Telegram-herald., 1889-09-09
CITY WATER SUPPLY
a Letter or the ubject Prom
M Hugo Thum
IFFlClCY OF TIE gEW FILTER BED


0wag io tie great pahac interest IA
iae ,aDI.et M4ller, and iAe ! gn stand
-ug oi t.e ur.ter es aa aeiaouiy a.
saeh matters. the IAE RAA-llEEAln
tAl- morning rslrs6uees lhe following
letter from hnso IAum patl-slea yes
ter4ay morning in ihe i.sie
"ltyon would kindly sraa.ms space /
would ks 10 discuss. ia Yoar columns.
some opinions aqaa .ae water question
which sre credtel hy a reporter m
your edition of September & Ia Free
man Gotfrsy, "a memoef of tae Beard
ol Public Works, and q close student ot
water supply "a general, aad for th-s
clty .n particular" go not wish %
enter into a controversy Wta Nr. Cod
hey concerning tAe value "a VARIOUS
authorte- M reference u Nu.cA ndi-
Yduels NAV with propre ety daef, bui
when he asserts that "Al the great au-
lhorites unite ln sas ng that running
water purhes itself and thar even sew
/ age deposited n rlKDrs. after being car
f.e0 alolg Tor ten miles I'D a raN dlA
flowing stream, does Dot laNe the pow
~ % c0uiAmuate tlc Natl.' eco NOT
hesitate 10 SAY that either lr. Godfrey IS
reading ou the subject las been eX-
tfemeiy superficial, or tlyt l- MEM
ory. IN tins instance al least, is tA-
/ iremcly unreliable.
1T ls true that some Of the earlier au-
! thOr.tes on the subject asserted thc
! theory stated above, bat il j. equally
true that these gentlemen never al
| tempted 70 prove their assert Ons, and
| that bat "a short time after they were
! made 1T was demonstrated hy Quanta-
tive proofs, which have never been
| called ia question. that fhc assertions
were fallacies.' ] could continue m
| definitely with QuoiauCus OF similar
! character, but by reference TO the iol-
! loving authorities. the reader, and no
! doubt even Mr.. Godfrey himself, VIII
arrive NJ thc opposite conclusion 20 the
one attributed 20 hmm by the reporter.
! Prof. ". Ripley Nichols, Water sup
! ply; First Report of the Rivers Pollu-
ton Commission, River Thames. Great
| Britain; sir Benjamin Brodle; Dr. l..
Frankland; Annual Report Mass. State
Board OF Health; Parke Hygiene; LIP
| pincOtts Encyclopedla.
each individual is entitled 10 hold
! and cxprcs, freely his or her personal
opinions and when Mr.. Godfrey an
uOuncCs himself a. opposed 90 the gal
lery system and prefers 10 recommend
"thc digging ri a ditch from one % five
miles in length above the city on the
| west side 0i the river as "A means Of
] trrt.rfs4ft ~. a
difference of opinion as To- the advau-
| tages Of the two methods He says.
''Cet your water from an open ditch,
I whore n isexpOscd TO the ar and won
get stagant.' a curious method 10
keep liquid pure IS 10 expose i 20 the
elements. winch pOlute and deccm-
pose il. Would not person prefer 90
use water for drinking purposes which
| has been conducted from ITS under
| ground source IN the gravel 10 hs home
py means of clean. underground con-
duIts IN which all the cond tons tend
ing 10 pOliute water, are mltavorabie,
| since plants and animals can not thrive
therein. the water remains cool, and no
mpuity can reach ~ Would not.
ask. the majority OF people prefer
water delivered 10 thcm under such
conditions, TO that which had been con-
Iucted from one 10 five miles through
an open ditch, dug in a sWampy soil.
lined with weeds and aquatic plants
aud warmed by the sun 90 "a tempcra-
iure most favorable 10 the growth OF
mvrlads Of animalcul@, lizards, snakcs
etc.
''But when he asserts dogmat.Callv
| that "thc r.vcr water Is pure enough 4
the sand ard soil can be filtered out as
Nc VIII soon do IL, and that the river
water "is tne best supply here in tbs
| c.tv,' hC : making assertions which
can b. dIspoved hy demonstrated
-cieut.fiic facts, the truth oi which CAD
be questioned only hy proving some in-
! accuracy u the scientific process by
Naich tie facts were obtained.
"Fr0m Mr. Godfrey statement We lu-
icr.
j. That he admits that the water
winch flows n Grand river Is not suite
| able Ior domestic c u~e.
p That le claims IT would hc SO IL
,hc sand and so'i could bc removed.
3. That he Is confident that tsc filter
/ now beng constructed according o. hl-
plans VIII accomplish taai result.
4. ln fact. chat he claims that the
water which the Board OF Public Works
ul tnn furnish so tae consumers
wiI De- tho BEST supply for tn ctv.
"A- long a- lD admits. ilaf tlC river
/ water in IFS present condition IS NOT
suitable Tor c0wcstic sse. n0 further
a -ou--ou necessary on fh- point
IatI o0 nos aiu'f flat f.lc removal 0f
nd and -ol wiI siH.f slfv pgrfv
t1c water. as these foru oHIr q portion
af the .-ect onat.o elements which lf
( f.fsr... and u.lrr.l f-fr. rse .n far q e