Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-26
WELL WATERW ANTED
Citizens Of the Twenty-Sixth Ward to
Make an Experiment.
THEY BEGIN TO RAISE A PURSE,
And will Ask Councils to Drill Artesian
Wells in Each Ward,
IF THE TEST PROVES TO BEA SUCCESS

At meeting of the citizens of the
Twenty-sixth ward. last night, in the
Humboldt schoolhouse, the sum of $145 was
subscribed by property holders of the ward,
to put down an artesian test well, and if it
proves successful, Councils will be petitioned
to put down wells all over the Southside, to
supply the demand for water. The question
of a pure and henlthful water supply
in that portion of the city has
actuated the citizens to take prac-
tical steps to provide for themselves.
supply from other sources than the
Monongahela.
The meeting was largely attended by rep
resenrative citizens of the ward, and the
pervading spirit was to get water that could
be used for culinary purposes and not be
menace to the public health. The
general sentiment was largely in
favor of artesian wells, to
replace the present source of water. The
matter met some opposition at the outset by
some physicians, who claimed the ground
was not suitable for the purpose Of sinking
wells, on account of a greater portion Of the
ward being filled in, and wells
would necessarily have to be drilled
deeply, and to do this success
fully it would entail such a cost that
Councils would not countenance the pro-
ject, but as it was conclusively proven that
wells could be sunk in sections of the ward
outside of the made ground, the matter met
no further opposition.
WHAT WELLS WOULD COST.
1t is calculated that the entire cost Of
artesian wells in each ward, at the depth of
15O feet, would cost, for each ward, $4,000,
and the total cost would thus be for the IL
Southside wards, S4S,000
The meeting was called to order by e1-
Alderman J. N. Jarrett, who, after stating
the object of the meeting, asked for sugges-
tions as to how the water question should be
solved. Several gentlemen were on the
floor simultaneously at the conclusion of
the Chairman's remarks, ready to offer plans
as to how it should be brought about. Singu-
larly enough, each speaker had the same
plan to offer, viz, that the only way it could
be accomplished was to drill artesian wells.
DR.. j. M. Duff cautioned the meeting to
proceed carefully and not to put themselves
on record as urging the adoption of this
method to Council and have it prove i'm
practicable. Should the system of artesian
wells prove unhealthful the city would be
put to a great expense for nothing. He had
seen an analysis of sample of water taken
from we'll in this locality, and found in it
disease germs and bacteria, and was. ..satis-
fed the clear and sparkling water contained
fever-breeding animal life. This was due,
possibly, to crack in the stone from which
the water is drawn, which admits the drain
from cesspools and other contaminated
places in the water, and if the utmost eau
tion is not exercised in casing up these wells
we might as we'll continue to put up with
our present supply of water, as it would be
going to an unnecessary expense. beside cre-
emanate than from the Monongahela river"
ON THE OTHER SIDE.
DR.. M. A. ArnhoIt did not fully concur
with DIR. Duff, and gave his views on the
matter.
The result was that DR.. Duff was willing
to give the system fair and impartial test,
and was the first to subscribe to that end,
and offered a resolution that it was the
sense of the meeting to sink
we'll on the school house property,
and to have the water undergo q
chemical analysis, by competent chemist,
when the we'll was completed. The amount
above stated was subscribed, and a COM
mittee appointed to solicit further subscrip-
tions for putting down the test well. DIR.
Duff said he would subscribe $40 for the
Humboldt school children, and have them
contribute pennies to help in the work.
Messrs. Snyder, Deakin and Herllg were
appointed committee to advertise for bids
to put down the we'll.
A contractor present stated that in lieu of
a money subscription he would give q large
discount if he was awarded the contract for
the work. The meeting then adjourned to
meet at the call of the Chairman.
1t is estimated that the we'll and analysis
of the water will cost about $780,