Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-07-04
THE WATER WE DRINK.
SPECIAL MEETING or the
BOARD or HEiLTH.

BOARD or HEILTH.
The Brandywine Water-Is It Pure =
Read and Decide Chemical Fluids,
Plg-pens and Privies Empty Into the
stream-Ths Powers OF the Board De-
fined.
Wednesday, special meeting Of the
Board Of Health was held, President
Mccall In tue Chair, who explained the
object OF the meeting, which was to
avoid holding a session on the evening Of
July 4th, by transacting all the work
likely to come before II.
The committee appointed to deflne tho
powers aud duties Of the Board With
reference 10 the preservation Of the pub
lie health. reported that they could not
more clearly or concisely present the
mowers and duties vested In the Board of
Health than are set forth In chapter *,
section ~, Of the laws OF the Slate, US
found in the revised code, page 2l5 which
gives Council the power 10 enact 0rdl.
uances 70 preserve the health of the city,
| prevent the introduction Of infectious or
contagious diseases within one mile of
the city and organize a Board VI Health
which "shall be Invested with ali the
powers which the Council might or cou d
exercise relative 10 The object Of their
institution" etc. The committee believe
these powers, properly applied, are sutii-
cient aud adequate 10 a faithful discharge
Of every duty within the province Of the
Board. The report was adopted and
Messrs. Reksl Shortlid0e and NoCnl-
lonph. the committse snnoint' a hy tha
Hoard I'm lime 40 act in aanlnnc,ion win
Chief Engineer C;aIia,,her ~ have co.
tain nuisances removed from the shores
of the BrandvvTne in order ~ nra,,',',,
/ them from e;nntviny intn tbat s,rosr,
made a long renort csrefnilv nr,',,ara3
bV Mr.. FeEel whirh wa .nnp,.ri,.. -
| foilows 80
In comnanv with Nr caiioaho. a..
committee msda IN nf,oisi -, o. ~.
several mills and factor,ss On si,sa. IA, IA
! Of the PrandvyVine az tar - pnot,la,'S
| for Tho nnrnoss ~ nsrsnnaI irs,.'',,-,,,'
IA ino,tr,' raio,ts' y, ,,o-,t,, H.p.,
! Irnnriti,s aiia,,,,d - hs y,
,'nii1.d IN "a s,,sa,D ~ ny uSu,y ue,
! ~ ~ h.ot'h 20 - " ~ ~" ~. .'',eut
Nh" psa ,his r. HT 49, y, .a's wy
Ill, II ',,,,s,'.' .S, 80 ""'0' ioI
H.. i,a H,u su'.u"' Ptl P''os -.
! -. =" VI .uo uOhe that
po'ao"ous " Us lluhl tue uillls ahe lac
, AZ -, VI 'ne Dianu9 Mlue NyoNe tnis eltyi
n aI.t1 M, way in.o ouI nSuIauts, lusty
'a'''i ~. sus n.,eh.ion VI ,ne coiLhlttee,
"uo ''ii u p1s,y NIs'teu tue COTTON mus
W. w. yaa' N.un',i SUI ~ w. situated on
,''. 80, s'us -. ~ st'.Hu' ue uolor-
- ~ - ,"'u 'ue s.'eam i'o'll
.o"s t,o ,'',', aunuaty amounts 10 ABOUT
WV ga i'',s' o.' ,i is s.I'ng'n : en'utiy
~. ~ u "''l 10 '''t'e nluie tn'il slghtl!
'"l",su N"t,T "nrh enipue'' No water
Va P'i''ss e"'P'y Nto tue r'Teau
"'i'
NC N"''" '''e' NV eAHh',heu tne cot
a." ".e"Vuy oi Jo-eph nam
'' ~ '"'i ." ""'I SUI OF tue
~ n' rear vh'ord me chen'-
">' re- a'er hathg necohit TX
"-'" ." tn'4 81 elh, uhl htlr
." tuV 7''eHm u ny 10 nud state.
ne nih' ei 81 g'l 'nu- 81 lqnid thus do
tu"i- ' No lr"pllriois were una lac even
ny j INNATE 'ut lhe committee be-
J "'Ne 'ue quantity must he very great,
sln"nl ilns TO- many thousands Of gallons
hhh'uily' Inc committee regret their
NANNY 10 I'Pol sfeclhcauy regarding
tn'9 WU!'el, "N ~ leaves an lhte-tstin Z
H'm OF information open 10 popular sur
h'rs Whlrh ID the excitement OF the
moment, j. as llkey to be wrong as right.
Inc water closets Of TINS establishment
are III s"uu roncltlOi, ana none OF a. IA
-lsllf mic lhe brahuywlue.
lhlru IN the order Of the committee s
visit were the lower paper mills OF Jessup
Moore, "a short distance up the Brandy
VINE, on the upper side. After referring
TO the extensive operations carried on at
these mills, the committee say The
chemcals used here are, principally,
sulphurlc acid, lime aud chlorine. Four
and-a-hali tons Of rags are washed daily.
Ia accomplishing this, through its yari-
Gus processes, 2.4OO pounds Of line and
u6,OOO gallons OF water are used. rhe
method employed in cleansing the rags
In by boiling 10 hours under a pressure Of
~ ponds TO the square inch. After this
Is done me liquid 81 discharged into ht
dr'@n; Before the rags are brought ~
lhe mills at all, the committee were told,
they are thoroughly washed and picked,
50 that comparatively little of the dirt
ana MIN they may have at ilrst contained,
reaches the Brandywiue in any shape,
The chlorine Or bleach used at these
u''ls Is meyer cinpticd into the stream,
hrither arc the contents Of the priyics Ol
water closets, aud the Improvements
hclng made there, the committee think
viii protect the stream from all pollution
Inc large number OF dead fish recently
{ found floating down the stream, and
winch were supposed to have been killed
10y the impurities from these mills empty
ng INTO the BrIndywine, was accounted
! Tor ny Messrs. J' ~ NJ, as follows On,
ct the emploSeus having charge of III,
sulphurlc acid tanks, accidentally let til,
plug come out Of one during the process
OF preparll the acid fOf use, aud larry,
quantity In an uadiluicd state escapec
ana found It's way Into the stream before
II had been discovered. The couseuupnq,
was that the fish IN the water in the i'm
. mediate vicinity Of the mills were killed
10y the acid and lloated down the river.
. THIS is the first accident of the kint
that has ever happened there, but ID,
+ committee suggest that hereafter in al
cases of accident al any OF the mills Oh