Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-07-20
GOOD WATER.
4 NOTABLE CONFERENCE OF OFFICIALS IN
THE INTEREST
OF a Pure Article Of Drink-RsSuls Of Analysis Of
River Water at Various Points
The Plans Proposed.

Last evening the gentlemen of the city
Water Board, the Council Committee on
Water Works, Health Officer G. j. CARR
son, Col. Andrew J. Sweeney, President OF
the Second Branch of Council, DR.. George
Baird, Prof. Dwight, and a number OF 9TH
ers interested in a pure water supply
for this city, assembled at the City Hall
for the purpose of discussing this very inn
portant chestnut, and marking out some
feasible plan for improving the present
quality of water furnished by the city
pumping station at the foot of Eighth
street. Mr.. Otto Jaeger, Chairman of the
Committee on Water Works, presided over
the conference, the deliberations of which
were prolonged until nearly 10 o'clock.
DIR. Baird opened the discussion by read
ing a paper of n very interesting character,
in which he referred to the strong desire
existing on every side to boom the city,
and contended that One of the most impor-
tant steps to be taken was the improve
ment of the water supply. While GU
water, fortunately, was not rs bad as that
furnished Bellaire and some other cities To-
Gated along the river, still it was impure
enough to call for energetic steps on the
mart of Council. In reference to the analy-
sis made by Prof. Dwight at the instance
of himself and Others, he
said there could be no doubt
but that n large proportion of the excess of
animal matter found its way into the
river from Mt. Wood Cemetery through
natural assures leading into the old,
worked-out coal banks, whence it was
drained into sewers e~mptying above the
humping station. The farther up the river
the examinations of water were made the
purer it was found, until at the Sisters
island an almost pure article was to be
had.
Turning to the remedy 10 be APP
piled, DIR. Baird said two projects had
been suggested and discussed. One was
10 build a fresh water conduit from the
| Sisters Islands along the river bottom to
the present pumping station, butthis plan,
he thought, would require an amount OF
money beyond the present III OF the
city. Another project, was to build n
sewer from a point in Jonathan's Ravine
south and west until it strikes the river
| shore near the old Sweeney works, then
running south to a point ut or below the
foot of Eighth street, which sewer would
collect and carry below the water works
the drainage of the upper end
of the city, including the Top Mill and the
Hospital. This plan seemed the most feas-
able, and it was thought, from estimates
made by a competent engineer, that the
cost would not exceed $l6,0 900 to $4,000.
Prot. Dwight then took the floor, and read
a voluminOus and exhaustive paper, being
the result ofhiS analysis of water from the
Ohio, the substance of which was that wa
ter obtained at or near the Sisters Islands
was very much better than that now
pumped up for the consumption of the
city.
When the reading of the papers had been
concluded, n long discussion ensued, in the
course of which DIR. Baird pointed out the
advantages to be derived from the proposed
sewer, he thinking the city not prepared
to undergo the expense of laying Il conduit
to the Sisters.
Mr.. Sweeney advocated the latter plan,
SAYING he thought a f~ivc-foot wrought iron
pipe could be supplied and laid for ten
dollars per lincal foot.
Mr.. Hoffman expressed his views at con
siderable length, and then, after a general
talk, the following was adopted
Resolved, That the matter Of the
water supply be referred to the City Water
Board, and that it be requested to employ
a competent engineer to estimate and re-
port the cost of such plans as said Board
may suggest, namely, an intcrccpting
sewer from n point in Jonathan's Gut, ut a
point on a line with the west line of Mt.
Wood Cemetery, to q point below the
water works and the cost of a conduit of
sufficient size to bring water for the use
of the city from 4 point at or near the Sis
tiers Islands to the water works, and also
report to Council which plan, in their
Judgment, will be the better one for the
city to adOpt.
The meeting then adjourned.