The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-10
Officials Look Into De-
Element of PaWtuXet.
Much Filth TurnedIntO Stream
at Centreville.
Vaults Close to River-C0nditi0nS
are Somewhat Improved.


city document relative 10 the pollution
of the Pswtuxet River or to looF at the
light through ore Of Mr.. Sydney Riders
sample bottles OF of aqua microbis and
it is qoite another thing to go to the
banks or the Pawtuxet in person and
see an d smell.
The readers of the document, no mat.
ter how vividly things may be described
will thoughtlessly lay the book aside and
when thirsty 60 to the nearest faucet
which enits gush of Pawtuxet. But
| the man on the bank is going to ask for
milk or spring water or even warm bot
| tied soft stuff. Inc proof of the rollu-
| tion is In the smell.
| Yesterday Q delegation from city hall
visited the mill villages In the valley and
secured all they needed Of this sort Of
| proof to convince them that something
should be done toward improving the
city's water supply. The party consisted
| OF Mayor McGuinnness, Com missioner OF
| Public Works Smith, Secretsry Slade,
| City Engineer Shedd, Alderman Little
| and Mccarthy, President Kendrick and
| Messrs. Blakiey, Waterman, Gray and
| Grinnell OF the Common Council, and
Mr.. J. c. Butterworth, city inspector
| OF the Pawtuxet.
The officials reached River Point early
| In the forenoon and crossed the highway
| TO the big mills of Il. B. Il X. knight at
| River Point. This was the first inspec-
| tion and revealed notoing of an unsatis-
factory nature. The privy vaults which
some years ago led directly into the
stream have all been attended TO and
there is nothing here to iujure the water.
| No greater contrast OF conditions could
have been got than that presented by the
| second place visiteo-the mills OF the
Kent woolen Company at Centerville.
This Is on eight-set mill and an old es-
| tablishment, suggestive from top to bot
| tom OF the notion that wHst was good
enough 80 years ago is ell right now. 1t
| is situated eight miles above the pump
| lag station, and 500 m lies wouldn't be
any too far, from an hygenic point of
view.
The waste dyes and the sheep manure
and other filth from the wool securing
tubs and the fuiling mills flow directly
into the old raceway in rear Of the
works and thence into the river.
| In adition to this there is an open privy
| vault on The sloping bank and within 20
feet OF the wster's edge, and there Is a
second privy vault In the mill, and the
| contents ore theoretically separated
| from the waters OF the stream by a not
over tight stone wall.
| The color effects at this place are Won
| derful, and the surface OF the stream
presents great study for the artist OF
the inipressionist or the poster school.
Largo areas of floating green scum, bor-
dered by the dull gray of sheep manure are
streaked with nnely traced lines of
gaudy coloring Of the waste dyes, like
an old worn out dirty dollar bill so eaten
| and ground with the CRIME OF many
pockets and many tills that the red and
blue silk threads show or the surface.
course of the race way TO the river, ana
down the river TO the reservoirs, and
| from the reservoirs---
Mr.. benjamin. 4. Waterb oure is
the owner Of this mill. He seems
at loss to know how to i'm
prove the place. Yesterday two OF his
employees were standing waist deep in
the race way dredging out filth with
| muck forks.
At this same village of Centerville and
across the street from the mill there were
several bad cases found where cesspools
and privy vaults are altogether insecure
and very near the river. An April shower
would be sufficient to start rivulets OF
fifth for the river.
The mills OF the Crompton Company
owned by the Richmond Manufacturing
Company, {. ID. Robinson superintend-
ent, were carefully inspected ana there
was no fault TO be found.
At the Clyde Print works the trouble
is with the wsste dyes and refuse chem
icals from the bleschery. The dye house
Is on one bank OF the tail race and tue
bleachery on the other. Two streams
from either side flow in here and con-
verge In a line Of rich color In the cen.
ter Of the rarewsy snd fow into the
stream.
Commissioners Smith asked was what ths
foreign ingredients were and replied
everything from coehinesl to COW
dung" Cow dung IS used by master
dyers to set the colorsand shout ten bar
rels of IL are consumed daily at the Clyd,
priat Works.
From Clyde the psrty drove TO phenix.
where dinner was served at Briggs Hotel.