The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-09-29
THE CITYS WATER SUPPLY.
It is Said That Filtration and Vigi-
lance Will Purify the Water.

IdflCe VIII TuTlIy the WdteT'
The matter of pure water supply for
the city Of PROVIDENCE is attracting
given considerable attention to the matter
heretofore and will give more as occasion
demands. The cholera scare has not
done RHODE ISLAND any damage. but 1t
has aroused the city officials on the mat
ter OF cleanliness and the publication OF
the water supply. But the officials were
not inactive before the scare.
All summer the department OF public
works has been busy securing the re-
mOval Of sources OF contaminated OF the
Pawtuxet River from closets, barns and
surface water OF all kinds The manu-
facturers have all been willing to help
and they have done much to remove the
nuisances aboye mentioned, but the city
will not rest until every bit of contami-
nation is kept out and il Is thought that
such a result can be reached. The manu-
iacturers are not SO ready to keep their
mill waste out of the river for they con-
slider IL their right to some extent to dis
pose OF IL that way.
Among many people there are sugges-
tions that new and purer source of water
supply ought to be secured, but those
who are In authority say that to go else
where than the Pawtuxet river is imposi-
bic. Pawtucket gets water from Abbot's
run. a small stream, and Woonsocket gets
IL from another small brook. The only
remaining available place is the Black
stone river which is far more unfit for use
than the Pawtuxet. They say that the
only resource is the latter slream aud
efforts for relief must be made in the di-
rection OF publication and prevention.
There is st present n committee of the
W u M A. Etrr
Shedd on scheme Tor filtering the water.
Some progress is being made and one or
two systems OF filtration are now under
consideration and IL is thought that a
system can be put into operation at rea-
sonable cost which will remove practi-
cally If not absolutely all the impurities
in the water. just what the cost would
be has not yet been determined aud it de-
pends on the rms waicn the department
can make with the owners of certain
systems.
There has been some talk of an made
quate supply, that Is to say that the
reservoirsar not big or numerous enough
This ia pronounced incorrect by the de-
partment. The present reservoirs are
said To be ample and farther additions
would be OF advantage only to manufac-
turers in the locality Of the reservoirs,
who are allowed to draw their supply
therefrom.
Filtration and vigilance in keeping filth
from draining into the river are the
means OF relief from the present condi-
tion OF Pawtuxet water and in the mean
time those who do not think the water
good enough to drink have the privilege
of boiling the same.
why cannot the city go higher up the
Pawtuxet for supplyi' asked man in
the NEWS Office to-day. The department
answers that as follows: Immediale ely
above the present source the river divides
and neither branch would be big enough
to furnish water for the city. Perhaps
the North branch would be the best. Ii
that was tried there would be occasion to
talk OF the danger of a water famine
Then, again the damage to the manufac-
turers for diminishing the flow of water
might be $1,000, 600 or 81, ,0O0, 900, aud the
city couldn't afford to pay it.
Danger From Wells.
A gentleman whose habits are very
careful with regard to what he drinks,
suggests that a great many people in the
city are in quite as much danger on ac-
count Of water taken from old wells, or
new wells for that matter, although the
latter are not so numerous. The soil
underlying PROVIDENCE is composed
largely of sand and coarse gravel and Of
fensive and dangerous matter from vaults
and the surface are known to penetrate
the earth for a long distance.
"But," said one man. you condemn
Pawtuxet water and then won't admit
that 1t is safe to use well water; what
shall "a man doy'
'Oh. boil the Pawtuxet, or boil the
well water and you are safe" SAYS the
man who originated the theory of danger
from the well water. Boil the water.
Boil everything and be happy"
There is no doubt but that great
many people 40 use well water, and gen.
orally in parts of the city where there
are privy vaults as well as wells
There are TOO many privy vaults, and
DIR. Chaplin and the Board of Health
know only too we'll how hard it Is either
To get the owners OF property to remove
them or keep them cleaned out. Privy
vaults are dangerous things in popu-
lous district, and they ought to go. and
go quickly. The Board of Health seldom
hesitates In such cases.
Will Visit Albion.
DIR. Napoleon Malo health officer o.
Lincoln gave some water to DIR. Fisher
yesterday for analysis. Tomorrow DIR
Fisher will visit Albion aud inspect the
case Of typhoid fever in that village.
Our line Of Franklin stoves and open CRATES ha