The daily gazette., 1881-10-19
FIRST EDITION.
ABOUT The WATER
CONFERENCE BETwEEN THE
BOARD OF HEALTH AND THE
WATER COMMITTEE.
The Question Of Impurities Dis.
cussed and u Plan Adopted
for Discovering where they
Come From.

cussed and Plan Adopted
for Discovering Where they
Come From.
Chief Engineer McIntire and the
Water Committee attended the meet
ing Of the Board of Health, last night,
whereupon the latter body suspended
its regular order of business and pro-
ceeded to q consideration of that most
important subject-the impurities in
the Brandywine drinking water.
Chief Engineer McIntire opened the
subject by laying before the Board
the analysis of the drinking water
made by Prof. Leeds in June last, and
by j. II. j. Bush, Of this city, last
month.
DIR. Springer said the idea of the
Board, as developed by an informal
discussion at the last meeting, was TO
require the executive officers to survey
the Brandywine, ON both des, as far
up as the State line, and locate the
places where offensive matter appears
TO flow into the stream. Afterwards
the Board 10 visit the places designated
by the officers, in company with the
Chief Engineer of the Water Depart4
ment, for the purpose OF defining the
nature and character of the contami-
nations and devising a remedy.
City Solicitor Turner suggerted that
as the Boards Jurisdiction extended
only one mile from the city limits,
some State legislation would be neces-
sary in order to enable it to extend its
operations to the State line.
Councilman Lewis Paynter thought
this the proper time 10 agitate the re-
moval Of The pumping station, or a
change of water supply. Ii seemed to
him that the Brandywine must be
polluted long way up, as it received
almost the entire drainage of the towns
Of West Chester and Coatesville.
DIR. Springer said that an analysis
at the State line would show whether
the impurities existed above, or enter
ed the stream below.
DIR. Bush discussed the different
analysis at length, referring TO the one
made by Prof. Wolfe, OF Delaware
College, about four years ago, which
showed the water TO contain but very
small amount Of organic matter-only
from one half to seven tenths OF a
grain per gallon, whereas by the Leeds
and Bush analysis the quantity of Or
ganic matter is estimated at 4 and
4.3O grains per gallon respectively
1t had since been asserted, however,
that Prof. Wolfe's analysis was moi
made according to the Wancklyn
method, but by the old methods,
which are very imperfect and incom-
plete.
DIR. Bush quoted at length from "Fox's
Food, Air and Water" some opinions
of Prot. Wancklyn as 10 the effects OF
albuminoia ammonia in drinking water.
During the Doctors discourse Coun-
Gilman Beecher, bad been trying little
experiment with the water from the
hydrant in Registrar Frszer's Office.
Over the nezzle of the hydrant he fast
ened piece OF white muslin, about six
inches square, and allowed the water To
filter through IL slJwIy for ten minutes.
when he removed the muslin and
showed II TO the meeting. Ii was almost
covered with ayellowish substance re-
sembling clay, which scon turned a
dark, greenish hue, inparting pungent
odor, and indicative of the presence oil
chlorine. Chlorine is used In the paper
and cotton mills, for bleaching pur
poses.
Col. McIntire said If a system of ana-
lyses was made, samples should be taken
from both reservoirs, from the pumping
well at city mill,and from various points
along the race as far up as the third
dam.
MIR. Paynter thought it wise to also ill.,
clude samples OF Red Clay Creek and
White Clay Cs,k wat,r, as the wat, +
supply might eventually be charged to
these streams.
Speaking OF the probable effscts of
drinking the BrandywiDe water in Its
present contaminated condition, DIR.
Springer said he did not think there vas
any sickness particularly traceable 10
this cause. If IL produced sickne IS the
sickness would be general, on account
of the thousands OF people who drank
the water. The Doctor thought bad
sewerage caused more sickness In this
city than anything else.
A general discussion of the sewerage
question, and the need of better sys-
tenn for this city was then INDUCED in.
The general impression was that the
small pipe system was decidedly the
best.
At Mr.. Beecher's suggestion the water
question was left In the hands of the
Board, report 10 be made to the Water
Committee as soon as the Executive
officers complete their Investigations.
The Water Committee then with
drew.
Before the ADJOURNMENT of the Board,
the following resolution, offered by DR..
Springer, was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That the executive officers
be instructed to explo the shores of the
Brandywine TO the State line, and that
they further report any nuisance which
they may find, at the next meeting.