The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-05

gAH1I NtHalAugHAHs tNoutN Do AuucL Aht lhlA
and exclusive control OF the city authorities.
The Committee have au abiding saith that
under our present compact and &c nomical
form OF government there would be no in
cre'fed danger OF peeulation, dishonesty
or m Emana ement by conf ring on our
municipal officers the addition al duties
gfONing out cf pubic water system. IL
must be conceded by all that any private
corporation that would contract 10 supply
tho city with water would do 30 only for the
measure Of profit thai such r contract might
promise. hush MEASURE inv Ives the ex-
penHe for president, officers and emp Dyes,
besides profit 10 stockholders. Under city
Ownership, most OF this expense would be
past Memphis has received her wafer
supply through such corporation, and
the experiences has been for from satistaetory.
The experience and example Of all large
cities IN this country and Others prove the
Edyantaees-Tyea, the Hecs'sity Of city owner
ship. We may cite New YORK, Pniladelphia,
Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, 81. Louis, Tin
cinnatl, Leu sville, Cleveland, Washington
ard 800 moro Of the chief cities and toWns
perimen Ted with the sy.tem OF private own
ership, aud have discarded 1t. II Is wise to
profit by the experience OF others. In
European cities such q thing as private
ownership in connection with The public
water supply Ia lot tolerated at all. Mem
pbis has become a great commercial center,
and 10 n 0rOiciHg city. A we'll devised sys-
tsm OF wafer works, supplying clear, pure,
soft water In abundance, can now no eatab-
lished on self supporting basis; Every
year 10 sdding largely to our population and
inc easing the water consumption. IL Is no
visionary idea to see before us the time, at
no very distant day. when our wator works
will become an important source OF net
revenue, and n pOtentihl factor in the ex-
tipeuishment OF our city debt 81
In locking for the proper source Of supply,
the COMMITTEES has had lnder consideration
perhaps every source aad every plan which
mas ever been before our peoIle. Thc shall
low we'll system, Ike that on Long Island,
N. Y. and at Jackson, Tenn was rejected
as impractioablo for lo,a relsons. The 81 :
tcsiAn we'll system was rejected because OF
Its uncertainty and unrellebility. Coldwa-
ter river, Mississippi, Ten nessee river,
Spring, Aiabsma, were deemed imprncticS-
BILE as SOURCES Of supply because of the great
expense involved in each Of these plans,
VIII oh was far beyond any sum that Nom
phia can efyrd 20 exIend In this. object.
The foregoing being all rejected, the com
mittee was narrowed down 20 Wolf river.
youth HON Lake, and the Mississippi river,
and 10 these three II has devoted close and
elaborate investigation. In order TO render
practicable, and acceptable ans. point
from, which to draw supply of water
for this great city, three conditions were
essential. Tho water must be sutiltie
ly pure 10 be wholesome for all domestic
usos; II must be abundant 10 quantity, and
il must DO obtainable at cost not exceeding
system can be made certainly self support
ing, with eur present population, estimated
at 6o,W0. The committee has therefore
sought definite and reliable information on
these points In their relation to three sources
Of supply last mentioned, viz: Wolf river,
Horn lake and the Mississippi river. Sam
pies Of water from each, taken in various
stages and conditions. were sent 70 expert
chemists for analysis. The Mississippi
gsther unfi ! for dom este use; Horn lake less
Objectionable, but not satisfactory; Wolf
river water, taken at the eros ing of the
Louisville and Nashville railroad, was
found TO be comparatively pure. and, after
proved as suitable for all domestic uses, and
for use In boilers. The anal tical tables ac-
companying this report, prepared by the
Drs. Elliott, Of the " estern Military Insti-
into, noar Dayton. o and DR.. Chas. Smart,
United States Army; OF the Surgeon Gen,
erals Office. Wash n ton, D. C.,wi DO found
interesting In this connection. This result
will be surprise to many, but when it Is
remembered that the Mississippi river and
it, tSE srss drain an i%%ebse territory
1000 fron east To- wost, aud populI ted by %
NOo GOA Of people, with It's hundred great
cities, thoui ande OF towns and villsges, and
countless manufactures Of all descriptions,
lOr WulCu tnlb mikhty TlNor performs the
duty OF q common sewer, no farther demons
STRAIT on 10 needed TO confirm the analyses
VIII oh show that its water when IL reaches
Memphis Ia loaded with foul impurities, and
that IL must become more 20 from year TO
year as the popu la,i ion Of the Northwest In
croases. tits equally . ain and credible that
Wolf riyor, originating from several copious
springs located in g sandy distriotand coural
ing through q thinly settled country for q
distances of only sixty miles To the pr0posed
4 A kaL TO- I'll
It's banks, must closely approximate the
character Of spring wafer when not turbld
from rains, and this fact 10 conclusively
shown by The analyses absye referred to.
