The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-31

DOinfod fn6
am glad you are going TO publish, shows a.
differsnt points the sewage ana NTH winch
flows into the canal ,r =,
understand the canal was originally III
..nded for watyr-power 10 work the pumps
n.,L hat they have made IL both water power
"a "a" w,ster-supply. Even II this canal was not
contaminated in the way th@t nave men
toned il 10 a semi -stagnant sreLm tor nine
miles, and TINS alone "Vu4N ~ o'
., wss i'm nossible 10 correct this trouble
and we could not get our water IL =, sny o,hSr
nc ahout IL: lut as we can get ,ne water
rom a trus raid. that Is, from the river.
ahich runs over uoulders and rocks Ior some
miles and constitutes wn az We stsr avsn fis
vas contaminated by sewage. THINK u wen
totslk about il and ~ show the people what
thew are really drinking and whaI tney could
get by the expenditure OF ,len9 the Water
shed of Iuckahoe creek or the fhlladei-
rb,s ouarry or anywhere along the canal,
conId easi,y produce an epidemic OF utpn.ne.
ria in the city. think ~ All AIR farm on the
Tre sboe crsek Iast fan caused the maRn
enidennic OF diphtheria that we had then
CHOLERA MAY COME.
Ora casa Of cholera. and it ia by, no means
certain that we won't have that epldellc mere
before frost-one case OF chotela a. h n. sn
wonld easily produce an epidemic OF cholera
here. A.. a. ,sad - .ba
great dllution Of any sewerage that gets INTO
n.nai Dtluting germs of disaase, no mat
ter how widely done don't lessen the ylrn-
lence of the germ. one single germ OF ,dlph-
liberia, typhoid fever or choleis i1st se sctive
and poisonous 10 the man who drinks " as II
IL we're diluted only With teaoupIul OF wafer
Ii il true that when widely diluted one indl-
yidusl is less apt TO get IL, but the man who
GETS il is lust as acutely poisoned as II the
germ had never been diluted at all. 10 chem
istry could find that germ. IL como only 9e
found by microscopy suppose IheIe Has o .ils
one germ in a quart OF water. 1t would take
Mr.. Blair, who is probably the eleyerest micro,
scopist in the city. good many years 70 ma
ii. All chemists admit their INABILITY 70 de-
terrnine always whether water is pure or I'M
nnre They confess that chemical analysis
won't do. While have the greatest admlra-
ton for chemists. would not hke 10 trust
them altogether about the purity or lnpuuIly
OF drinking water. The fact that we nave
sewage which any man can see pouring INTO
the canal is much more powerful eTldehce 20
me of the impurlty Of that water than the
most minute and complete chemical inyesu-
S~'-' HIS FAMILY Don't DRINK IT.
Last fall when was talking about the Inn
purity OF our drinking water some gehtIemen
sent out 10 my country place, got demiJohn
of water there and sent IL aiong WIN sliI!ia al
quantity from the river to some chemiht TO
analyze. He reported that the water from my
farm was suspicious; that from the river, so
far as he could tell. free from impurity. And
vet / continued after that information was
given me 10 bring water from my farm during
the whole Of the winter for nay family TO drink
rather than subject them 70 the dangers OF
the hydrant water. -,
drinking water is, / understand, though do
not vouch for the fact, that our clever state
chemist. Dr. TAYLOR, found a puckeif9l OF
James river water at hocketIs cnoaaiT yat ~
sewage OF the whole city had been poured INTO
the river above Rockets. III TINS IS true ana
/ believe il is. IL shows how poor chemistry IS
IN determining the purity or impurliy OF
drinking water.
ASKS QUESTIONS.
On December 80th Dr.. Hunter Mcclure
wrote to Professor j. w. Mallet. the eminent
chemist Of the University of Virginia. and
asked him two questions, as follows:
1st Can you tell from a chemical analysis
of water only whether it Is pure or not?
I'd. Can you tell from analysis Of water
whether it Is infected with poisonous germs
such as those of diphtheria, typhoid-feYer,
&c.
PROFESSOR MALLET's REPLY.
Professor Mallets reply is given in full
below:
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, Dec. 81, 1891
Dear DR.. McGuire,-AnsWers to your two
ouestions may be given by quoting from the
General Conolusions, with view TO SAM
thry Application of my report to the IA.
tional Board Of Health on the Analysis OF
Potable Water annual report OK National
Board Of Health, 1880;
-. II is not possible TO decide absolutely
upon the Wholesomeness or unWholesomeness
Of a drinking water by the mere use OF any OF
the processes examined for the estimation OF
organic matter or its constituents.
- | would even 60 further, and say that IN
Judging the sanitary character Of a water not
only must such processes be used IN o9nnee-
ton with the Investigation or other evidence
of a moro general sort as 70 the source and
history of the water. but even should be
deemed of secondary Importance IN weighing
the reasons for accepting or rejecting water
not manifestly unfit for drinking on other
grounds"
ought 20 be a careful sanitary survey OF Rich
mond bV disinterested and competent parties
noting especially the suspicious features you
mention in connection with the immediate
source of water supply, and studying carefully
the local or Typographical distribution OF
death-rate in connection with water supply
and drainage. Very truly. yours,
In case you do not find my quotation suff-
GENTLY direct and categorical, IN answer TO
Oil Of them ne''''''' "''' '''''''' ~ J. VI. N
THE TIMES NOT SATISFIED.
Having obtained the above valuable re-
ports The TIMES was not satisfied to point
out an evil without ascertaining a remedy.
therefore called upon Mr.. II. ID. Whitcomb-
he objects to being called oolonel-and a
very brief explanation Of the object of my
visit was sufficient to make him interested
in the subject, for there is hardly any per-
son better informed upon this particular
matter than that distinguished engineer
commonly known as Colonel Whitcomb.
Approaching the importance of the sub
ject he has given his views in the following
letter;
Il. d. WHITcoMB sPEAKs.
RICHMOND. VA, July 49, 1892.
Editors Richmond Times:
Will reply 20 your inquiries as 10 the cost
and practieability Of having pure river water
for city use as well as | can in the brief time
az nv disposal.
The river at the New pump-houss Is about
200 yards distant. Grants dam merely
wing dam does nos extend across the river
is perhaps $50 Yards above, and from this
feeder enters the canal directly opposite the
pump house say nifty wards of.
he dam and feed0r-noW rarely used-are
the property OF the Chesapeake and Ohio
Hallway Company, and tho simplest and per
haps best way TO got river water 10 the pumps
would be by laying pipes 10 this feeder. The
dam and connections may need repairs. and q
waste weir and a bukhead. with or without
gates, would be required at the junction with
the canal, the tail-race OF the pump-Works.
If the railway company objects 10 this use
Of the feeder, which would not impair its
value TO them. the pipes could be continued
10 the river itself.
think $4,000 would cover the entire neces-
s2rY cost Ia either case.
The river water at this point ought 10 be
purer than anywhere else east Of Iynchburg
The canal which conveys water from BOsh-
er's dam, nine miles above here. to the city
WAter-wOrk. receives all the surface drainage
q Z north a