Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-11-25

The New City RasIn.

10 ne Editor Of uie Commercial
In addition to the immense and unnecessary
expense involved in the present plan for the
basin, which expense without any correspon-
ding advantage will make it impossible for US to
have any reduction in our city taxes for many
years to come-there is another and very i'm
portant objection to the plan for large basin,
that has not been touched upon by any of your
correspondents; it is this
At the old basin, (renth and Market) the wa
ter from the pumps enters one part OF the basin,
aid the main pipes for supplying the city are
connected with another part of the basin, con-
seqnently when the pumps are in motion there
il constant circulation of the water in the basin
winch prevents anything like stagnation, but
when the new basin is finished the MANS for
supplying the city will be connected, not directly
with the basin, but with the main pipe reading
from the pumps to the basin, so that when the
pumps are in motion the city will be supplied by
them and the basin will act only as a stand-p Pipe
to give force or elevation to the supply.
This being the case there can be no circulation
Of water in the basin, but il must lie dead and
stagnant, except al it is drawn out when the
pumps are not IN motion, and during the sum
nIel must become exceedingly offensive, and of
course very unhealthy.
Those OF our citizens who use the water from
the upper basin, will no doubt recolleot that in
the summer of 1873 the pump supplying that
basin was stopped for some days and that during
that time the water from the basin was exceed
insly offensive and unfit for use, having become
stagnant in consequence of there being no cir
cnation. We had noticed the same thing, in
previous years but not to the SAINT extent, as the
pump had not been stopped 30 long, and as soon
as it was started we had the fresh water again.
In the smaller basin it would be easy to obvi-
ate this trouble by emptylng one division at a
time or by over flowing the basin every day but
in he larger basin either OF these remedies
would be attended with considerable trouble and
expense.
How then is it proposed to keep up crcula-
tion 30 rs to keep the water fresh and sweet
during the summer. viii the former chairman
of the Water Committee who seems to be most
interested in carrying through the project for
the large basin please enlighten us on this
point
The heavy taxation which must necessarily
result from building 30 large basin is bad
enough, but il in addition to this there is great
d ger that in the heat of summer, when Of all
Line! it is most important to have pure, fresh
wa er, our city will be forced to use dead, stag
nant water, that has laid in the basin month
~ more, the matter becomes most serious one,
an sting the health and consequently the pros
perlty of our CITY, and may result in an epidemic,
such as several times has swept the badly
watered cities of the South.
Certainly the members of our City Council
should give this matter most rigorous investi-
CATION before preceding further; and no ring
| rule or caucus resolutions should be permitted
| to bind man to a course that may prove 80 det-
rimental to the life of our city.
| All we need or want is basin of sufficient ca
pacity to supply us with clear water during the
time when the Brandywine is muddied by rains,
| or during temporary stoppage of pumps. II
has been proved that the smaller basiu recon-
mended by Mr.. Morris would be ample for this
| purpose. Why, then, persist in building larger
| one when the result cannot be beneficial, and
may be most disasterous MANUFACTURER.