Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-07

-.---~----->-----
the river above Boshers dam e6l,3os cations
per minute. and from eli the streams combined,
along aud Tributary 20 The canal s'plx gallons
sssraant stream. Sai Il has a velocity q one
| md oue-nHn miles per honr. Ana ~ takes Just
/ nve houre for the water entering the feeder
above Soshers da ton ne river 70, = reafh ne
| OF tie small streams flowing into The canal vas
| looked into With the exception Of Tuckahoe
creek the areas drained oy tne smaiier streams
| limited manner, few dwclngrhouaeH and occu-
! pants, ana they IN most instances considerably
/ removed from the bsnke OF tho streams
pne entire north bank Of tho canal IRON the
pump-hOnse for tour or ayo miles west u scAnfiiy
/ populated and the watershed small one; Tho
dividing ridge varies from q quarter OF mile ~
4 mile norm 81 The canal. and nearly all the
! farm drainage goes hortbwaTdly into tho Lhick-
/ ahomny riyor For considerable distance
/ along Tue canal the lsnd Is well covered with
! woods ana n moi undet cultivation Al this was
| under consideration and examination Tor weeks.
| East September tue aforementioned COM
| mittee, accompanied BY Colonel CuSshas, Cfy
Ensinecr, and myself and others took trsin
| rendered by the Chesapeake and Ohio railway
/ and ran over our canal We wore back IN Kich-
mOnd within four hours. We got oat and looked
i az luckahoc creek wnero " passes under the
railroad four miles above the darn. aud again
! looked NJ ~ where II Joined tho feeder. No in
Epeciion u its channel ana banks was made 60
/ learn waht evils Il bore nor IN what manner II
acted 40 scWer. The waters OF none 81 tho iitllo
\ streams we're sampled or tested. and may say
/ Just here that oil o. tho streams except Tucka-
/ hos creek tlnd their scarce from pure Eprngs
but a short distance from thcr fpal discharge
I into the canal IL took Just four hours for the
Medical Committee TO condemn these streams.
IN 40 SENSE A SEWER
I'VE come now 70 tho question o. the polluted
sewage taken into tho canal at what Is called
10 100 inbOrors here. who are dsy-laoOrers and
I who i've ia and near Richmond. They and their
/ families DO not reside at the quarry. There are
specially provided priyics for the use OF The work
men, and notices are posted eli around that these
I privios alone mast be used. They are not con-
necied With and do not discharge their contents
into tho little draiu which nnds It's way into the
Can0l. by an act Of tho Legislature The city has
absolute right 20 control and prevent the drainage
/ OF ans alth into tho canal from which she gets
/ hor water supply. II will be seen, therefore,
TINT ths canal is in no sense sewer, or no more
80 Nnn tic river proper IL Tor all the iarm
buildings and villages along its shores above as.
The report published in Sundays Times made
/ by IS, II. N. TAYLOR, TOmpNins, Shields, and
1 Harrison, was laid before the Chamber OF Com
merce December ~. 1891, ana the chamber
/ examined carefully into the report. gnd nad be
/ fore them also the statements OF DR.. william
/ II. Taylor, Mr. Hugh BLAIR. ColOnei Cutshaw,
I and myself 10 regard TO tho healthiness OF our
drinking water, ana the chamber laid the re-
port about the water on the table, and It's there
( nov. II the theories advanced by the COM
mitteo had been true, 10 - most Sc
nous reflection upon the Chamber OF Com
morce, composed OF gentlemen who are
ever alive 70 Rtchmond's Interests and welfare,
that they should have tabled 30 important
matter ~ thiA. in which the health and lives OF
our citizens are 81 stake, and 10 have allowed
this serious ana Important matter 10 be buried.
Z The Chamber Of Commerce, had the charges
1 made in the committees report been es-
tablished. would certainly have brought this I'M
pOrtant matter TO tho attention OF tho cry
Council and demanded that the recommended
lions made by the Medical Committee bs car
| Red out.
xR. wHITcoNB's PLAN.
"Let us examine into this recommendation
namely. that the watcr-pipes supplying tho
pumps be extended out into the river nj or near
the pump-house and the wster be pumped d.
rectiy from the river; and this plan Is recoiD-
mended by 10th the Aforesaid committee ana
approved by Mr. II. ID. Whtcomb. In his letter
Mr.. WhitcDmb says that the pipes can be easily
run into this feeder and tho water taken there
The gates AZ the upper end OF this FEEDER nave
20 be kept closed now In order TO prevent the
water from flowing back from the canal into the
river, the surface OF the canal being higher than
that OF the river above Grants dam, 30 that IN
order 10 carry out this plan the suction pipes
would have % be extended TO some point IN the
river above the fecder-gates and above Grants
dam.
