Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-09-25
Tuckahoe Creek and city Water.
To hs FIjfot. of he Ifsp1fch

To he EditOr OF NE DlspWch
The prevalence Of diphtheria has evoked
unusual activity in the department Of the
Board of Health of the city. An official
inspection Of streets, alleys. and private
lots In Of the districts OF the city has been
made, AMI your report ~ the Results informs us
that tho want Of cleanliness, amounting to
filth, prevailed in many places.
An additional number Of carts was put ut the
dispo sal Of the health Hers. and they we're i'm
mediatciy employed, aud doubtless to good pur-
pose: for while am OF the school that regards
the cause OF diphtheus Us n hitherto uniath-
OInod ret by the scientific world, believe II II
general proposition which no ono will dispute
that Nth generates disease.
so, too the dog-dsys have given W. n crcina-
tory n new thing under the sun, and ~ iast the
aldermen have given It y place. where, rke An
tony % Cleopatra. II may say, here 10 my
space
Is II r,nf Yes; il Is an experiment, but one.
rs they say. In the right dir.cton-that H. 4, Is
an honest effort on the pat of those in authority
to reduce our mortality. Atloast. without know
ing anything about M" bGrs'ef JureHsr, take II
for granted II il q good thing.
Bat while my ignorance on the subject OF
crematory advantages IL. confess crns, must
admit that entertain 80 grave doubts IA 20 Tue
purity OF the water IN our hyifnnis That am
unwilling to say that know 1t Is pure without a
| test to - ablish the fact.
How closely home l. this suspicion OF mine
| brought by the resolution which. observe, Colo
| net Cary recently Introduced 20 authorize th"
| legal depar- mcuf Of tho city 70 OBTAIN an ih-
junction 10 prevent somebody's turn - INTO the
| flow Of IuckahOe creek tho waters that might
| be pumped from some coal-pits In lienrico coun-
| Is. lost fOrsooth, they might contamnate the
| drinking wntcr Of the riiy of ri 'hnoni.
| To this move. rs 10 the others above, hke"l7r
| give nv approval II also Is In the right dire
| fiOn. Bat, Mr. Editor. il Il no fearful H1n.s-
| sion on the part Of tho city that IL thus mad" by
| ono II her aldermen when her own citizens ana
the world AT large are thereby informed That our
| q "a
| Do they know IuckahOe creek DO they kn""
| that IL Is n sluggish, inud-bcddcd creek thhi
| hardly flows at all. bat winds IT, slow len;th iut
| probably six miles IN the low-grolnf-, rank with
| marsh-weeds and the home 81 frogs. hdpolc-'
| and leachos- Snail the health department
make an Official inspection to iis region 10 aScer-
tain II Its waters 'r,'hOiW the coal-lhl WASH =
| contaminaiing. No Let VA have the matter OF
| the purity If our water supply settled beyond
| pcraiyenturc 10y analysis.
| think | have heard II stated that AN analyst.
| mnie u fcw years ago showed that bottle ot
| water whether fnken from the mouth OF tho
| uutnp nj Tho city water-works, from the middle
Of the river there. or from the river at KpcK"tts
| below the inflow of tho ciiy's sewerage, showed
the same rcsult-y.Z, that II was nj pure, gool
drinking water. Do You know. doubt. One ~
| the great metropolitan newspapers. the lie my
! recently undertook TO have analyZei tne wafer
| supply ot several Of the large cities OF the
! country and made the discovery that i've ont 81
rcvcn 4 those examined were drinking impure
| water, the analysis showing he presence OF n
trou- acid, an element said to be destructive Of
health.
have not written % make q sensation, but <
| press An honest doubt as 70 tho hcaithi Illness
Of the water we drink and 70 indulge the hope
| TIA n au experiment. If nothing else. You VII
| render yOu-seii. II that be possible, even more
| valuable to our community than you already
| are by having n analysis made OF our hydran
| water 10y some h gh authority.
| II you consider that sm asking too much o
| a philosophical Journal. start subscription
o.
| amount lie cssary for an analysis at once.
CRRCT.