The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-14


To SAY that The river Is iov Is not TO give
4 reason worthy Of amomcnts ccnsiuera''Op
Tor 4 watcf.iamine IN Richnfond. W"er
enoueb masses by the city every day 70 sup.
nls the civ for year. A cross-sec'ion %
James river ss wide as from the DanV'''e
sa,Irosd bridge TO the Petersburg railroao
bridge contains water enough 70 MI eur le'
servo,rs over and over again. In "Oiu,
there Is always from ten times TO tnouss"e
.s.,s. as much water passing Richmond
sve,v aav rs her most extrayagant use OF
,hs, ,ncSllmabIe gif, Of God 10 man wouIu
demand 10 he sent into her reservoirs 10
MEAD a scarcity Of water In the river when
there l. always standing Just 10 front OF tne
civ water enough TO supply her wants LOT
wseks or months is little better than an 'n'
su,s 10 the understandings OF our people,
Rs, Il will be said that the City Counc''
has made no provision for getting TINS "a'e,
into The reservoirs. That is good excuse
Tar Mr.. DAVIS provided he has to'a Tue
ro,ne,I how they can keep the CITY sup
s.,,ed with water, and they have ialled 10
s,,ow him 10 carry out bis plans. Nolhing
a,sa wi,l excuse him. Nothing will excuse
the Council except the fact that they pave
su,borIzed the superintendent TO furnish 10
sho civ all the water needed. We Know
M, WIN q in fault: but we do Know tnat
somebody Is terribly in fault. A IRE sucn .
day az this no man or set OF men cou,u nsu,
except with water. A million OF uoi'als
worth o. property-aye, ten milfons-might
easily be he price paid by this city Tor the
ssilnre Of her public servants 10 perform q
Main duty. To save fifty thousand do'la's
ana ,herebv lose a million, is the feast 10
which we are all invited at lime wnen Tue
thermometer records 9s degrees OF neat.
The pecunIary loss is not the only thing
"a no considered. What fireman OF any
body else could do In this weather towaIus
nutiino ont fire when he had no water at
bsad which he might use for that purpose
js question that might well claim the a''
tention OF our people; but it is not the on!
thing 10 be considered when we are discuss
ing the evils OF failing water-suppY'
What arc the thousands OF waler'taKers 10
doY Where are they to get water from
How shall the thirst be quenched OF tne
thousands OF men, women, and chiIdreh 10
fhis city How are the ranges and cooking
stoves 10 be furnished? Who can estimate
the immense amount OF suffering OF all sorts
that must result from a wateT'famine in
In,vy The pestilence that walketh in dark
mess and wasteth al MONDAY VIII surely ac'
comnany such a famine. The city world
become uninhabitable in a week. The wa
ter.closets would invoke the presence o.
disease and death. What says the Board o.
Health?
But, strangest Of all, is the fact stated by
the Superintendent that be now senus up
dally 10 the two reservoirs about four mii'
lions Of gallons Of water-that Is ABOUT
slx,y gallons daily for every man, woman'
and child in Richmond. Ten gallons day
for each soul in the city would be not a fuIl
but comfortable supply IL IL were all uSeu
for family purposes. II appears, therefore,
tha, one.fourth OF the quantity OF water
xhich Mr.. DAVIS now pumps into the reSer-
voirs would suffice to prevent all su1erihg
I'm the CITY from a scarcity OF water. In
o,ber words, the city's water is constantly
wasted, az it has been constantly wasted LOT
wears. and yet no measures have been
adonted 10 stop that waste. Give the
steam.engines, &C., three millions OF gal
Ions daily, and yet il there were no waste,
there would be left daily sixteen gallons Of
water for every person In Richmond.
II these are the iacts-and the members
OF the City Council know that they are
then. IL is seli.evident that there need be no
suffering In Richmond from the want OF
water. II the city elections were to be held
in August, July would not pass over ouI
heads before arrangements were made &c
remove forever from everybody's mind al
apprebensions as TO waterfamine. Th'
tbing ought TO be done at once in the alb
scrce OF an August election.