Is THE RIVER ANY BETTER7
"This is no difficult or expensive thing TO do.
But Is the water In the river at this point better
than that In the canal7 Is II perfectly pure ana
unpOllutedf IL should DO observed that the
committee OF the Medical Society made no ex-
animation or report as TO the chances OF con-
termination Of the river from any causes on the
south banks Their investigation was confined
solely TO the north eide, and they make their
accommodation without having given this iin-
portant question any consideration. Inc vol
ume Of water flowing down james river
was carefully measured during the
summer season some years ago above boshers
dam and ascertaned to be 1900 cubic ieet per
second and from certain reference points, such
as the depth OF water on the crest OF boshers
/ dam, il Is about the same In summer seasons,
| unless the season Is arainy one. We take from
/ Bosher's dam about 600 cubic feet OF water per
I second into the canal so that leaves 700 cubic
/ feet 10 iOw on down the river channel. Grants
dam, starting from the feeder-gates, runs
ohliQuely up the river towards inc soutner "a
shore Joining 20 certaiu lodges OF ROCK untiilt
touches the south bank. Tbs dam was 80 To-
Gated as 70 lead the river over to the feeder
gates and supply The kiehmonl Level OF me Ca. ca
nal with water. and In low stnges OF the river the
now Of the river Is directed towards the noitn
bank.
DRAINS THREE SETTLEMENT
A short distance above this dam quite a bold
stream, PoWhite creek, joins the RIVER ana
little distance up this stream is Granite, large
stone quarry, where there are 200 operators
large number Of them residents. All tue sewage |
from this settlement is borne to the river.
/ few miles further up this stream ia Bon Ar,
which also has II am informed populeuOh Oh
+ about 200 IA summer time. The sewage from
1 this place Is also drained TO tho river:
/ About two miles above Grants dam, on tne
I
/ Quarry, whore there is arain a settlement with
! o population Of about 100 persons, some OF whom
| are residenta. An of the sewage and nlth at
\ this pOlnt Is washed directly into the river.
/ Here then close 20 the pump-hOuse we have a
/ population Of about 800 persons, ana all tue
/ drainage from their houses hnds its way INTO INC
! river ~ a point above where tbe lhtaKe chahOer
/ for our pumps would be situated Accorulng 70 me
| ouoted Recommendations, ana the volume OF
/ water in the river Win which TINS would oe
mingled but LITTLE greater than inc river-Wster
! L.. ~. Al IahA
is ~ least four times greater than tho resident
population on the north eide, and that The drain
| age from their homes Is much nearer ne pumps
! II the pipo-cOnn cotton was made 10 tue river
( The main point IL this; IL the water IA the
river better than that in the canal at this point
| ! think not.
sOME DIFFERENCES DRAWN.
! come now 10 Dr. Mc0uire's statement IN the
i T{raes OF the 3lst, when asked the question,
"Nhat do | think about the drnhng-Haier OF
! RichmOndf" 81 think II 10 utterly unit 10
| drink Tie states that the report OF the COM
I rnit,ee Amounted by the Chamber OF Commerce
! shows. al differeat points, the sewage and fifth
/ which flows into the canal. One would imagine
/ from this that each stream moving Into The canal
was laden with sewage. such Is not the S t.ss
| Dr. IT, NJ. Taylor found at Westhan some little
distance from the canal old pits ron whoa TIE
| clay had been removed for making DIlcA. ~
| One o; these pits was found three dead rats ana
| a dead rsb and one would infer that every time
! IL ratned the entire contents CT th0sc stagnsnt
| pools was borne into the canal. such - not the
case. These pits are separated nom tne cahAl
I by solid clay bank, and some little distance
/ from the canal, and the surfnce Grams 90 not
bear the whole stagnant oontents into the canal,
/ hut only the overflow. DR.. Tompkins stated
/ that there Was an old ditch near the Fhiladel-
! phia quarry IN which dead horses ana COWS we're
thrown Hno that the contents OF the ditou iihaiy
| found ITS way 20 the canal There IS one known
, instance whore d horse fell IN the dltcn aud was
/ Killed, or fell and was thrown INTO the uuch'
/ which was reported 70 me, and mao the horse
buried In n feld near by soon after ~ happened.
Not single examination OF the waters IRON
I these streams was made 70 ascertain whether
/ they we're diled with sewage ana Thoroughly
/ rolluted or whether they were pure. The COun-
/ ell Committee on Water had had each caIeio1y
examined aud analysed, and that report Is on
| file ia the Council chamber
DIR Mc6uire says farther that the canal Il
semi-staRnant rtream for nine miles. The whole
| ais ance from the pump-house 10th river above
BOsher's dam along the canal ~ ABOUT seEen
r,5ies and the velocity OF the current Is about
-. -. < or nd nnanlilv Of