The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-08-31
WATER WORRY.
Serious Trouble at the Nine-,iilc Locks
The Water Committee on Tour OF In
speciion-Break in the Canal Repaired.

II is hard 10 estimate the trouble and ex-
: pen~e incurred by the city OF Richmond
in the matter Of giving its people a full
supply Of water. Last year the drought
came. Everybody complained. and il really
seemed strange that with a river like the
james rolling past us to the sea that we
should suffer for water. The Council was
cursed, and growls went up from every
quarter. II seems natural 10 complain OF
counclmen. Why ought any man 10 be q
councilman No money, no thanks. What
then!
II the inquirer will take the trouble to
90 up the canal and see what the Water
Committee has done. and then N it is fair
draw a comparison between the work OF
this committee and that Of other commit
tees appointed by the Council, il will be
seen that, Notwithstanding the lack Of pay
and the want OF emolument, the coun-
Gilman does deal Of hard work and
shoulders a steep responsibility. lie ought
perhaps be blamed for letting his love
for the pubic lead him into such a ta-ren
field; but some one must 20, and il is'syell
that ip Richmond 30 many good men are
willing 10 work without pay, and can be
found ready TO accept the inevitable COM
plants that are lodged against the average
member OF the Council.
Yesterday evening had been selected by
the Committee on Wator-WOrks n the
time for making one Of the customary tours
OF inspection oi the puml-houSes, rcscr-
yoirs. and public grounds. and n train had
been courteously rendered 10y the Rich
mOnd and Allegheny railroad for the pur-
pose of taking the committee up the road
TO the new pumI-house
Before o'clock i. NJ, the hour set for
leaving the city. it was known 10 the men,
bers OF the committee that a break had oc-
CURED in the canal at q point near the old
Powhatan Iron-Works. and that, worse
than this, the heavy and costly piece of ma
sOnry at the nnc-mic locks was under
mined and worthless. The committee
consisting Of Mr.. y. u. IIarerove. chair
man, and the following members: Mc>,r>.
Hayes. Clarke, Chafiin, and Dcker-ou-
left on the train at 3 O'Clock.
accompanied hy Mr.. Alexander Cameron.
Councilman Straus. James Blair. Maj {.
VI. Bolton. Major i. Norton. Nr. Charles
\. Smith. OF =. Louis. the designer ~ the
new pump-works; tity-Engineer W. l..
/ Cutshaw. superintendent James l.. Davis.
and ASSi,tant-SUpcrinten j. B. Hill,
all under the polite charge OF Mr.. b. l.
August. Sergcant-at- Arms Of the Council.
went up the road first TO the old pump
house.
4 short stop was made here. The old
/ pump-hou>e looks neither old nor ugly.
/ bu.. quite thc contrary. i; i attractive and
n,iting, and wear, picturesque j. X.
with H. massive masonry boundaries ard
Nrcaths II beautiful loWcrs tha, line H.
approach.
Better than thiS. two pretty blueeyed
girl, stood n the gate leading down 10 the
/ pumT-hoJ>c, and not councilman passed
that lid not cast the most respectful and ~
/ the same time apprcciaiNe glahc" toward
them.
After brief visit the train moved OF,
and in a short time reached the break, near
/ the POwhatan lrOn-Works. The water
I here had broken through the canal-hank
and interrupted travel, but in Few MIN
ulcs after the train arrived the trouble was
/ removed. and the train and inspectors kept
+ on 10 the ninc-mie locks. Here they dis
embarked TO witness a sorry sight. The
heavy granite dam across the feeder from
the river and between the two locks here
was Sunken in the centre. Great gap, III
the solid masonry yawncd, and the water
whirlcd and cddicd rapidly underneath one
end OF the dam.
Tho first seen II thi, damage wa yc>tcr-
day morning about , o'clock. The alarm
wa, given. and Engineer CuishaW nj once
set 10 work TO repair the damage. hc
great danger feared was damage To- the rail-
road. hUt luckily not enough water WAS
le. loose T. materially interfere in this di-
rcction.
The construction Of this piece of masonry
cost the city Of Richmond $1,000. II runs
from the locks on the canal across 10 lhc
lock OF the feeder from the river, and ID
it~ construction was not connected Wl'u
the lock, on the feeder except for a small
distance near the top of the dam.
Lower down the wall, oi the dam drop
ped away several feet at intervals from th'
mq>onry of the lock-, and the earth lnler-
yenng here WIS eaten out 10y ihc "M'I =
\S -ooD q, the authorities heard oi tM-
tbcy .et - work. and IL early a. yesterday
cy,uiu-, the timbcrs had all been prepared
for a crib or coiJcr-dam. which will be pul
i'm The stream above the locks in order To
allow the reconstruction Of the dam.
This work will be rapidly pushed. and
in q few weeks the trouble with the waters
will be ended. II will. however, cost the
CITY a considerable amount. hut II does mol
appcor that any blame can rightly attach 10
any one IN authority.
The committee next visited The new
nump-hou,e and the massive machinery
here and the evidences Of labor, skill.
capiia, and public enterprise were COM
nletely APPARENT. 4 well-known ana wor-
Inv gentleman made the committee short
sDcc,.h. in which he begged 10 be allowed
IN take back all that he had said against
them, politely raising his hat at the same
, time. ,,..
From the beautiful granite walls Of the
now pump-hou>c the committee repaired
hy urivatc conveyance 10 the residence ol
MIR. Charles Baker. superintendent 81 the
new reservoir. MIR. Baker entertained The
comnittee pleasantly. and after an agrecl-
/, blc half-hour the trip was made throuSh
the public grounds. past the race-tracA'
olon9 the lake. and around the new re>ei-
yoir 10 the old one.
! MIR. Lvsandcr Rose took charge OF the
! committee here. and after viewing ID,
grounds. on motion Of Mr. IaYes IL W.
resolved to give superintendent Rose th'
benefit Of IN addition 10 hls residence
: The grounds here. like all the rest ARE hep,
~ uelt a, = clothes-pin. and are worthy ol
Richmond. which j. great praise. u'
e dri,e around the reservoirs ana OUT 10 th'
= rc,v n,i,nu-hou>c j. the most popular one
: in the city. and Yesterday evening wa
: thronged with cquipases'
Tur Thatcher, Primrose 4
: VT. Minstrels appeared at Hozart Hal
. last nirbt. and We're welcomed Dy one o
= r. l,roest audiences ever assembled WIN
}, IN that building. including large nuhDel
; - - Iadies The performance was entertain