Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-07
No. 9.
Bacteria per C. C.--No. 1, ~; No. 2, 30.
BEFORE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

On December 22, 1891, the committee COM
posed OF Drs. II. NJ. Taylor, Tompkins, and
others made tho report 10 the chamber OF Conn
merce, aud submitted the above given state
ments and examinations made by Professor
MAllet Professor Fuertes, aud Or. William ii.
Taylor, and the chamber also considered the
staiene nts as 20 the good character ana Nhoe-
someness Of our drinking-rat made by
Colonel Cutshaw, Mr.. Hugh Blair, and DR.. Will
ham II. Taylor and the Chamber OF Commerce,
which has at heart Richnond's welfare and sue
cese, was convinced by the ie;ts presented
above, that the people OF hlchnond were not
drinking water dangerous 70 health and lie,
and therefore made no RECOMMENDATION 10 the
City Council for any change in the method OF
getting our water; although az mat time lney
did submit Recommendations 70 inc Nouncllu upon
many other sanitary matters. Had the Cham
Der OF Commerce been assured OF tho theories
and suspicious contained IN the report OF
Drs. II. n. Taylor, Tompkins, &C., they
would have recommended the change suggested
by them.
In conclusion will say 1t will be both my
pleasure and duty TO execute any orders Inc
City Council may give. and should u DO us Nlit
10 take tho water directly from the river above
Grants dam, near the punp-house. II can Do
done. What the cost will be can't say Just now,
as / have not made an estimate. Not only VIII
the pipes have to DO laid to a point above the
gates, but an inlet chamber OF brick or stone
will have 10 be built, and Grants dam, now Ia
very lad condition. repaired.
BUILD STORAGE LAKE,
Before this is DONE however, wish to call at
teniiOn TO the recommendation as 10 the Dest
manner Of getting our wator and furnishing h all
times nearly clear, contained 10 my annual re-
port for 1856, which each year have repeated.
This recommendation 1 still adhere 70 ana
adyise--yiz: To build large storage lake op the
nat lands lying between the river and canal. Just
west Of tho Philadelphia quarry his lake
would contain over zoe, 900 900 gallons OF water.
The water would DO brought 70 mo pumps Dy
sucton-pipe about one mile long. Inc lake can
be fed from the river itself, brought by CONDUIT
about one quarter OF mile long, Joining the lake
and river Just al the falls near the Fiye-Miis Lock
and lower end OF williams Island. by this means
the water would DO takon from tno river above
the points who're II would receive any cohtami-
Lation from tho quarries and settlements on the
south shore, and whore IL would DO entirely cut
OF from Tuckahoe creek and the other Snail
creeks and branches which now join tho canal
X would be the same as II we had built con-
duit from tho putnp-house 20 the river above
B0sher's dam. We would then get river wafer
only. In the event Of the river becoming muddy
We would have on band ready 10 be used over
200,000,OO0 gallons 81 clear water taken IRON
the river. about twenty days supply etthe pres
ent rate Of pumping at the New pump-house
should IL be necessary 70 I'LL the lake with mud
area, the waier would DO greatly improved BY
sediInentaflon and delivered as the pumps much
improved and nearly clear. Shoald this plan De
adopted, how could even the most fasIidious per-
soo question tho water7 Moreover, the point Of
intake for water would DO so far sboye the city
that i would DO more than a hundred years DO
fore Rlehmonds growth would reach Il. beg
10 say that no o. her drink IN the United
states has been subjected 70 such SCIENTIFIC scfu-
tiny Tor tue past seventeen years and come
forth 20 FREQ Of suspiclon-not from any one rial
bat from repeated examinations BY scientists
skilled N their profession and unpreindiced In
their reports In ma1ing this puoiic statement
have sndeayored 70 give al, The fscts bearing
on the subject Of our drtnkinSswater. have no
desire ~ conceal anything. ! simply wish our
peapls 70 examine he u5oie question and 40
eide for themselves