The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-06-29

nv " H. Gardner. steuben Co., n.

into unlocked for Importance. Here in
the region of Cbemung shales, where
flowing springs much abound, the wells
are becoming useless because OF angle
worms. Wells that have for generations
been the dependence of farmhouse as
well as barn, the angle worm has invaded
even these, and many a case of mystic
rious fever undoubtedly had its germs
from the decaying earth worm in the
deep, cool we'll.
Whenever the rainfall is fairly plen-
teous an easy and safe substitute for the
we'll is found in the cement walled els
tern. Rainwater bears with it no form
of disease terminating properties. 1t is
wholesome and pure.
How to store, and keep it wholesome
and palatable, is the important ques-
ton. This is easily done in large, deep
cisterns, closed or covered from sunlight
and air.
The question of filtering seems indis-
solubly associated with the use of rain
water from cisterns for drinking. Why?
Why filter the water from the clouds,
which has recently been reformed from
the gases and cannot be made more
pure, more life-supporting, byany process
which man can subject it to. To give
it the cool, delicious, thirst-allaying
properties of the best well or spring
water, it has but to be gathered from
clean roof and stored in deep closed
cistern. Even gathered from a smoky,
dusty roof, and stored in such cistern,
it will speedily purify itself without fit
ering.
The writer hereof is speaking upon
this subject from experience. In 1865 he
rented, in Grand Rapids, Mich, dwell
ling provided with pair of cisterns
The plan of the builder was to use the
water from one while the other was FL
ing and purifying. These were ordina-
ry cemented cisterns, about ten feet
deep.
N. B.-They ought to be twenty. They
supplied constantly a superior article OF
water not easily detected from soft
springs or best well water.
A second experience was at Galena,
Ill. An abandoned mining shaft, SO
feet in depth, had been converted into a
cemented cistern. Its capacity was
about 20 hogheads. The water in tenn
perature, palateableness and every feat
ure going to make up firstcl drink
ing water was equal to the best. Nobody
would have thought of it's being other
than from a living fountain. There is
beauty in the poetry of flowing water,
but stored water, stored deep in the
earth in cemented cisterns possesses all
the good qualities of that trickling
through the earth from swamps. bogs OF
spongy soils, until finding a we'll OF
bursting forth in springs.
Ordinary farm buildings will, from
their roofs, supply to cisterns enough
water for house and stock. This solves
easily the question of water supply. The
question of filtering is an unnecessary
one and solved, as / have shown. In
point of fact there is much greater need
for filtering earthly water than cloud
water.
The writer never heard of case of ty
phoid or of diptheria from using cisterr
water, but cannot say as much for wei
water.
am aware that the objection to tn,
use of rain water for drinking in mos
cities and many sections of farming
country arises from the use of soft coal
hi %,r
Filtering such water improves its ap
pearance, but even blackened rain water
will purify itself by it's own action il
cisterns, and become quite colorless in {
little time. The pump of a cistern il
which water blackened by soft Goa
smoke, has purified should not reach
within two feet of the cistern's bottom
The use of metallic roofing not too slop-
ing for washing before rains will also
serve to give pure water. In Other
words the roof clean and the water from
the roof will be clean.
The cistern needs to be built entirel,
below frost for any purpose, freezing de
stroys the cement. The manhole SHOULD
be so contrived as to exclude all manner
of verlnin, insects, sc. No cement fol
building cisierns should be old-indeed il
it is best to prove it before using.
Since writing the above a neighbo
has been obliged to bail out his we'll be
cause of the offensive smell of the water
The cause was very apparent Upon
reaching the bottom of the well-due
several feet into solid rock there was +;
mass of dead earth worms, smelling
very Extensively. The well is abou
twenty feet in depth. The worms fal
ling in. or working down seems to have
no power to get up into the earth abov'
the water again, dying in the water. Thu
annoyance from this cause hereabouts i
lie eomming serious and threatening tt
health.
/ close this hastily penned sheet will
reasserting the superiority of the deep
capacious cistern filled with ''clout
watef'' over the song honored iron-buck
eted we'll supplied with water from VIII
knows where?