The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-06-21
a Card.

the new Board Of Health, which are
published in your paper OF Thursday
morning, it is stated that the special
committee Of the Board, who we're ap.
pointed to investigate certain charges
against the Columbia Water Power Com
pany for supplying impure water, re-
ported that they had made a thorough
| examination and found the distributing
reservoir OF the city in bad condition; !;
| that the main springs in Sidney Park
leading &c she receiving reservoir were
found to be in order; that new boxes
had been laid to convey the water from
these springs to that reservoir; that two
small wells, OF no use whatever, contain
| ing stagnant water, near the two basins
in the Park, were found to be in filthy
condition; that at the receiving reser.
vcir, at the steam mill lot, they found
Tat all the surplus water from Rogers
spring and other sources was carried by
pipes into the receiving reservoir and al
terwards pumped into the distributing
| reservoir. The committee also reported
that they we're informed that river water
WAS then being pumped into the distri
buting reservoir, giving just rise to the
reports in circulation regarding the filthy
condition of the water farrlshed our
citizens.
This report aud the following resolu.
tions were adopted:
Resolreti, That Col. S. a. Pearce, tie
representative OF the Columbia Water
PowerlC be notified to forthwith
thoroughly cleanse and cover over the
two small wells in Sidney Park, as also
to thoroughly cleanse and keep cleensed
the main distributing reservoir on Tay.
lor's Hill, and furnish suitable flterer
to the main pipe leading therefrom which
supplies the city.
Resolced, That lie be also notified and
required 90 Immediately shut off and
keep shut off all surface and trash water
now conveyed into the receiving reser.
voir in the steam mill lot
Presuming that the new Board Of
Health, fully aware Of their Responsible
ties, acted in good faith, and discharged
their duty to the best of their ability, it
can be no fault OF theirs if they took upon
themselves responsibilities which the old
Board OF Health, after making it's investi-
cations few weeks since, did not care
to assume. It may be that the old Board
took some pains to ascertain whose duty
it was to cleanse the distributing reser-
voir and to cover the email wells in the
Park. that are OF no use apAdteuer.
think it proper to say, that the Co.
lumbia Water Power Company have no
control whatever over the distributing
reservoir on Arsenal Hill, nor has the
company, under the contract, any right
to assume such control. The company
was obligated to construct ''s1ch parts
OF new water works US nre required to
force l, 800, 600 gallons of water daily
fI,n krf1> 4
by the city, and TO furnish sufficient
reservoir the number of gallons of water
required by the said city daily" With
the water after it is forced into the dis
tributing reservoir, the company has no.
thing to do, any more than with i.s dis.
tribution throughout the city.
! aAIn order to obtain larger supply of
spring water, and to prevent the flowing
OF surface water into the receiving reser-
voir. we replaced the rotten trunks in the
Park with the new boxes which the com
mittee found. We also removed the
weeds from tho reservoirs in the Park,
and We make it regular duty to clean
out the wells or drips from the Park to
the receiving reservoir. We have tho
roughly cleansed the reservoir at the new
Water Works, and are now erecting q
filter capable OF filtering both the spring
and river water. We have not made it O
practice to send up river water into the
distributing reservoir, and only on two
or three occasions, when We have been
using our filter and testing our pipes to
the river, have We forced river water
thereto.
AS to the two small wells which, in the
report, ore said to be 'of no use what
ever" havo only to say, that they nre
in no manner connected with the Water
Works, and that the company has no
greater control over them than has any
other citizen. AS well ask that the CON-
pany should undertake the duty OF look
ing after any other stagnant pools that
mayl infeat the city, as to require the
duty OF them to look after these wells.
AS to the water from "Rogers' spring."
| have to say, that. according to my in
formation, the water from that source
hos been used by the city every summer,
or whenever the supply was limited. On
occasions OF overflow by rains, the water
from this source is cut Of.
A moments reflection shonld satisfy
any unprejudiced mind that would not
consent knowingly to supply impure
water to the city, which my own family
daily uses, and from the effects OF which