The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-08-05
The Water Question.

vOcate OF tile Health and prosperity OF
our beautiful city, and the uncompro'
missing foe OF the present outrage which
is being perpetrated against the citizens,
in the shape Of the filthy water which is
furnished them by the Columbia Water
Power Company. For generation Co.
lumbiu has been noted as one Of the
most salnbrious places in the United
States. The purity and healthfu'ness of
| it's atmosphere has been equaled only by
the purity Of its water supply. When
there wero nearly 80, 600 people hsee,
during the war, the supply Of clear.
pure, sweet spring water was always
abundant. 1t is just as abundant to-
day; in fact, We are informed that it now
fills twelve-inch pipe leading down to-
wards the receiving reservoir. Why,
then, is the city not furnished with this
spring water, instead of the river ''soup,"
as one Of the speakers last night appro-
priately called the compound with which
we are now furnished? There is rea-
son, evidently. we do not pretend to
know for truth what this reason is. It
is enough for the people to know that
there is plenty of pure spring water,
and Mr.. "Water Power Company" may
as we'll learn that the people are sovereign
and bound to protect their health and
lives in this matter. They see sickness
greatly increasing; three to five deaths q
day occur right along, which is an un-
precedented thing in our history. Ty-
phoid and other fever cases bound, and
thero is no use shutting our eyes to the
fact. Is there any other apparent cause
than impure water? Something must be
done. Judge Carpenter has very COM
placently gone away North, gone to
Rhode Island with the "Water Power
Company" it is said, and has not de-
cided the mandamus case. by which We
are to know whether he sustains this out
rage or not. Mr.. Chamberlain is also
said to be with the Judge and the
torneys for the city have been requested
to send on their "briefs." Why was not
the decision made here? The thing
looks cloudy, to say the least. Mean
time the "soup" flows on aud there is
no redress, at least in law. It, there.
fore, becomes serious matter for the
health and lives, not to speak Of the
comfort of the people, what can and
ought to be done. We, therefore, Mr..
Editor. suggest some such remedy as the
following:
Let o mass meeting be called, and let
it be attended by every citizen who de-
sires and is determined to have pure
water. Such meeting will unques-
tionably show perfect unanimity, as did
the one Friday night. Let the City
Council be requested to instruct the
Mayor to shut off the flow Of ''soup"
now pumped into the reservoir, take
possession of the old Water Works, fire
up the engine and pump the spring
water into the receiving reservoir.
There is not the least question in the
world but in two days time the city will
have just as good water as it ever had,
and in the greatest abundance. Judge
Carpenter may arrest the Mayor for con-
tempt, and ali that, but he won't stay in
Jail long, and the people will unani-
mousIy stand by him in an honest at-
tempt to give US all pure water This is
not mob law. It will be the people in
their sovereign capacity, acting in
great and desperate emergency Their
voice is the law. At least, it will have
this good effect, to show the people, and
especially Judge Carpenter. thaf good
spring water can be furnished in ahun-
dance, and that Colonel Pearce s vio!at.
ing his contract in not supplying it to
the city. VOX POPULI.
Mr. EDITOR OF THE PHOENIX: The
iuoh CouVeyeo ny OK fOpull, In yes
terday's Herald, is good one. The
health of the citizen is of tho first i'm
portance, before even law itself, and
especially when that lac is tampered
with, as this water question undoubtedly
is; but "Vox Populi requires mass
meeting of the citizens again. to give
power nnd stability to any action that
the Mayor and City Council may take in
the matter, even to contempt of court
ANY redress that can be had to give back
to the citizens pure, wholesome water,
will be thankfully received and Justly
sustained by all of our citizens; but in
stead of calling meeting Of citizens,
call upon the Board of Health; oil power
is invested in that body TO remove and
put stop to nuiSdnceS Of every Kind; and
If the water furnished at present, and for
the lust six weeks, is. not nuisance
there never was nuisance that has come
under the observation of any Board of
Health of this CITY like unto it. What is
III UnUholesome, dirty, filthy ruter-a
breeder of disease and death-a nuisance
that will kill; nuisance that the people
ought not to submit to for one day. Tue
people call upon the Board Of Health to
remove it, by calling upon the Mayor
with his police force, if necessary, to ef-
feet it. The way suggested by "Yox
POpuli" is q good one and eff-ctual.