The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-03
srnn,y of Water for Cities.

Simply of Water for Cities.
N rejecting upon the subject of supply |
;n, large cities abundantly with water Tor /
all domestic purposes we could not ou'
like 10 ourselves as citizens OF Richmond a
feeling of heartfelt felicita,ion. We reside
upon the banks Of a grand and lovely stream,
admirable for its beauty, and Respectable ior
its dignity. It's volume is such as to make
Il of great use to society for its moh'e'
30 yer, and the purity Of its water Is such Is
to make IL the best of water for drihR'ne
ard cooking. 1t Is to us great ss''''
faction 70 know that the supply OF TINS W."
ter lie ample for any probable demand TINS Guy
NAV ever make upon this noble river Tor the |
wants of the population. No city in The AT
lautic States has so good supply OF water,
ard save New Orleans, and st. LOUIS, and
Chicago, none IN the West have. New Or
leans hiss the Mississippi. st. Louis has also
tie Mississippi, but before 1t receives the tri-
butte Of the Ohio. Her resource is good,
but hardly so good as that of Richmond.
Chicago has Lake Michigan to draw
upon through tunnel two miles long
truly q magnificent fountain but let her be-
ware lest slovenly disposal Of the city Oh
fal may render even the great lake intoleraby
impure two miles from the shore. Such
thing is quite possible, and viii, We believe,
in time occur unless some way of disposing
OF offal in better manner should be in
vented and adopted. Richmond. then. in re-
spec. of her supply Of water, has reason
TO be both grateful and proud; and 1t
is an exhibition of good sense and fore
cast TO undertake to extend the means of in
creasing the supply Of water from james
river so as to make it equal to any pro-
babe demand which may occur within fifty
Years. When the demand SHALL require an
increased SUPPLY. we are happily SO situated
that the flow Of water in the river VIII be
equal TO the wants of q greater city Than
London.
DIMENSIONS OF THE NEW RESERVOIR.
The new reservoir, now in course Of con-
s,ructioo upon the highest ground within
tive miles of Richmond, is in its proportions
so great as Will astonsh very many people.
1t consists Of two compartments, each of
which is at the lowest line about 1873 by 335
feet. The two together, at this low line, are
equal 10 dimensions to four and a halt acres
of qyatnd The banks arc slopinS, but their
perpendicular height is t,centy-ss1 feet. The
bank surrounding this great receiver is one
hundred feet broad at its base. Therefore
the whole ground covered by the grand re-
seryoir is OVER ELEVEN ACRES. The capacity
OF each compartment Of the reservoir IL
wenty millions Of gallons.
This great supply will not only be more
than ample for Richmond for mauy years,
but will be large enough TO allow of very
. erect settlement and clearing Of the water
before usagcs
The cost of the reservoir, including cost
Of land. is estimated at S350,000 The ma
chi merry and pipes for supplying the water
will no doub, add to the appropriation; but
whatever the cost he 1t will be the best ex-
pcndilure that could be made for health,
comfort, and safety. When the work is done
Richmond will have public blessing of de-
gree and character not surpassed, if equalled,
in any city in the United States.
Many of our people know at the present
time-Whsn water is scarcer than at any
other time in the year, and when, too, it is
most wanted--what it is to suffer for water
Very many houses which pay for water for
bathing have not had . thimbleful for any
such purpose for two months. To the occu-
pants of those houses the ample supply that
J;rt ;ptc IN
tn; city from the new reservoir will be Il
blessing the nature Of which will till their
Very hearts with delight.
TIE INTERESTING WATER QUESTION.
The subject of supplying dense popu|a-
Ii IT'S with healthy water is one Of the most
Interesting that engage the attention of the
philanthlopist and statesman. The United
IS a es is one of the lands where, from rain
ut all seasons, the streams never cease to flow,
AID supplies Of water for large populations
are certain and abundant compared with the
supplies in countries where very long
ouGhts occur and rain-water has to be re.
.rted to for drinking and irrigation must
employed in agriculture.
tn; physical laws Of our quarter of the globe
we are admonished that by the changes in the
land that have been wrought by tillage and
drainage our water.courses have greatly re-
duced in flow and we are further admon-
ished that the streams have been rendered
less pure by the increased amount Of offal
that has been thrown into them. Our sup
ply is therefore lessened in amount and de-
graded in quality.
In view of these facts every large city may
look to its safety. Those places that have
never felt the want Of water, and may moi
have been incommoded by its impurity,
would better take care that they shall not be
subjected to distress from either cause. We
shall not be surprised to see Boston, and New
York, and Philadelphia all in not very long
time rendered very uneasy. The Cochituate
is no big things, and the Croton is short.
Philadelphia already finds the Schuylkill de-
flcient in very dry weather, aud may be
forced to turn her attention to the Della .
ware; and Baltimore is even now in
great perplexity as to what she Shall
do. Her city fathers have fallen back
upon the Gunpowder river, another Of the
CONSTRUCTED sources that will not long meet
the wants of city of bounding prosperity.
Let Baltimore be bold at once, and disdsin.
Ing both Jones's falls and Guupowder river
strike out for either the Potomac or the Sus.