As TO- the question Of supply. From the
ted. That rom Horn Lake L SOMEWHAT
doubtful, From Wolf river the discharge
has been afoertained by careful meaaure-
ments, taken In the autumn N NTH after
prolonged stretch OF dry weather, when the
Sc0, 200 gallons per hoar, or tairty-fv times
more than the daily consumption of Mem
phis az this time.
In oniderins tho question of cost II was
ascertained thai tho expenditure would be
about the same in obtaining wster either
from Horn Lake or from Wolf river at the
Changing current, OF the MssiSsippi and
thu consequent unreliable ty OF It's banks the
cO%%ittec ionpd that any plan for liking
won d involve engineering problems which
have never yet been solved, and would entail
an expense necessarily very great So se-
rious W re these difficulties that there was
mot suthcient time or means as y The command
taking the preliminary examinations and
surveys which were necessary 10 order to qe-
termine the mere practicabili'y Of the
scheme.
With these facts ascsrtlined, the commit
teo has been led almost irresistibly to tho
cOnolus'o on that Wolf river offers the true
solution of tho water question for Memphis.
In common with tho mass Of our citizens tho
mombors OF the com mittec, at the time Of
their appointment, we're strongly antagou is
BIC x wS ysr aney So kGeT only
to us by the present water company fol years
past and which was taken fronl the river at
the present locstion OF their works, only a
short distance above itl confluence with the
Mississippi and with Bayou GayOso, liable
at all times TO be optam mated by haokwater
from these streams, and also. receiving the
foul DRAWINGS from the northern portion OF
our city. In the progress Of its. work the
committee soon discovered that this was al
together q different water from that from
Wolf river above the railroad crossing,
whore u is entirely beyond the ros oh Of tho
communicating influences above referred to.
II Is tho water taken, from this higher
point that shows such satisfactory re-
buibs uhuNN ehhigctoN hNh " Who uoEo
that the stream was gagged during its
lowest stages and showed an hourly
discharge OF .OOo,OOO. gallons. Deriving It's
source from several cogious springs, IL
reaches the point referred TO in q condition
Of almost original purity, The quantity Of
minerals. or other foreign sub stances con-
tanned In II is romarkpbly small. tits free
from lime and "a therefore very soft an 4
specially adapted for use in laundries and
boilers. The PRINCIPAL objection Ia the color
impaired 10 the water from the clay soil Of
tho country through which II aows, After
heavy rains this is PARTICULARLY noticeable
and objectionable. But after the rains cease
the abundant flow Of clear water from above
soon carries OF the turbd current and
cleanses the stream again, With ample res
ervoirs the pumping might bu so regulated
as 20 avoid taking the water while In It's
muddy onditioh, and thus the public sup
ply might DO kept Comparatively clear. But
TO secure certainty on this score the commit
tee have boon engaged during tho
last elk months In investigating the Hyatt
dlter, an invention of recent years,
designed especially Tor altering water In
large quantities for the use Of cities and
towns. Tho assistanoo Of skilled experts Of
national reputation an such matters
was called Inland with nthpirr help an
exhaustive exHmiaationt 81 this 6itor has
been made. .Aftef poseral very Important
,imPrbvementa which were suFgsBtedE and
pdeplod durine the EXAMINATION, the alter
hAe been pIonOunoed success By the AK
potts. and tho proprietors guAfA v toe SattS-
action 70 It's work. By its adoption one or
N ore OF the reservoirs can be dis DO uRod with,