The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-06

either side. During the rainy season,
aud at every rain, tbs entire surface Of
the watershed OF the creek is washed
down into the stream, and flows to the
river COMMUNICATING the creek with the
organic matter Of Its entire watershed:
Besides, the creek Is a very rapid
flowing stream, there Is no opportunity
for the organic matter TO settle or de-
post, and hence it will be found that
the amount OF organic matter per gal
lon Is very large, so large that 1t Is to-
tally unfit for drinking water.
Another feature OF the creek water:
this entire watershed is covered with
yellow clay soil, and at every rain this
yellow soil, clay, not sand, is washed
down into the creek, making II entirely
unfit for culinary purposes. These peri,
odical rains occur so frequently, that
there is hardly week in the year lex
cepting in very dry season. that its
water is not turbulent and muddy.
Another feature OF the creek water Is
perhaps the worst OF all objections: The
entire watershed OF the creek is Of
calcareous nature, and the water lex
cepting at high stages is hard, or lime
stone water, and cannot be used for or.
binary domestic purposes without the
admixture OF an alkali. or in common
parlance, breaking" This feature alone
Is an insuiTerable barrier to use Of the
creek wrtOr.
Another objection to the creek, hint
cd at already, ia its size. II will not
furnish sufficient water at oil seasons.
A writer in one Of the city papers says:
1.-THE creek is as large as the Thames,
that furnishes the entire city 81 Lon
don with water" This writer made
two errors: First, the Thames does not
furnish the entire city OF London with
water. The city OF London Is supplied
with water from the Rivers Lea and
Thames. Second. the Thames Is the
largest river OF England. 1t is 250 miles
long, and is navigable 100 miles. II is
eighteen miles broad at its mouth, and
sixty miles above, at the city OF Lon
don, it is 100 feet wide and forty feet
in depth. When We remember that the
Great Eastern was launched at London
(this ship was 602 feet long and llS feet
in width, we can easily see that there
must be very great difference in the
size Of the Thames and our creek.
Wheeling is very favorably situated
for obtaining good, pure, sparkling
water. The Ohio river is one OF the
most beautiful streams in the universe,
and its waters are as excellent as any
that flow into the Atlantic or Pacific
ocean, and it is only necessary for us to
have ordinary enterprise TO obtain it
in allits pristine purity. Two methods
are in use in this country and in
Europe. Either OF them can readily be.
put into use here, and by either method
this city can obtain a fine quality of
water, a water that is as good as that
used by any considerable city in this
country, or in Europe, either.
The method used by all OF the large
cities Of Europe is that OF filtering, and
this method can be used here as read
ilY rs any place in the world. 1t is
practical and efFectual, and as / said
above. all that is necessary is enter
prise in order to have it successfully
carried into execution in Wheeling.
The other method is that OF precipita-
ton, or settling. This is the method in
New York, and it can be as readily
adapted in this city as in any other city
in this or any other country. Let our
water commissioners build at some
suitable place above this city large
reservoir, composed oil, say four COM
partments, either OF which is large
enough to furnish this city with water
two days. After such a reservoir is
filled with water, pumped from the
river, the city can be supplied with No.
for two days while the balance is set
Ting; from No. 9 for two days. while
No. / IS refilled, ETC., etc. BY this
method each compartment would have
eight days to settle before it is let into
the mains of the city, and the result
would be that our supply Of water
would be improved immensely. If the
reservoir was still larger and composed
OF more compartments the water could
settle longer and, consequently, be
much better, but eight days settling
would give US elegant water. BY
adopting either of these methods our
present reservoirs could be utilized and
the city OF Wheeling could obtain by
either good drinking water.
Wheeling, August5.