Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-11
| NEW WATER COMPANY
A Climax Reached in the Trouble
Over the Southside Supply.
POPULAR CITIZENS MOVEMENT.
Chemists Say the Stuff is Pure, but Others
Do Not Believe 1t.
WANT A MIcROscOPICAL TEST MADE

The agitation on the Southside for better
and more abundant supply of water for that
section of the city has finally reached a
climax, in the announcement that Citizens
Water Company is to be organized for the
purpose of supplying Knoxville, Allen
town, Beltzhoover borough and Mt.
Oliver Representatives of the Birming-
ham Land Improvement Company claim to
have made repeated calls upon the Monon-
gahela Water Company for the purpose Of
making arrangements with the latter to sup
ply their hill district with water, but have
as yet been unable to get satisfactory an
swer.
At recent meeting of the Land Com
pany special committee was appointed to
make inquiries as to the right of way for
mains and the cost Of constructing a water
works.
PERMISSION HAS BEEN SECURED.
This committee has already secured per-
mission from the township authorities to
run an inlet pipe from the Monongahela
river above Beck's run, up through the
township to Southview Place. where the
reservoir will be located. 1t is proposed to
fix the capital stock at 5000, 900 at present.
and allow any citizen desiring to do SO to
subscribe for any amount from S. up.
Among the citizens now interested in the
enterprise are Ferdinand Benz, c. e. Sue
cop, Henry Miller, John Phillips, Charles
G. Miller, Charles Weber, A. K. Duff. J.
P. Schneider, Joseph Erny, John McKain.
j. W. Ruhlandt, DR.. NJ. A. Arnholt, SAM
uel Miller, Charles Breitweiser, Theodore
Weber, John Benz and Prof. Colder. There
are So men in all, most of whom are we'll
known business men on the Southsde, and
many of them live on either one OF the hills
they propose to supply.
The plans Tor the organization are vet in
an embryotic state, but those interested in
it say they mean business and the company
will surely be formed. In speaking of the
said yesterday: The Birmingham Land In
provement Company has been put to an unlim-
tied amount of Inconvenience through the
failure of the Monongahela Water Company
to give us satisfaction, and we propose to fur
nish our own water supply.
GETTING HORRIBLE WATER.
'The water we have been getting this summer
has been horrible stuff. and besides, we don't
get much more than half a supply on the hill.
1 am satisfied we can push our scheme through
and will not only supply all of the people out
side the city limits but I believe ii we could
get the right of way to lay mains, we could
supply many of the people on the Southside as
WELL We will not have any trouble in secur-
ing the patronage of the people in all the
boroughs."
The special committee appointed by Councils
to investigate the Sou Inside water supply will
meet next Saturday afternoon. The report of
Hunt and Clapp. the analytical chemists, has
been filed with the Chairman of the committee,
Mr.. Robertson. He says it shall not be made
public until the meeting is held. From another
source it was learned that the analysis made by
the chemists shows the Southsde water to be
equally as good as that of the old city, and COM
paratively pure.
DOES NOT COVER IT.
gentleman who was interested in the in
vestigation made by the Special Committee of
the Board of Health in 1887, says a chemical
analysis does not cover the question. In 1887
the committee was appointed to investigate the
cause of the typhoid fever epidemic
on the Southside. They employed
to make chemical analyses of the water They
also engaged DR.. E. A. Mundorff and Prof. J.
H. Logan, of the Western Pennsylvania Med
ical College, expert microscopists. to make
microscopic examinations. The report Of the
ch emists showed the water of the Southside 10
contain 100 per cent more of solids, organic
matter free ammonia nitric acid and other
acids, and 500 per cent more Of sulphuric acid
than the water used In the Old City. That was
not considered so bad, but the report of the
showed the danger. They deni-
onstrated. in the language of the report, the
presence of epithelium. bacteria, micrococci
and vegetable organisms in great abundance"
They also demonstrated the presence of large
amount of organic excrementitious matter.
The special committee took occasion to re-
port as result of their labors to councils that
the microscope was the only medium by which
the presence of disease germs in water can be
discovered.
ic foIr hrf fI,or he
fore mentioned to show that the report of the |
present committee will be useless showing
The real condition of the matter they are to in
Vestigate, unless they have a microscopic ex-
animation made. Mr.. Robertson was asked
II he intended to have such an exam
nation made, but he said not