Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-30
THE WATER QUESTION.
A Reply to the Superintendent Of the
Water Works.

Water Works.
In answer to Superintendent Wyatt's
article of Sunday in regard to the waterEwe
drink, haYe this to say: /, in company
with other parties, visited the water-works
during the time the cholera prevailed here,
to ascertain their condition. The gentle
man in charge of said works gave us! a
great deal of information, and stated
that the fish died in the reservoir
and were taken out in bucketsful every
morning. Now, the Superintendent don't
know what is going on ut the waterworks,
or the gentlemen who made the statement
to us must be mistaken. The above are the
facts. In regard to the impurities of the
water: it has been examined under q pow
erful microscope and found to be full Of
living and dead animals and vegeta-
BILE matter. at the same time an examina-
ton of cistern water was made and it was
found pure and free from all such matter.
There was no examination of spring water
made, from the fact that experience has
taught us that all spring water near the city
lie unfit for drink 6 purposes. Mr.. Wyatt
says we arc using the same kind
of water we have been using for the
last forty years; in this he is
mistaken. The water to-day is worse than
it has ever been before, because the city is
growing and the amount of filth passing
into it is increasing daily. Forty years ago
there was no drainage from the city above
the water works, there were no GENE
teries with their thousands of dead
bodies decaying and seepiDg
into the river above the reservoir, Browns
creek, Mill creek, and Stones river were
pure streams to what they are now; but it
ia unnecessary 10 say more. l will quote
from the superintendent's own report what
he saws about the i'm 1urities of the water we
drink. think that will settle the question.
In bis report he calls attention to the ne
cessity of FURNISHING the city with better
supply of water, both as to quality and
quantity" He also says: "In getting the
surply of water from above the mouth Of
Stones river, the Cumberland, at this point
| is almost entirely freestone wster and
| scarcely ever muddy, as all the hard and
impure water is emptied into the Cumber
| land from Mill and Browns creeks.
By locating the works above said point
the city will be furnished with pure water,
| entirely free fir m all drainage or seepagt
| from the city and city cemeteries, Browns
| creek and ali sources of impurities. As it |!
now all of the above mentioned sources o
| filth and impurities empty into the rive
/ above the present works and as a nat
ural consequence render the water to some
extent impure"
The Superintendent says he fails to SCI
the point in calling the attention of the citi
zens to the danger they are running il
| drinking impure water. Well, the point il
ann NnI dFfV1 be inns, NV
| water is in danger of losing bis lif
by SO doing, and it's the d2ty o
every good citizen to point cut an,
and all dangers that he may see his fellow
men in, just as man cries fire when b
sees his neighbours house burning, or throw
8 rope to drowning man. Il you sa
there is no danger, tell me why
in a general way all who use cisterl
water or freestone water arr free from
cholera and all other bowel complaints
while those VITO use limestone water sue
as we get from the waterworks, suffer 8
much from those diseases. Tell me VIII
the cholera was worse here than any othe
place except where they use limestoD
water? Tell me why you said in your re
port that the water was impure if
was not? Then tell me why yo
don't see the point l expect to make il
preiudicing the minds of the citizens agains
the use of limestone water, by facts
1t is time every one in The city should go t.
work and provide themselves with pur
| water, either by new water works or build
ing cisterns. The only point x has in view
is to do good to bis fellow man. Ito proven
suffering, and try to save the lives Of thos
who are in danger by using impure water
Now is the time to go to work and pre-
vent the repetition of the past calamity
Remember If we go on in our old ways an,
pay no attention to the lessons taught us b,
sad experience, we are sure to suffer agail
by epidemics, for the same causes are a
work and win surely produce the same Of
fect:. x.