The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-06-30

W.
mani me. and drew up long communica-
ton to the Hall, representing in effect that
il they took enough water ont Of the pipes
to keep the streets "moist and cool" there
would he no water left for the people to
drink. In that view Of the case the pro-
iect was dropped.
THE srPERnTENDENTs
OF the water-works have been AZ follows:
Robert l.. Staples s............ 1s33-'37
Garland Hancs. .............. .lS3I-'5l
James l.. Davis. ...............l lSol-.6S
James fiayes. ......... lo0S-.'0
James l.. Davis. ............ ..lSiV-oZ
NIsERABLY MEAN MUDDY WATER.
Such water as the city has had this week
excites the disgust OF nearly all strangers,
many OF whom have said that they cannot
imagine how people can drink such nasty
water and live.
Perhaps it looks little worse than it
really is.
When the new reservoir was built the
expectation, If not the positive promise,
was that the city should have clearer water.
II was said that with two large basins ID
would not be necessary to pump in muddy
water on top Of clear water. 1t is now seid
that on account OF the meagre pumping
capacity there has never yet been a fair OPP
portunity for practcing the plan referred
to.
Well, that may he so, but that excuse
Will not exist hereafter. The pumping
power is now so enormous that the pumps
may be safely stopped for twenty-iour or
forty-eight hours, and very often the vol
ume Of muddy water has passed down the
river Ly fba sitv in that tiue.tt
Real muddy Jamcs-river water will not
become perfectly clear il given three
months to settle. That has been demon
strated by actual experiments made by
Colonel Cutshaw. But all Richmond
householders k1,O,o that in twenty-four or
forty-eight hours the heaviest matter in the
water will settle; and what is expected OF
| the Water Committee now about to come
into power is that some real, earnest, we'll
considered, and strictly-adhered-to plan
| shall be adopted and enforced to better, or
at least TO attempt to better, the water. Or
! dinary people will not be convinced that
where there are two basins it is good pol
| icy to pump the muddy water into basin
with clear water, and so make il all muddy.
II we get clearer water, and water IN
plenty, the large expenditure made in
eight years past for water-wOrks Will not
be regretted by citizens generally.
The New Works.
The new works are located on the north
or blun bank Of the canal ut the Three
Mile locks, which are-or rather were, fol
they are things OF the past-thrce mile,
from the basin and about two miles from
the northern limits Of the city. The build
ing which shelters the pumps and wheels
Is OF undressed granite, LAID very much in
the style OF the Scyenth-Strcct Christian
church, but the stone seems to be brighter
and clearer than that. There are two
stories, each Of lofty pitch. On the first
are the wheels, pumps, and all the ma
chinery. The second is to be 4 grand pa
vilion. Small spaces on the two floors vii
be cut OFF for Offices and workshops.
The building Is a handsome one.
II we get a City Hall that looks a elegant
and as substantial, and rs well proportional
everybody will be satisfied. The pavilion
is open on its north and south sides, and
will be grand place for dancing.
PUMPS AND WHEELS.
The wheels are novel. They are vertical
turbine. There are three OF them, and to
each are attached three pumps. The water
has twenty-foot fall, and the works will
have a real working capacity OF 12,0O0,00(
gallons per diem, all OF which will have
TO be lifted to the reservoir some 1000 feet
distant and up a height Of 17j feet. These
pumps were planned by Mr.. c. A. Smith
OF Louisville, and were made by III. a.
Ramsay, OF Baltimore. In 1880 the city
offered 1000 in prizes for the three best
water-works' plans offered. Mr.. Smith.
was accepted. Colonel Cutshaw has super
intended all the engineering. including
the construction OF the conduit.
THE wATER-PowER
comes into the conduit from James river
at Bosher's dam, or the Nine-Mile locks
The old canal-displaced by the railroad
built upon the tow-path-was not suffi-
cient. For the whole distance, SIX miles, II
had to be deepened, widened, ana straight
ened, and oftentimes through beds o! solid
granite. That was 4 great and costly work
but a necessary one. The city now has al
the water-power il will need Tor years and
years TO come, and 1t is believed that II vii
be little affected by droughts and freshets
The old works were affected by both.
However, the big steam-pump Is at band
at the new works ready for all such emer
gencies. 1t was built by Worthington
eXnlDlteu II the Inliautlpbia NtheNnh'"' al
1876. and bought and erected by the city
during the great drought OF 1881. II car
furnish 6 1000, 900 gallons per day, which L
nearly as much as we now use.
MOST OF THE PROPERTY
on which these works were constructed
was acquired by the city from the james
River and Kanawha Company, but ad
ditional tracts were bought from otbel
parties for building end other pur
poses, and now we own near 2O'
acres between the canal and Main street
the whole peculiarly well situated Tor
public park, and Is now being put TO tina
use. So we will not only get new water
works, but out Of the water-works appro
priation fine park-a thing we would no
soon have gotten otherwise.
The Pumps Net 10 Work.
At IL O'Clock A. NJ. yesterday the tw'
branches Of the City Council and most 0
the heads Of department OF the city ,gov
enment left the Allegheny railroad depo
: on special train kindly provided Dy zen
eral- Manager Axtell. and under the charg