Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-15
WANT PURER WATER.

Allegheny Citizens Answer the Call of
Mayor Kennedy to Discuss the Water
ProbIem-Gooh Suggestions and Finnn-
ciaI Ais oGered-B +. Jones Presides.
More than 100 citizens of Allegheny met
last evening in the Common Council cham
Der TO devise means Of obtaining better
water supply. Mayor Kennedy called the
meeting to order, and Hon. B. T. Jones
was elected President d. B. Oliver
and Dr. Woodward were elected
Vice Presidents and Theophilus Sproul
acted as Secretary. In opening the
meeting Mr.. Jones said he did not think
the water was in such a poisonous state as
was alleged. Still there was every room
Tor complaint The water was unquestion-
ably filthy, and the cause of such condi-
ton should at once be remedied.
Mayor Kennedy said that since Davis
Island dam had been built the water of
Allegheny City had been very
impure. 1t was the intention of
the Government to build another
dam next spring which would even make
matters worse The filth dumped into the
rver from the West Penn Hospital, the
stock yards, tan yards and fertilizing facto-
ries hal made the source of the water sup
ply breeding place for every form OF dis
ease.
If something was not done verv soon the
State Board of Health would issue mSnda-
tory orders to secure purer supply. The
citiz ems should act for themselves and
rot wait for compulsory methods.
The best thing to be done, His Honor said,
would be to cause the removal of the in
fluent pipes at least above Herr's Island.
He had no doubt but that the citizens
would gladly furnish the money to carry
the project forward.
Filth From augh;er Houses.
DIR. r. s. Sutton said the water question
was brought up 90 years ago The advisl-
biiity Of boiling the water was theE dis
cussed. At the present time the gravity
of the situation could not be for
one moment overestimated. ''The water OK
Allegheny" said the doctor, "is in horri-
bly, filthy condition. Last Sunday 1 saw
hundred hogs driven into pen built out into
the river near the inhuent pipe. and saw
stream of blood and water, yard wide,
flowing into the river just above that point,
from the slaughter houses along
Butchers run. Typhoid fever is bad
enough, but when it comes to cholera it is a
million times worse. II the detection of
one cholera patient be allowed to enter that
iuluent pip, it means death to at least
81, ,0e0 Of our population.
l}r Sutton told OF the ravages of cholera
in this country in the past, and gave q
graphic description of the destruction it has
wrought il the Eastern countries. He said
cholera visitation in this country could
not possibly be gotten rid Of under two
wear.
James B. Scott said that while he con-
sidered the water supply of Alleg gheny filthy
and disgusting in the extreme, he did not
believe it was as poisonous as the doctors
say it is. lie is strongly in favor of doing
something to gei pure water and suggested
that Two or three pipes be laid as far up as
Claremont. A pumping station ought to be
erected where the intuent pipe now is and
the water from these pipes should be pumped
into the reservoirs.
Suggesting Issu~ Of Ronds.
He didn't think it right that the city
should pay all the cost OF these pipes. and
pumping station in ona or two wears but
that bonds should be issued payable, sav in
% years. He tavors issuing 81 000, 900
worth OF / per cent bonds. With the valGa-
tion of the city being SO, ,0uO, 600 the tax rate
would be only IL mills, and an increase of
only y mills
If the water supply was not remedied
Allegheny would lose 10, 00G Of her popula-
ton in the next five years; whereas If she
had q good water supply, her population
would increase at least 10000 in the same
period.
David B. Oliver said: 'T don't think our
water supply could be much worse than it
is. / have made a special study OF such
matters in Eng and, and must saw that such
supply as ours would not be allowed to
exist in that country. Our water is poison
Gus III the extreme, especially during low
water Only God knows how many of our
citizens have died from drinking this water.
The first thing FOR every gentleman here to
do is to make himself a committee OF one to
work up q voting sentiment in favor of
giving US better supply of water. No
city in the country has better water than
Allegheny or Pittsburg, but it takes money
TO get it. The thing for us to do is to get
that money and get it quick.
Germs Coming Down tho River
James Shipman could not see what advan-
tagr could be derived by CARRYING the
i-fluent pipe up the river five miles. If the
cholera should break out at Johnstown
OF any other town which drains into the
Allegheny river, the germs would be carried
down to the pipes any way, and the work
done by the city would be practically
useless.
j. b. Park said: 81 am willing to back
Mayor Kennedy with $4,000, or more,
toward carrying the infuent pipe as far up
the river as the engineers think advisable"
Mayor Kennedy stated that Colonel j. P
Andrews tavo-, building 12-foot conduit
along the shore as far up the river as they
wish TO go, and that it would take at least
120 days to build it above Herr's Island.
The cost of the conduit would be about $50
per foot.
Ex-Mayor VoeCtly said 'It the citizens
of the city would go out into the middle Of
the river they would find that the water
there was not so impure as reported. The
mortuary report OF the city shows the water
10 he as pure as other cities OF its size. /
am in favor, however, Of getting better
water, cost what it may, and suggest the
laying of large iron pipes, screwed together
Ike those used on oil pipe lines.
City Engineer Ehlers though: if the in
fluent pipe extended above Herr's Island
the water supply would De all right.
Suggestions Mad, by Citizen.
A number of citizens suggests the drill
ing Of wells throughout the city, while 9TH
ers thought if Nine Mile Island were pur-
chased and filter built there good water
could be obtained. Prof Brashear, Mr.
Gerwig and others spoke briefly on the
question.
Secretary SprouI offered the following