The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-10-15

pointed a committee to investigate the
matter OF the polluting Of Pawtuxet
water, and to report to the club rem
edy. The committee consisted of George
G.. Hazard, Stephen Waterman, Charles
X. Makepeace, TO whom have been added
by special vote Augustine Jones and Jo-
seph A. Miller.
After thorough investigation OF the
PawtuXet River the committee came TO
the conclusion that no steps could be
taken TO thoroughly prevent the pollu-
tion OF the river, that the steps already
taken, which are now being enforced. in
creased the danger OF pollution and are
also endangering the lives of the inhabi-
tants of the Pawtuxet Valley and thereby
vastly multiply the danger of typhoid and
other epidemics In the city of PROVIDENCE.
The cemented cesspo ols along the river
banks become u storehouse for filth and
disease, which by the free use of running
water are forced TO the soil and create
during the heated terms typho id and
malarial fevers.
The commit tee also came to the conclu-
sion that the Pawtuxet river would at all
times be directly or indirectly a natural
sewer by which the villages and mills are
drained and therefore would at all times
be unit for use as source of drinking
for the people OF the city of PROVIDENCE.
After investigating all the sources
from which water COULD be supplied To
the city and having in mind primarily
the three important desiderata: FIRST.
that the supply must be ample for city
OF at least twice the size of PROVIDENCE.
Second, that the water must be taken
above all the mills and villages so as to
prevent pollution, and third, the water
supply must be found at such an elevation
that IL can be supplied to the Sockanosset
reservoir by gravltation, the committee
found that the watershed of the south
4 n - ~
Washington can be so sub-dvided by
dams that during rainy seasons enough
pure water can be stored TO supply 20, O0O.-
600 gallons per day, or three times the
quantity now required by the city for
eighteen months.
TO carry this plan into effect the Gen
eral Assembly would have to create n
commission, with power to acquire the
whole of this watershed, so that il could
be used as n reservation and eventually
as n natural park, in which the water
could be protected against pollution.
BY this plan the mills on this branch of
the river would still have all the water
that they now use aud would have this
water more uniformly distributed
throughout the whole year
As the supply OF pure water TO the city
of PROVIDENCE Is public necessity, the
people of this city are entitled to fair con-
sidrration by tho State Legislature and
nave n rlknb 10 request the governor To
call the attention OF the Assembly t. the
fact that the city OF PROVIDENCE Is on the
eve of water famine aud that public
necessity requires some immediate relief
As careful an estimate as can be made
without actual survey demonstrates that
the city of PROVIDENCE can be supplied
with an abundance Of fresh water by
gravitation aJ an outlay the interest on
which will not much exc caed the present
cost of pumping the water from the Paw
tuxet into tue Sock tnosset reservoir.
This committee will report ut the meet
ing OF the Advance CLUB which will bs
held on the first Wednesday in Novenl-
Der.
The tract of land which the proposed
watershed will occupy Is about the size
OF the town OF Coventry.
The Plan Meets with Approval Down the
Valley.
Tho project of establishing water shed
I'm the town aud using the water from
Quidnick pond and the other reservoirs
between Greene aud Washington, for
drinking purposes, meets with the ap-
proval OF the citizens OF the Pawtuxet
Valley "a well as the inhabitants of the
city OF PROVIDENCE.
The Quidnick pond, which is situated
about two miles from Harkney Hill and
three miles from Coventry Centre, il
upon very high elevation OF land aud is
noted for the coolness and purity OF its