The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-01-29

i SluStSA tA<CS I've
supply from q number Of springs ON the
slopes Of the low mountain range. The city
| of Edinburgh Ia furnished from springs and
mountain brooks I; the city of Berlin from
I the water that comes from The Iser Riessen
hills, where small lakes store up the surface
water, &c.
AS the river Thames figures largely In the
literature of filtration, 1t may be proper to
call attention to one aspect OF it's character.
Mr., Beardmore, engineer, testified before the
royal commission that at Newbridge, during
la freshet, !" he was surprised ut the renarka.
bly, small amount of clay" and that ssthe
analysts was the usual analysis OF chalk
waters" Mr.. Clatterbuck testified that "tae
great source of supply to the Thames IS ae-
leidedly the chalk proper-the upper and tne
lower chalk, and especially the upper chalk.
Ihere Is source of water to the Thamesln
| the upper green sand" Some streams are
always turbid, like the yellow Tiber, and
| some become muddy occasionally; but there
is only one European river that we are ac-
quainted with which resembles our own. 1t
| Is said that the water Of th; LIVER Danube
| does not subside and becom1 clear in two
| weeks time. The water of the Mississippi
becomes clear in twenty-four or thirty-six
hours, and for this reason ST. Louis found q
slbsiding reservoir without flter-beds sufi.
cient. :
The popularity Of James River water
when turbid is pertinacious adhesion to
| its coloring matter. 1t has been passed FIVE
| times through paper without successful fl
tration. Experiments have been tried
| which show probability that after rainy
season it will not subside to any great degree
| of clearness in two or three weeks. One
! earthen jar containing fifteen gallons did not
become clear after standing more than a
month. A short, active rain sends mud into
the river which precipitates with much less
difficulty. as was observed during the recent
freshet. We quote the following from
!" Cbambers's Information as applicable to
the subject: "The particles gathered from
beds of clay are the most difficult to separate
| from water by mere subsistence. Either
| they are in a state of greater fneness thar
particles Of lime, silica, Or other minerals, OF
| else the water has more than ordinary ad
| hesiveness to the material of the clay
Whatever be the reason, the agitation O
water in contact with clay surface impart:
q rhubarb color, arising from the diffusion
of fine, solid particles, and river once con
t.minated in this way seems never to become
clear again."
| Our river-water generally is clear enough
though never free from an opalescence; bu
when its current is disturbed by continuou
rains it is muddy to an extreme degree l
is altogether probable that such water viii
1 not subside sufficiently to permit successful
filtration in less time than two or three
weeks. Is it not fair to reason that unde
the influence of our summer sun and tn
presence of all-pervading germs such sea
SON will be long enough to foster the appear
, ance Of animal and vegetable grOWths of ;
nature detrimental to the public health
"All living matter contained in water uset
for drink, since it is in no way necessary to it
and is not present in the purest waters, is tt
be regarded as so much contamination ant
; impuritv; is therefore more or less injurious
and is consequently to be avoided. There
vet another view to be taken Of the presenc
| OF these creatures in water-namely, tha
where not Injurious in themselves they ar
, to be regarded as tests of the impurty O
the water in which they are found."-Dl
HassaH.
"Now, it is by no means improbable tba
disease may be induced in somewhat simi
lar way in the human subject by the use o
water containing the shreds or ilame pts~D
cryptogamic plants. This suspicion l
strengthened by the case related by DIR. A
1
els substances having the ordinary appear
ance of shrcds Of false membrane, but con
sisting entirely of confervoid filament', pro
badly belonging TO the genus oscinatoraa
The patient drank the ordinary water whicl
supplies London, and it is not improbable
therefore, she may have in this way imblbet
. the reproductive sporales. es."-Perera-Ihd'
Med. and Therapeutics.
II We do not wish to oppose the construc
ton of new reservoir for the supply OF al
abundance of fresh water-nor do we know
how it ought to be made. Our city is fortu
: nate in baving an engineer who is abun
= dainty able to devise and execute such
work on the best plan. The design OF thi
! article is to show that practical dltt1cutle
! lie In the way ofclearing James River waite
by filter-beds, and especially that in conse
, uuence of the length of time necessary t
prepare it by subsistence for filtration tn
attempt, in hygienic point OF view, Woul'
be of more than doubtful proprlety.
!, Periodically there Is clamor ABOUT u
mud, and an appeal is then made to the Cour
, Gil to provide remedy, cost what It may
, Our finances are in no condition for costl
, experiment. If, after the expenditure OF Sc seYe
ral hundreds of thousands OF dollars, hitter
, | ing reservoirs should be constructed, som
, future visitor to Richmond might have occ'
sion to say, as Mr.. Kirkwood reported OF tn
work at Marseilles, "When saw 1t ther
was from three to four inches OF compa(
| mud over the surface of the sand, and 10 ha
r not been used, except as reservoir, for wv
/. years." - tPHARhAcEUTIST.
A Sensible Negro Preacher.