Wichita daily eagle., 1884-12-23
ICE AND MOSS.
1. The Water supply of Our City Healthy.

We heard something yesterday that rend-
ers it necessary for the EAGLE to speak Mr..
Geo. E. Harris got all ready with his men
and teams to cut ice, on the Little river, day
before yesterday, but when he began to cut
out and raise the blocks he found the ice
impeded in the green fungi that had formed
in the water during the summer. What he
will do we do not know. We don't believe
ice thus made UP would be healtby-don't
see how it could be. If the ice is not healthy
neither could the water be. 1t seems to US
that the city government ought to do some
thing in the way of looking after the source
of our water supply. They have the power
and it is their duty to do so. We are in
formed that on the banks of the Little river
above town are number OF hog pens and
hog wallows scattered all along. 1t is very
evident that this stream is to be the source
of the water supply for this city for all time
and it must be protected at whatever cost
1t is said by some that nothing
can be done except 10 turn the entire body
of water back into the original channel, but
that that cannot be done without conflict
ing with the vested rights of the Hydraulic
Mill company. There are no rights which
can be held as against the health of q peo-
pie of an entire city. All the city would be
required to do would be to pay for the right
or at the most buy the property and all its
interests. This would be but small mat
ter. If it is fact, land il it is SO it can
soon be determined, and the sooner the bet
ter that the water which goes to run the
mill is necessary to the publication Of the
water used by this city, then our authorities
have only the plainest duty, and that is
TO either negotiate for the right, or other
wise take legal steps TO condemn and pay
for the entire property. They must know
that little money as weighed against the
health of an entire city SHOULD not be con-
sidered for moment Cholera will be in
America next summer without doubt and
We suggest that our authorities
look up the whole matter; and
promptly act, if necessary. Let them in the
first place determine as to the source of our
water supply, whether it is healthy or not;
whether the water works are in the right
place or not, and then what influence or ef-
feet. If any, the water taken by the mill has
upon the water that We drink. If all is as
right as it can be made, then the satisfaction
that the announcement will give the people
vii. be worth more than the trouble will
cost. If ANYTHING is necessary to be done,
then do il at once and without moments
hesitation, because we don't like the report |
that the green fringe or scum or moss is so
thick that it becomes incorporated with the
surface ice of the river, We would rather |
the city authorities should buy the mill
property outright than that . single child
should lose its life through the effects Of i'm
pure water which could by any possible
means be purified. We don't know, of
course, that dividing up the water with the
mill at all effects the healthfulness of the
water remaining, but that can and ought to
be scientifically determined at once by hav-
ing the water in the stand-pipc or well and
the water of the Little river mile or two
above the dam analyzed and compared. We
don't believe that the owners-they are all
citizens-wouid object a moment to any,
thing properly remunerative, but whether
they did or not should make no difference
where the health of the city is jeopardized.
We demand that our health committee shall
at once look into the truth of this ice and
water business.