE MATTER or THE MILLS, AND HOW IT Is LET |
INto THE BRANDYwISE-soLuTIoS OF THE DEAD |
FISH MYSTERY ENERGETIC ACTION OF IHE
BOARD, &c.
At previous meeting Of the Board Of Health |
special committee, consisting OF Drs. Short
lidge and Draper and Mr.. Ecke, was appointed
by virtue Of a resolution to inquire into the mys
tery of the dead fish floating in the Brandywine,
and also as to the condition OF tine water OF that
river in relation TO the general health OF the city
That committee at once set to work in the dis
charge ofits duty, accompanied and assisted by Su
perintendent OF the Water Works Gallagher. aud
proceeded with their inspection rs far as Rock
| land. Their report was submitted to special
meeting of the Board last evening. We give be-
| low an exhaustive summary OF that report, pre-
| serving its language as far as possible As an
act of justice to MIR. Eckel We will state that the
| report was written and read by him at the re-
| quest Of the chairman of the committee, DIR.
| Shortidge.
BRANpYwINE COTTON MILE.
The fret mills visited were those Of James
| Riddle, Son a Co.. located on tho lower side Of
the stream The fullest opportunity afforded
| the Committee for thorough examination Of
the mill, and If necessary to test anything con-
| nected with the important subject in hand. No
| questions were eNhutu, anu hOlDllk WAS CODGthi
| ed from the Committee. The chemicals prlhcl
| pally used in the dye house are indigo, potash
| and lime. These, when mixed and ready lor use
| are held in watts, each containing about bJU gal
| Ions of hquii. This liquid Is applied III cUloliug
il mAuneT that eNhEusts almost entirely AL It's
| strength and virtue upon the goods, aud leaves
| little else than water somewhat dscoored by the
| process 10 which 1t has Deon subjected. These
watts are then emptied, at intervals OF from two
| TO th:ee months INTO the Brandywlne aud al no
| one time does greater quantity than 600 gal
| Ions of the liquid lind its way into the stream
In discLargiug this We were assured that times
| OF trerhet are always taken advantage Of. The
whole quantity OF liquid from expended ch M
Gals at this factory averaged about 2iOO gallons
annually.
NJ water-closets or priyies empty into the
stream here Those used at tue factory arc all
carefully built, and well cemented.
ROCKFORD COTTON MILLS AND BLEAcHERY.
The mills Of Joseph Bancroft 4 Sons, near
Rockford, were next visited. The principal
chemicals used here IN the process of bleaching
and dying are chlurue, soda ash, lime logwood,
blue rtUue, catciu and sulphuflc acid. These,
after having become exhausted of their stTcugth
by use. find their way, IN larger or smaller quaint
| ities into the stream every working day. The
number Of gallons Of liquid thds discharged from
the watts the prOpneturz were unable TO give
even approximately; they could only give the
general answer that tine watts were emptled
several times day" The quantity however
! must he very great, amounting to many thour-
ands OF gallons annually. The water closets OF
thI- establishment are all cemeuted aud IN good
condition. None of them depo-lt III the stream
THE AUGUSTINE PAPER MILLS.
, Third in the order of visit were the Au
Z gusune paper mills of Jessnp Moore. NJ
, might he expected in an establishment Of sucl
huge proportions, n great deal OF material Il
| manufactured, and IN Its progress large quauti
/. ties of chemicals, of COURSE are required These
principally are lime sulphurIc aciG aud chlorine
d Four and half tons Of rags are washed daily
= In accomplishing this, through it's various pro
= cess 4. 240O pounds Of lime and 660uO gallons
A | water al uzed. The method employed in cleans
d ing the rags is by boiling ten hours under pres
sure OF 50 pounds to the square inch. After th
= lie done the liquid Is discharged into the stream
Preparatory 10 being brought to these mills. O
indeed into the country at al, all foreign Rags
=. We are told, receive very thorough hrst-wash
ing and picking, 20 that comparatively but httl
of the dirt and tlh Nhicn thsy may have con
= tanned reaches us in any shape.
The Chlorine or bleach used at this mill is rev
er emptied into IL e stream. but II held 10 r1 sci
e. vOrs bmt expressly for that purpose, and frou
st which It is removed as occasion may require
e, No water closets at these m3 discharge theI
e. contents into the BraIdywine.
"a HE DEAD rl7a-IHE MYSTERY OF THEIR Deaf
t EXPLAINED
q Here, perhaps would be the proper place t
- notice a matter which few weeks ago alarme
many of onr people, created very natural
feelings OF anxiety i'll the public mind, an
called into existence thiE, your committee. W
N allule to the fact that recently, dead tsh wei
found hoating down the stream in such larg
numbers as to line the river bauk
come places quite thickly Upon inquiry at til
Augustine paper mills we learned that this M
usual and startling pizcatoral mortality was tn
result Of an equally unusual aud startling acc
dent to one Of the sulphuric acid tanks col
uected with those mills. by some ineXpcaOl
y neglect, one of the employees having charge
this tank accidentally let the plug come out du
inn lta Df V1aI
and large quantity IN an undlluted state, ei
capped and found its way into the stream befOl
II had been discovered The consequence wa
that the fish IN the water in the lmmedia
vicinity Of tile mills were killed by the acid an
10 hoated down the river. Mr. Mosely, the Supe
10 intendent, informed us that this IL the FIRST a.
cdent of the kind that has ever occurred
those mills, aud he assured us that possib
pTecautiOn will be spared to make it the last.
Iu passing from tins the committee sugges
thatin all cases OF accident at any Of the mil
e. or factories along the IrAndywiue whereby Il
public health may be endangered, messeuE,
be dispatched at once, to convey such ntnrn
tou to the Superintendent Of the Water Work
THE RuCCKLASp PArEH MILLS
We're then visited. There ID no rag-washul
or cleansing done at this mill, everything pr
I | lmlnary to the manufacture Of paper being dol
Q, elsewhere. Chlorine and sulphurlc acid are I'll
the chief chemicals used at ROckland. The
after being used and ready for throwing into Il
stream are aald to be without strength, taste
|
US ed at the timo your committee were there
clean and pure as at any point ON the Brand
wine below while Immediately above, beyUI
~ the dam, the stream appeared TO be quite mH
dy.
No water closets connected with this esa
ishment discharge into the stream.
AT THE HENRY CLAY FACTORY.
Very little has been done for some time pa
and as 10 dyeing or colOring has been going
OF course no chemicals used there. 4
foreman however, informed the Committee IL
it was in contemplation to commence the pI
-. cess OF dyeinE shortly When this occurs
visit it lie thought, will become necessary. ~
water closets will also need some attention.
!es; The next point visited by the committee W
WALKERS COTTON MILL.
In the process OF dying here, log-wood, blu
stone aud sOda-ash are the principal lngIedien
These are mixed in proper proportions in y ia
and are kept there for use until all or nearly
the liquid is expended upon the goods dye
The quantity wasted, or thrown into the strea
/. is estimated at about gallons weekly, but it