Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-07-03

DRUGS AND CHEMICALS, PRIVIES AND |
s. PIC PENS.
A Thorough and .OmpIets Reform
20 be Effected.
Az the special meeting of the Board OF Health, |
lasteVenng, the special com mmittee appointed to |
VISIT the manufacturing establishments along the
6randywine, and investigate the subject Of inn
purltles IN the water, presented thelr report of
which the following is a synopsis:
'4BRANDTwrNE COTTON MILLS
Ihs hrst mills visited were those OF James Rid
die, Son q Co., located on the lower side of the
stream. The fullest opportunity was offered the
!1, Oonnnttee Tor thorough examination of the
mlll, and X necessary, to test anything connected
with the important subject in hand. The chemi-
cals Pr1ncipaly used in the dye house are indigo
potash, anu lime. These when mixed and ready
IoI use are held In four vats each containing about
oVO gallons OF liquid. These yats are emptied
every Two 70 three months into the BrandyWIne,
ana At % one time does 9 greater quantity than
oOO gallons Of the liquid find its way into the
stream. In dischargIng this we were assured that
uInss OF Iresnet are always taken advantage Of
no Water-cl0ssts or prives empty into the
stream here. Those used at the factory are ail
eAEstusy built, ind well connected ID ~
Inc kocklaud mills, Augustine Paper Mills
"A nd Henry Clay Factory, were also visited, The
same result was found at each,-the refuse chem
lcal matter being cast into the stream The cause
9i the dead fish recently found floating in the
srandywine, Was explained as follows =
OPen INQUIRY ut the Augustine paper mills VIC
learned that this unusual and startling pscatoria
mortality was the result of an equally unusual
and startling accident to one of the sulphurie
acld tSnks connected with those mills By some
insxplicable neglect, one OF the EMPLOYEES hay-
ing charge OF the tank accidentally let the plug
come Out during the process of preparing the
acla tot use, and large quantity in an undiluted
state, escaped aud found its way into the stream
DetSre II had been discovered. The consequences
was that the fish in the water In the immediate
vicinity OF the mills were killed by the acid and
noasea I aown the river. Mr.. Mosely, the Superin-
tendents informed us that this Is the first acci.
dent OF the kind that has ever occurred at those
mus, aud he assuies US that no possible precau-
ton Will be spared to make it the last.
IN passing from this the committee suggests
tnatln all cases Of accident at any Of the mills or
factories along the Brandywine, whereby the pub
tic health may be endangered, messenger be
dlsPatched, at once, u convey such information
70 tne SuPerlntendent of the Water Works, Sc
tnat the supply Of bringing water may be stopped
until repairs are made. -
WATER CLOSETS AND Hoo PENS.
There is no more rePulsivs nuisance 10 b
found Within the slope OF common dscency, than
the long array Of abOminRbls prlVies andiioR pens
that stud the shores of the BrandyWine, and de,
post theiR hlthY cuntents into the stream Yout
comnAt8o view with surprise, the, boldness and
sudHelty with which even some respectable people
efcct THESE OuLtugos over or IN connecting pTOxImi,
tyto the water. In Justice to public heath and
common health, We Recommend that the Board
OF Health declaie all prIvies and hog psns which
connect their filthy contsnts with the Brandy
wine any where along Its shores, on either s,ds,
Wlthil the limits OF the city, 10 be common nui-
saaeess And further that the Board direct ips
eommitsees to proceed without delay To abats
them, in pursuance Of Section 3, OF an Aet OF the
General Assembly, Of tae State, which imposes
hns OF 500 tor the mainthnance OF such "a
nuisance. .e.
4 GRNERAL REMARKS.
The manufactures along the Brandy wine.
afforded the Committee every opportunity for
obtaining material for the aoOVs report, and
mad0 no attempt at the concealment OF facts.
They admitted that refuse matter was thrown
iutO the stream, but contended, that this mat
ter 10 Its exhausted condition was incapable Of
imparGlng any impurlty whatever, 10 the wa
ter. But II does not appear 50 clear to the
couauaon MUD that the body of water which
leaves these mills, freighted with refuse chemi-
cal matter can, by rapidly running the short
distance It has to travel, become pure before it
reaches our water works. THIS question, how
ever, comes within the province Of analytical
chemists to determine. But the particular,
special question iSDoe5 the volume of water
receiving that chemical matter, have time TO
free itself entirely from all impurity, before it
u pumped Into our basins. 10 this point your
OGmnl,ttee aeslEs g direct the earnest thought
There can be no dlsputlng the fact that tOo
many foreign substances are thrown into the
Brandywine to make the thoughts pleasant
one % those who drink the water. In cOnclu.
sion, we deem it but an act OF SIMPLE 1ustice to
the parties interested % state that the manu-.
factprers along the eBFandY Ywine, without sxcep-
ton, give it as their opinion, that nothing
thrown into the stream from their establish
mentS can In any appTeclable degree taint the
WstsT, or Ienaer y 1nnt for drinking purposes.
And further that the men who own and con-
troll these manufactures are gentlemen Of In.
tegIity and purity OF character, who are entI,
tied % respectful consideration.
And now, having given, as we believe, al
tne material facts connected with this question
ofimpurltles in the Brandy Wine, We sabnEl
our report, and also series Of resolutions and
suggest that the Board, in its united capacltv.
should review the facts. consider calmly and
lmpartially the resolutions appended, and take
such action thereon, as tt may think Just and
proper no. 4.a 4.f. y .rlt-
REsoLUTI0Ns .aTfs
Eles3lped. That In the judgement of this
Board tits essential % the purity ofthe Brandy
wine water and the general health Of the cItl-
zens Oe Wilmington that hereafter no chenll-
cal or Other Offensive refuse matter DO thrown
into that stream, -
RsSoIUed, That itis utterly practicable to
have all such refuse matter securely deposited
In reservoirs, erected away from the stream
whence Il can Be removed In carts, wagons, Of
other eOnVeyaneesJ asconYenlence OF necessltR
may auggesE without being brought Into eOi.
tact with the water.
Re1OlUed, That the manufacturers on the
hrandywine, Qr On any stream eOnnectlagl
thereWlth, are hereby earnestly reauested %
give this subject their earliest consideration 70
the end that the requirements OF these rea0lu~
ttoua ~ complied with without unneoessar4