Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-05-15
OUR WATER Is PURE.
EXAMINATIONS ev CELEBRATED CHE
MlSTS PROVE II hEALThFuL,
Extracts nom Mr.. Bosiins's Report which
0sGht 10 Dispel Asy Apprehension that
IL Contains Dslsterious Matter.

The annual report OF Mr.. Charles z.
Boiling, Superintendent OF the City Water
Works, for the year ending December 81,
1891. has been printed in pamphlet form
and 70 now being distributed. The DIS
PATCH yesterday received . copy Of the
document, which contains ninety-three
pages and Is full Of interesting facts and
Heures about the operations Of the depart
ment The most important recommends
tions and tbs statement of income and cx-
pensee were given Ia this paper when the
report was sent In TO the Council by the
Mayor.
The Superintendent lays especial stress
upon the purity and heaithfulness Of the
Richmond water a. shown by the statistics
furnished by most celebrated chemists.
CONDITION or TIE WATER.
In closing his report Superintendent
Boiling says:
"During the past autumn, and at differ
ent times, had our drinking water an
aiyxed by three different chemistry DIR.
w. n. Taylor. State chemist; by Professor
j. w. Mallett, of the University OF Viz
ginie, and by Professor T.. A. fuertes OF
The Cornell University. Ithaca. N. u, and
these gentlemen furnished most favorable
reports upon the purity and healthfulness
microscopically. and bacteriologically..
] have given table of COMPARISON
Furnished by DIR. W. II. Taylor
of our water with that of several other
cities. feel sure that no IN intelligent
and unprcjudiced examiner OF the analyses
and reports will have any doubts rs TO our
having Is good and pure water TO drink as
any people living IN large city; Inc SEN
tlment'to some extent prevails that our
water IL somewhat polluted bv the tribu-
tarics Of Tuckahoe creek and few small
streams flowing into the canal. Their
volume is so infinitely small In compari-
son TO the quantity We get from the river,
that were these tributaries filled with sew.
age, they could do no harm; as IT is, oil oil
them are small streams draining smaii
areas of sparseiy inhabited and scattering
cultivated areas.
DIR. TAYLoR's EXAMINATIONS.
In several of the examinations made by
DR.. w. II. Taylor, State chemist. he pro-
nounces that the Richmond city water is
perfectly pure and healthful. Alter
tabular statement giving the results OF his
npalvsis of n sample of the water Dr. ay-
lor saws: "In respect to freedom from
harmful substances this is the best sam
pie Of our water / have ever examined.
The results Of the analysis are very satis-
factory and ought TO dispel the deiuslVe
the water is so impure rs TO cause disease.
That it can do this was never anything
more than an opinion, while the facts all
point the other way"
DISCOVERED NOTHING HARMFUL.
DR.. L. A. Fuertes, director OF the Col
Iege of Civil Engineering, of Cornell Uni
yersjty. Ithaca, n. Y, writes Superln-
tendent Boiling: THE two samples OF
water sent by you TO this college on Octo-
Der 2sth ultimo for the purpose OF sani-
tary examination arrived IN excellent con-
dition. the temperature of the bottle pack
ed in ice being between Z and degrees
when opened. The results of the exami-
nation fail TO discover anything harmful IN
the water, which seems to be OF good
quality In all respects. mcroscoplcai
examination shows q small number OF
plant forms, but they are not of O character
10 attach suspicion to the water"
HEALTHFUL AND GOOD IN ALL RESPECTS.
A comparative table setting forth the
results of investigations made by DR.: lay
lor of the water used in Richmond. and
the investigations made By Professor
Leeds. of Stevens Institute. New York. OF
the waters of New York. Brooklyn. Jersey
City, Philadelphia. Boston, Rochester.
Cincinnati, and other cities shows that the
aquatic fluid furnished TO the residents
of Richmond for drinking purposes Is the
best of the entire lot.
The information given by these. eminent
scientists ought to dispel the decisions
that any ono may have that the drinking
water here is unhealthy or III any way
disease-producing. On the other hand,
the evidence ought TO be convincing as to
Its healthfulness. The report of the Su-
perintendent further contains the analy-
ses of several springs and wells in the
city made by DIR. Taylor some years ago,
many OF which are still used, and as
shown by him several of these are con-
taninated and unfit for use.