The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-07
Bacteria per c. c., No /. p: No. 2, 80.
Very respectfully yours,

Bacteria per G. c., No. /, p; No. 2, 80.
Very respectfully yours,
h. g. FUERTES.
Director Coll. Civil Engineering, Cornell
University. Ithaca n. l.
The foregoing analysis was made by In
structor Henry n. Ogden, in charge Of the
Sanitary Laboratories.I
On December ~, 1897, the committee.
composed of Drs. H. Nj. Taylor, Tomp-
kins and others. made the report published
in Sundays TINS to the Chamber OF Com
merce. and / submitted the above given
statements and examinations made by Pro-
fessors Mallet Fuertes aud Dr. William II.
Taylor, and the Chamber also considered
statements as TO the good character and
wholesomeness OF our drinking water, made
by Colonel Cutsbaw, Mr.. Hugh Blair and
Dr. William II. Taylor. and the Chamber Of
Commerce. which he's at heart Rich
mond's welfare and success. was convinced
by the facts presented above that the peo-
pie of Richmond were not drinking water
dangerous 10 health and life, aud. there
fore. made no recommendation to the City
Council for any change in the method of
getting our water; although at that time
they did submit recommendation TO the
Council upon many other sanitary matters.
Had the Chamber OF Commerce been AS
sured of the theories and suspicious con-
tanned in the report OF Drs. Hugh vi.
Taylor, Tomphins, &C.. they would have
recommended the changes suggested by
them.
In conclusion 1 will say that 1t will be
both my pleasure and duty 10 execute any
orders the City Council may give. and should
1t be their will tO take the water directly
from the river above Grants dam, near the
mp-house. il can be done. What he cost
will be | can't say just now, as / have not
made an estimate. But not only will the
pipes have to be laid to a point above the
gates but an inlet chamber OF brick or stone
will have TO be built. and Grants dam. now
in very bad condition. repaired. Before
this is done. however j wish 20 call atten-
ton 20 the recommendation as 70 the best
manner Of getting our water, and furnish
ing IL at all times nearly clear, contained
in my annual report for 1sse. which each
year have repeated. This recommendation
| still adhere TO. and advise, namely, to
build large storage lake on the hat lands
lying between the river and canal just
west of the Philadelphia quarry. This
lake would contain two hundred mil
lion gallons of water. The water would
be brought to tho pumps by suction pipes
about one mile. The lake can DO fed from
the river itself brought by conduit about
one-quarter OF & mile long, joining the lake
and the river Just at the falls at the i've
mile lock and lower end Of Williams IS
land BY this means the water would be
il would receive any contamination from
the quarrles and settlements on the south
shore. and where 10 would be entirely cut
of from Tuckahoe creek and the other
small creeks and branches which now join
the canal. II would be the same as If We
had built conduit from the pump-hOuse
TO the river above Bosher's dam. We
would then get river water only. In
the event of the river becoming
muddy we would have on hand ready to be
used over two hundred million gallons of
clear water taken from the river-about
twenty days supply at the present rate OF
pumping at the New pump-house. Then
should IL be necessary 10 fill the lake with
mHddy water from the river, spread over 50
large an area the water would be greatly i'm
proved by sedimentation and delivered at
the pumps greatly improved and nearly
clear Should this plan be adopted, how
could even the most fsstdlous person ques-
ton the water? Moreover. the point OF
intake for water would be so far above the
city that it would be more than hundred
years before Riohmond's growth would
reach 1t.
| beg to say that no drinking water has
been subjected 10 such scientific scrutiny
for the past seventeen years and come forth
so free from susplcon-not from any one
trial. but from repeated examinations By
scientists skilled in their professions and
unprejudiced in their reports. In making
this public statement have underworld 70
give all the facts bearing on the Subject of
our drinking water. | have no desire %
conceal anything. / simply wish our peo-
pie 70 examine the whole question ana oe-
eide for themselves.
Yours very truly,
CHARLES j.. BOILING, Superintendent.