The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-20

river. III observations, which were
now being taken, showed that the
watershed was sufficient to furnish
the supply, and he was correct in
other things, Gen. Greene thought
Horn Lake might be best after all.
Chairman Hampton Explains.
In letter addressed yesterday to
the editor OF this paper, Chairman
Hampton OF the committee says:
In order that your correspondent,
"Reformer," and the public generally
may not labor under the erroneous
belief that the Water Committee is
acting hastily or thoughtlessly in
their consideration OF this all impOr-
tant subject, it is right and proper
that / should thus publicly sub nit
some facts as respo nse to the COM
munication published in your paper
Sunday, and also to one that appeared
in Avalanche of same date over the sig
nature of "CitizsD." The latter asks,
"Will Wolf river furnish an adequate
supply of water for large city ?" In
reply to this the following extract is
taken from a report made by skillful
engineers employed by the city to in
vestigate this very matter: ITO de-
termine the quantity available from
Wolf river, the stream was carefully
gagged in the month of October when
it was at its lowest stage OF the sea-
son, ard reported by the oldest resi-
dents along its bank to be at its low
est annual fall stage. The gaugings
were made October 9th, 10th and
18th at point four and half miles
above Raleigh, and the average dis
charge during the time of these OBJ
servations was found to be 1886, 775
United States gallons per hour, being
equal to nearly eight times the mimi
mum discharge OF Croton river, sup
plying the city Of New York" So
much fer the Wolf river supply.
These gaugings have never been
disputed or question by any competent
Judges. Having been made by skill
full engineers fully capable OF doing
such work corr Getty, the Water Com
mittee accepts them as a safe and true
bssis on which to work, in so far as
the question of supply is involved ;
for the estimate of Memphis consump-
ton is sixty gallons per capita daily,
or 8 100000 per day for a population
$4,000 souls. To quote further flom
the same report: "The sources of
Wolf river are reported to be about
siAty-fve miles southeastwardly from
Memphis, and composed OF compara-
lively small number Of springs, dis
oharo;,,o s,eaot uol,,poas ~ oon1stana
water. These statements are cor
roborated by the fact that for three
months last fall, during the driest
weather, the stage of the river did not
vary six inches, and also by the aDaly
ses showing comparatively a small
quantity of lime and large quantity
Of silicic acid Tor flint held in solu-
ton by the water.
AS to the relative purity of the diff
ferent supplies Of water acce sible to
Memphis, there is this to be SAID;
Sealed packages of water taken from
the Wolfriver, the Miss ssippi, Hatchie
lake and a local we'll, with no mark or
designation on the packages, except
number on each, were sent to DR. John
Locke and Joseph M. Locke, eminent
analytical chemists in charge of the
laboratory of the Western Military In
stitute, near Dayton, o., and we have
their elaborate and critical report OF
the analyses of these several packages
by their numbers, they themselves
being purposely kept ignorant of the
sources whence the water was taken.
The specimens were taken from the
two rivers in the months OF June,
July, August, September and October,
so as to secure the variations resulting
from the changes in the rivers and
state of the water during that interval.
The result was reported as follows:
After settling aud fitering, and thus
eliminating all impurities which were
merely held in suspension, it was as-
certained that the two specimens from
HatChie lake contained OF solid
matter in solution l23 and IA 1-5
grains respectively the three
specimens from the Mississippi con-
tanned IA l.l6, 10 $40 and 8 7-10
grains per gallon respectively;
and fou. specimens from Wolf river
contained, respectively, 2 $40, 4 40,
2 7-l0 and 2 40 grains per gallon.
The specimen of well water, clear and
sparkling as it appeared TO the eye,
contained the greatest number of min
eral substances of all, and showed
7 7-10 grains of solid matter per gal
Ian. The solids thus held in solution
in clear, filtered Mississippi water
thus analysed are lime, msgnesia,
sodium, alumins, silicic acid, carbonic
acid, chlorine and organic matter.
Those in Wolf river are lime, slumina,
silicic acid and carbonic acid.
The correctness OF these analyse
have never been disputed or ques-
toned by any competent authorities.
These facts show that the Water Com
mittee have not acted blindly or care
lessly in the steps they have thus far
taken. They have been eight months
considering and digestinG these and
other important facts, so that when
their recommendation should be
made to the city government they
would be INTEL gent, sensible, practic-
able.
"Reformer" argues that agitation
purifies water. Most people prefer
that water should have a chance to
settle, to precipitate is impurities be-
fore they use it. Stirring don't inn
prove II muddy pool, nor a muddy
lake, nor q muddy river. A running
stream that deposits impurities held
in suspension does thus become puIer
by it's activity. But this is just the
thing that the Mississippi DOES no. do.
In this respect it does not possess the
merit of other rivers which get lid OF
part of their impurities by precipita-
ton. Il has a turbulent, rolling, boil
ing character peculiar to itself which
keeps all its impurities stirred up from
the bottom and thoroughly we'll
mixed. Who has ever seen the
mighty Father Of Waters" and not
observed this wonderful cha acteristic
which makes it a river Of its own
kind-alone in its singularity And
this popularity which "Rsformer"