Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-26
WORSE yKe ABOUT CHINA sLoUaE-
WHAT DO WE DRINK

EDS. RECORD UNION Having read the
communication of DR.. J. Z. Laine IN your
Saturdays issue. I thought it Ct sufficient
| Importance 70 myself and the public 20 make
az examination of the water in China slough,
and IN order to compare slso South slough,
near the cemetery on this side Of the en-
| bankment, ard cur Sacramento hydrant or
river water. will briefly state that I have
found S6342 grains of solid matter cz salts
| IN one gallon of water taken from China
slongh near Third street. This water was
clearer then our hyirant water, but had an
! elongated white hoeculent substance floating
| in it similar to, say, fish pounded to pulp
! and thrown into large quantity Of water
| There was no smell to the water itself when
placed in bottle, nor any disagEeeable smell
even when subjected to the boiling point
! The white substance, however, IN suspension,
proved TO be organic matter under the micro
| scope, composed of thu lower order Of plant
and animal life, the latter, | assure yen, not
Of very inviting appearance. One reason the
water il in purer state than enc might ex-
pect, Is the numerous plants growing in the
| water, which, wherever found, have tendency
to purify the water by the introduction Cf
oxygen. If the water OF this inactive pool
was really as foul as represented DO fish could
| live in it, but think the@ster would even
bs it for carp, and they would thrive in euch
water, or in the deeper parts of it.
| Some water was tested for further proof
/ this morning, taken right behind house On
Third street, close 10 the bridge, where the
| LIQUID reflections found thair way into tbs
slough, end in spite of their surroundings
| being filthy and the smell Of the soil most
disagreeable, the water Itself, in the vessel to
experiment with, did rot smell. It contained,
| however, large proportion Of chlorine, car
banic, phosphoric and some sui phuIic scid,
associated with bases or the general conatitu-
ents OF auch water. derived from such a
lurce. %
The South slough produced 4l.9l4 grains
solid matter or salts per gallon. This water
was clearer, plants were growing from it
wherever hemmed in. There was no smell to
the water when placed in the vessel to hold
it, and very little suspended matter was visit
bic with q magnifying glass No microscopic
examination WAS made, as Is requires consid-
cradle preparation, and the msin object was
only to find the solid matter. This appears
to carry considerable iron ia solution, but no
test was made for it.
The hydrant water furnished IL 1856 grains
OF solid matter or salts per gallon. which is
somewhat lass than an analysis | made in
the month Of October, 1881. and published
November s. 1884, in your journal. The
river, it is supposed, was then lower, and it
produced u. 6l7 grains of salt per gallon.
Now. although do not fully coincide with
DE- Lains regarding the disagreeable smell
of the water itEelf in China slough, I yet
fully agree with bin where the filing
Of the slough is concerned, for ia that
every child aud adult-white, black ard vel
low-are concerned, who may reside in Sac
ramento. All persons who have paid the
slightes. attention to this pool Of wster
must have come to the conclusion
that there are springs in il, or it
has some subterraneous connection with
the rivers above the city 1t is also governed
by the rise and fall OK the river flowing in
front Of the city, and what does this signify
Why, simply that there is an outlet, and that
is in very close proximity, not below. but
above the suction pipe through which the
water is pumped that supplies our homes fos
ell purposes Of the household We have con-
seauehtiy for years been using the cold digss-
tions or laxiviations of the reflections Of
Chinatown wishout knowing it, Or if any one
suspected it tie world wss not made &C.
queinted with it. Not olly do I belisve
what is mentioned about the slough, but [
further believe we have received portion Of
the cesspools in the lower part of the city,
which, owing to tbs porosity of the soil, mFy
have connection with the Chios slough. We
have, in fact, pumped out Of numerous yes.
sells.
l have made frequent tests of our Sscra-
me1to water for my own qualification and the
love of experimenting. and was often ppz
zled why the chlorine in TIE water factusted
so much. think now it was due TO the sud-
den falling of the river, when larger
quantity of the slough water. goveIaed by
the law Of gravitstion, finds It's way into the
river and then the reaction for chlorine, etc,
contains more eslt. It is hoped, however,
that those horrible looking monsters l saw
5y the aid of the microscope may be kept
back, for when once seen they have c tand.
ency to effect ones appetite. aud | must ad-
NIT my dinner appeared less palatabls when
thinking about those creatures this evening.
/ consider this suppo:ition about the China
slough Of greater importance even than The
smell ia which only the neighborhood is
affected mo5tly. This concerns every human
being in Sacramento, and although it may
not be absolutely dangerous TO health of the
people, it is nevertheless naussoUs to con-
tinualiy partake of water known to be im-
pure. But in case of ep.demics. such water
may prove dangerous, when the germs OF
disease are taken internally. II this requires
legislative action, the sooner a bill is en-
gineered through, the better il will be for
the community II seems Go me, heweve-,
city has come right to protect itself without
legislative action. If the authorities of the
city and the people publicly desire and de.
msnd it. that hole win be filed up in spite Of
certain ot-owners being opposed to it.
Very respectfully, JOHN EITEL.
Sacramento, July %, 1888.