Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-15
furnace win be large factor in the future sani
tstion OF the city.

EDDA i. M nOh IL. 400
furnace viii be large factor In the future SAM
sstion OF the city.
GREAT WASTE or wArER.
Tho Water Department has been wen admin y a
btered under the careful management OF GU
pertntendent z. G. Boiling. The receipts Ior the
year asgressted s134s57 5es an ircresss % pss' ss
penditures amounted 70 e5S, ,60d.s3; fhe annual
cost Of maintenance and ordinary repairs was
however, only e42.57s.13, showing an excess o'
receipts over ordinary expenditures OF se~,.
27o.30, and II 70 this We should add the price ol
water furnished 20 all the other departments OF
the city, TO churches, charitable institutioss ana
10 the many poor persons who receive water
free, lew estimate OF which would be soo,Voo,
orr net revenue from water would DO NOT ICES
The work Of raising the canal bank between
the pump-house and the Fiye-Mie LOCK nas
been completed. The new wheels are s'ins
entire satisfaction and all the machinery a. % .he
New bum p-houss Ia In first-class condition. Inc
race-rAys are In fair condition; the head ana
w1ng-walls at the Fiye-Nile Lock should pe
raised 30 as 20 confipe nood-wnter 10 the rour-
Nile Lock. The buildings, machinery, and dam
OF the old pump-house are worry much IN neeu Oh
repairs, which should be made at once.
The superintendent again calls attention 10
the great waste OF water, and he insists that un-
less some remedy Is promptly applied 10 prevent
II We shall be constrained 70 Increase our pump
ing capacity, and that to do this and 10 furnisn
the necessary means would require an outlay oil
$3S4,5O1. The average daily pumpage by the
new water-pumps for the month OF December
was lU,023,177 gallons. The total capacity OF
these pumps. vita eyerytli NJ in hrst-class or
der, 10 12,000,000 gallons per day. This IL
entirely too close n margin. IL istrlsthere 10 an
elxlhary steam-pump with capacity OF O,OOo,-
UUO daily. but IL costs six times as nu n
70 pump water by steam power as IL
A.
present pumping capacity Il sufficient 70
supply population OF 100000 with sixty-hye
gallons per cdptd q per day, provided the exceS-
sive waste can 20 stopped. In the Judgment OF
the superintendent this can be best accomplished
bJ the general Introduction Of water-meters.
There are now m use in the city l1S meters, an
increase OF thirty-iye over last year. Zach meter
set during the year was purchased and set at
the request aud cost OF the water -takor, ana
none so far have had cause 20 regret taxing
water by meter measurement. In the case OF
private families the waterfalls have been from
40 to 80 per cent. less than than they wouli
have been by ordinance rates. The few COM
plants received were found to DO caused either
BY carelessness or wasting fixtures
PURE AND HEALTHY.
Our drinking water has been analyzed during
the past autumn by three different chemists
Dr. ". II. Taylor, State Chemist; Professor j..
w. Mallet, OF the University Of Virginia, and
Professor 4. A. Fuertes. OF Cornell University.
IL was examined chemically, microscopicaliy.
ana bacteriolOgically, and these distinguished
chemists furnished most satisfactory reports
upon the purity and healthfulness Of our drink
lug water. 1he city should never hesitate 70 DO
whatever Is necessary for the preservation OF our
water fTom pollution. The sentiment prevails
tnat our water IL somewhat contaminated by
the tributaries OF TuckahOe creek and a few
small streams fOwing into tho canal. heartily
endorse the Recommendation OF the Supern-
tcndent that TnckahOe creek be led through &
different channel into the river at point some
miles above its present iunctnre with our feeder
from the river, and that the three other branches
flowing into the canal be conducted over or un-
der the canal so that their how will be delivered
into the river below our intake above Bosher =
dam. II this Is done ] believe that all fear Of
Contamination from these sources would be ro-
moved.
CLAIMS or THE POOR.
The total amount Appropriated by the Coun-
Gil on account OF charity during the year was
s4S,960.5O. OF this amount s3s,392 was ex.
pended under the direction OF the committees Of
the City Council. and the remainder. 81 ,567.50.
was appropriated 10 the ladies OF the City Mis-
sion, Richmond Male Orphan Asylum, X. Z. Lee
Camp Confederate Veterans, and various other
charitable institutions. The almshouse, under
the efficient management Of X. w. Carter, SUI
pefintendent, has been well conducted The to
tai number OF applications for AID during the
year were 3,I54, OF which 74l were for indoor,
and 3,013 for outdoor relief; 243 burials were
furnished outside poor.
