The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-01
CITY WATER.


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spEcyAL MEETING or TIE COMMON COUNCIL
aATuWDAY ArTERxooN--TB ORDINANCE
ADOPTED. WITH An AMENDMENT TO PROVIDE
An ApeoUATE WATER suPYLY FOR The CITY
AND ron CANCELLIN0 THE DEBT OF TIE
JAMES RIVER AND KAxAwHA COMPANY
PULL TEXT or 1nx MEASURE, &C., &C.
A special meeting OF the Common Coun-
ell was held Saturday afternoon 10 the
Council Chamber to consider the ordinance
pissed BY the Board Of Aldermen TO pro-
vide ON adequate water supply Tor the city,
&c. President Manson occupied the chair.
Present Al roll.caIl: Messrs. Adams,
Bsker. Christian, Crenshaw, Curtis, Davis
of Madison Ward. Davis Of Marshall Ward,
Edwards. Elicit, Ellyson, Gentry, Gum,
Hsreroye. HAYES, Higgins, Mcdowell,
Onver, Pierce, Phillips, Pollock, skinEer,
Taylor, and Wood.
mr.. TAYLOR explained that Mr.. Talbot
was detained from his seat by sickness. !.
The ordinance adopted by the Board OF
Aldermen was then read.
Mr.. Christian presented an amendment
Mr.. C. r. Davis. chairman OF the COM
mittee on Wster, addressed the Counci Id
advocacy Of the proposed ordinance.
lie said: Mr.. President and Gentlemen
The most important question you nave ever
been called upon to decide presents hseI
for your consideration this evening. An
abundant supply OF pure water pas en-
eaeed the attention OF the Committee on
Water for the last six years, and the three
wears Of anxious thought on my part
prompts me to present to you my views OF
the plan now proposed Tor your adoptlon.
M Al. -. 20 ,,ccffin,, mo n m for Tho new
reservoir site I advocated the present loca-
ton AZ part OF the plan now proposed for
the new pump-works, believing at that time
The Three Mile locks TO be the proper place,
leaving the details as to power, &c., 10 be
worked out afterwards. The plan now
proposed for your adoption Is to take the
water for propellrng our wheels from Boz
sber's dam along the canal to the Three-Mile
locks, then under head and fall OF twenty
feet
rRoPEI. OUR PUMPS AND RETURN THE WATER
into the lower level OF the canal, thereby
placing our wheels beyond the reach OF high
water orr diminution OF speed by low water,
both OF which have at times stopped our
present works. An ordinary rise In the
river has reduced our pumps to half speed,
to the great injury Of the machinery.
"
lower level OF the canal at the Tbree-Mile
locks by the james River and Kanawha
Company (as ascertained by Mr.. Harris, the
engineer Of the company is 400 cubic feet
per second. The quantity proposed by this
plan to drive our wheels pumping in our
reservoir 100000 gallons per day is 1888
cubic feet per second, showing that the
bead-gates OF the James River and Kanawha
Company at the Three-MiIe locks will still
have TO be raised TO admit from the river 1T
cubic feet per second in order to keep up
the present supply OF the lower level Of
the canal.
The water when il leaves our wheels win
be from ten TO fifteen feet above the river,
which power is of great value, even though
10 be turned in the river at that point, and
should II be used lower down, will increase
in value as you increase the fall to the river.
The land damage by this plan is quite
small, as the canal can be deepened and
widened instead OF raising Bosber's dam.
BY this plan we make provision for
AN INCREASED SUPPLY INTHE FUTURE
Of an additional Is, OO0, 900 gallons per day,
and in order to propel pumps for this adj
dition we require I05 cubic feet per second,
which Is about sne.half the quantity OF
water flowing down the river at its lowest
stage, as measured by our engineers during
the summers Of 187S-79.
A dam across the river near Ritchie's
bridge, short distance below the Three
Mile locks, has been considered, and as this
site seems to be the least Objectionable OF
any between Bosber's dam and our present
works, ] will point out the objections to
this plan.
The river here Is about sixteen hundred
feet wide, or would require dam that
length, which would be hard to keep in po-
sition and very expensive, and IN freshet
would overflow the Danville railroad, and
possibly the lower level Of the canal.
This dam, with head and fall OF twelve
feet, would require about five hundred
cubic feet per second to raise twelve mil
hon gallons per day to our reservoir; and
n order to raise the
EIGHTEEN MILLIONS ADDITIONAL FOR FUTURE
USE
would equire the entire flow OF the river
in dry season Should we be able to use
that mucb). which w0uld be impossible, as
the gates OF the James River and Kanawha
Company would be above the dam. thereby
! securing II before 1t reaches our wheels.
The land-damages caused by raising any
dam would be very heavy, as the land
overlooked would be such as to command
very high price, and great loss 70 the
community In point OF agriculture. The
great objection to raising Bosher's dam is
the overflow OF valuable land, estimated by
some OF the owners at from 1000 to 1000
acres.
The pan we propose Is an economical
plan. The cost Of deepening and widening
the canal from Bosher's dam to the Three
Mile locks will be less than building dam
at Riichie's bridge or any other site, besides
the land damages and the risk Of the dam
being washed away by freshets. From the
view had OF the two sites this would be
double the length Of Bosher's dam. have
examined Bosher's dam, and 1t seems very
substantial, having stood
TWO OF THE GREATEST FREsHETs KNOWN IN
JAMES RIVER
for one hundred years. When the canal is
deepened and widened from Bosher's dam
TO the Three-Mile locks l am satisfied the
cost Of keeping it in order will be very
smaIl-estimated by some to be as low as
twenty-five dollars per year.
The two great freshets that damaged the
canal 30 greatly few years ago caused very
little damage to that portion Of the canal.
So With the test brought to bear upon that
portion Of the canal and Bosher's dam,
caused BY two Of the greatest freshets
known for one hundred years, 1t does seem
to me we should not hesitate tosdopt plan
which Is the ssrest, cheapest, and capable
Of furnishing a supply Of water for popu-
lation Of 100000. The legal question In
yolved In our contract with the James
River and Kanawha Company have left to
our City Attorney and my associate Of the
Water COMMITTEES (Mr. CannonA who salts
i7es me on that point.