Daily Republican., 1882-06-26
MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1889
The water We Drink.

inc bi5 Va WV ''''NO-
Brandywine which is now being
made by Professor Leeds, is such
that should make the people of Will.
mippton think seriously over the mat
ter. All our drinking water comes
from the Brandy wine, and after dis
cussion running through a long series
of years relative to the fitness OF the
Brandvwine water for drinking rurpos
es, we are told by an expert that the wa
ter we have been drinking is not fit to
drink. The analysis shows that the
water at Rockland dam is barely passi-
BILE and may be considered "safe drink
Ing water" If this was the worse point
on the stream there would DO no cause
for alarm, but unfortunately nearer
the pumpirg station the water is worse
actually not fit for drinking purposes.
Right close TO where the water enters
the lace which supplies the pumps is
the mouth of Rattesnake Run, wherethe
most impure water is to be found. This
is q little stream that has its source
away up at the north end of Mcdowell
Vile and receives the drainage from
several impure places beyond the city
limits. One of these places is rendez
yous for the depositing Of city slops and
garba ge, where numerous pigs are fed.
OF course there must be some outlet for
the drainage from this rig fattening
establishment, which is afforded by
Rattlesnake Run; with such polluted
stream at the very source, the water is
not improved by catching the drainage
from the Middle Depot stables, and
from a large number Of out-houses
which empty their contents into the
stream. But short distance above
the mouth of Rattl esnake Run is
the mouth of what is called Crooked
Run, a stream which runs down from
Hartmann & Ferenbach's MANN 9th
brewery. The stream from the time
that it leaves the brewery bubbles and
boils over rocks and stones, discoloring
them as it passes along and wherever
it is checked in it's course, froth gath
ers on it's surface like the froth of lager
beer. 1t is said that topers have been
known to stop and sip the contents OF
this frCthy stream as the best they
could get as substitute for beer when
their impecuniousness prevented them
from purchasing better beverage. Net
long ago a gentleman wandering along
the hillsides of the Brandywine, came
to us with surprise pictured on his
countenance and said "Well, I never
knew before that there was run OF Ia
ger beer emptying into the BraHdywine'
Why do you believe it, l crossed one
little while ago that looks like lager
beer. smells like lager beer and froths
like lager beer, and il had not been
pledged temperance man, would
have been tempted to try if it did not
taste like lager beer" This stream,
whatever it is composed of, empties
It's trothy conteuts into the Brandywine,
and has not far to run before it assiml-
lates with the impure water from Rat
tlesEake Run, and together they enter
the race which feeds the pump aud this
mysterious compound is sent gurgling
up into Cool Spring Reservoir and from
thence into every part of the city where
it is used for drinking water Water
tainted with lager beer may do very
we'll for joke to laugh at, but if we
are not mistaken the people would
rather have the water in itspurity, and
those who use lager have il in its purity
and mix it to suit themselves.
The analysis of Professor Leeds will
no doubt show that the water we have
been praising AZ coming in limped
gurglipg pure streams from the rocks
and the hills of the Biandywine is just
the reverse and The pressing question
of the hour will be, how can it be reme'
died?