Daily Republican., 1879-11-17
PURE wATsR FOR wILMIHG TON

a Fsoo Pr0pOoo0 ~ Whtch Wote1
Can be Furnished Cheap and
Pare-The Views OF . City COun.
Gilman.
For the Republican.
Pure and cheap water for the citizen
OF Wilmington, and the most available
way TO get it is subject that has in
terested our citizens for years. To get
pure and unadulterated water from the
Brandywins creek or river variou, ex-
pedients have been proposed. As the
city increases in population and manu-
factories increase on its border so does
nth and poisonous Ingredients accu-
mulate and pass into the stream.
Which must bs protected the manu-
factories or the citizens The question
is, which Is the most likely plan to
answer the desired object
The water Committee, through Coun-
Gil, have generally when the question
has been agitated, recommended buy
ing ground and the putting up of wa.
ter works, at Rockford dam, which is
above the city limits and above most of
the factories using poisonous ingre-
dients.
Others recommend system Of sewer
age to carry of the poisonous and nox-
ious matter from the factories. Neither
of these plans is in my judgment ad-
visable, as shall attempt to demon
strste by using the figures from the
reports Of experts employed by the City
Council from time to time, in as short a
space as is generally allowable in a
newspaper article. To give the de-
tails would require much time, space
and labor.
First, to buy ground water rights, and
erect new water works OF Rockford dam
would cost the city 5000, 900, and the
cost to run and attend to them would
be veryheavy being in an out way place,
far from the base Of supplies. If any
accident should happen by fire, flood
or,otherwise, the city would be without
water, as the machinery for forcing it
up would be either destroyed or dis
abled.
Second, the system Of sewerage
would cost half million Of dollars to
start with and would not be effective on
account Of the heavy falls on the hill
sides, from which every heavy rain
would wash the accumulated filth over
into ths water, and besides this, the
underground courses through which
the drainage of the cemetery flows
would bs continually oozing into the
water. Now the plan l would suggest
is cheap, practicable and durable. 1t
is to let the water works stay where
they are. The buildings are good, and
the city owns two first water rights,
which are sufficient for the present, If
arranged and worked. Yet it
would not be amiss for the city to buy
as opportunity occurs to purchase them
cheap, the other five rights on this side
Of the creek, so that they could use
what they wanted of it and have con-
troll of the balance.
They are always accessible and handy
and In no emergency could the city be
water. Then to supply the
,ity with pure water would have it
brought by gravitation into new ba-
sin at as high an elevation as the water
would run either from Rockford dam or
IS high up as Rockland dam. The Rock
'ord dam is thirty seven feet above tide
water, therefore the city could use the
'and lot square for new basin as all
If the sand will soon be taken out Of it.
Il is forty feet above high tide water,
the water for the Railroad
md all OF our large manufactures, in
III one half the water used in the city
would be received by gravitation with
,ut any expense to force it up. If the
vatsr was taken from Rockland dam
he elevation would be forty feet high
n.
Then run the main pipe to the city
Mills from the new basin. The water
'ower would be sufficient to force the
7ater up to the reservoirs saving the
Expense Of forcing it by steam power as
, principally done new. A thirty.six
nch main run from the city mills to the
roposed new basin and from thence to
dam with new basin water
ights and every thing else needed
'ould cost as follows:
ew basin at sand lot,.. .......... 10000.
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