On the first day OF January, 1891, there were
2gl inmates In the aimshouse; ~ were admit
ted dduring the year, making total OF l,O32 who
were aided; OF this number 3S were born in the
institution; 564 discharged; 1S5 died, and 2S3
remained at the close OF the year, OF which mum
Dor l25 were white and 1853 colored. OF the 80
infants born In the institution 1Owere white and
% were cOlOred. There were received -four
white and ten colored foundlings. The annual
average OF inmates was 279: the cost OF each In.
mate for the year was sl07.53; the cost Of sub
sis'ence for each inmate was fraction less than
13lt cents per day.
The to.af number Of patients treated during
the year was 543, OF which 276 were cured, l04
relieved, 7o died, and 50 remained In the hos
pitaL
There were el6 ambulance calls during the
year. OF which 2Ss were 20 white and 32S to
cOlorei persons.
There were issued 10 outdoor poor 4S5I.
cords Of wood aud 3s, ,175 bushels OF coke, 5,45i
bushels OF meal, and 4,4l4 prescriptions, which
were compounded at the City Dispensary lex
elusive Of the Medical Collegel, being an Increase
Of 2,639 prescriptions over last year.
WORK Cs OUR STREETS.
There is nothing that ADDS more 20 tho ap
pearance and taxable values Of city than well
paved streets. Our city has not boon able 10 ac
complsh all that we could desire, yet when 1t Il
remembe ed that We have more tnan 100 mile,
OF streets and that our Appropriation last yoal
for streets generally was only $4,000, W.
should congratulate ourselves that 80 much ha,
been done with the means a. cur command, anC
fayorably with those Of any city OF ike size and
wealth Ia the country.
Colonel w. L. Cutshaw, our accomplished Cit,
Engineer, In his annual report, mentions that
besides the usual work done In the street de-
partment during the year, the rOad-beds fOl
Cary street, from Fifth 10 Sixth; Canal, from
Fourth 20 Seventh; Fourth, IRON Main 20 Canal
sixth, from Main 10 Canal; Clay, from Adams tc
Second; Franklin, from Seventeenth 70 Eigh-
teenth, and LAUREL from Main to Franklin
afr lai lVif QrQuifp-aUall
Chain, Beverly, and Wallace streets, from
Reservoir 10 Randolph. and fifth street, from
~ospital 20 the yiaduct, were reduced TO a per-
manent grade and grayeled. Thirty-frst street
from Broad 70 U: Thirty-ihird, from Marshall u
Clay; Buchanan. from Richard 10 Christian, and
Dance streets were partially graded. and
Seventh street, from Bates TO Hospital. was TN
ished 10 its temporary width and graded.
The lots surrounding West avenue have been
filled up In part, correcting for the time the
drainage OF that section. lt Is intended 10 raise
the grade OF West avenue, rs the lots are nlIed
80 that by the work Of both going on together,
water will not be allowed TO stand stagnant as II
has done In the past.
The City Engineer renews his recommends
tion for more efficient sweeping and sprinkling
OF the streets To avoid dust In dry weather and
mud In wet weather. IL Is needed on all the
sireeis, but especially on the grayeled and
macadamlzed streets, which should have both
the dust and mud scraped on instead of ewep'
from their surfaces. The sprinkling should De
done Dy the city anu unuer proper resuidllVh-
instead Of being done, "a IL Is now, In such a
wasteful and irregular manner.
MORE MONEY NEEDED FOR SEWERS.
Nothing adds more TO the health OF a city than
a good sewerage system. The amounts appro
priated for this purpose have been entirely in
adequate to meet the demands for new sever
and for needed changes 70 be made In many o
the old stone culyerts which are the cause OF the
defective drainage in certain localities, and I'm
less more liberal provision IL made we shall b'
unable TO meet the requirements OF health In the
growing sections Of the city.
The city nurserymen has planted some nftee1
70 twenty thousand small trees and seedlings a
the New Reservoir Park, which II - hoped IN th'
near future will be increased 10 several hundred
thousands, aud with such a nursery well growr