The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-25
THE ARTEsIAH WELL SYSTEM TO GATE
A Depth OF More Than 900 Feet Has
Been Reached, with indications or
an Abundant Flow Further Down
"A Plan for Increasing the supply
MIR. Parkor'n Opinion.

| me present available sources this fall
Is as yet good. The depth in the lakes
encourages the board to believe that
they Will not have to face the dread pos
sibilitv OF a short water supply this fall
az their predecessors did last year.
| work on the artesian wells, too con-
tinues to go forward with gratifying
rapidlty. The drill Is now more than 800
rect down and several fairly abundant
streams of very good water have been
struck. Mr.. Parker. who has charge of
the work. expressed himself to Virgin
ian man recently as being highly en-
couraEed and confident; in the light of
his past experience. that he would strike
an unlimited supply Of the purest water
rev hundred feet further down, and
even If he does not sufficient water has
already been passed to insure the sue
cess of the well system.
A PLAN OF SUPPLY PROPOSED.
In this connection Unpublished below
communication from gentleman who
has taken considerable pains and time
investigating the matter. While, for
reasons best known to himself. he has
not made public the details of his plans,
IT. Is in brief this: He claims that with
in short distance of Norfolk Ia a sec
lion under which Is q natural reservoir,
only waiting to be tapped. containing
sufficient pure water to supply the city
of Norfolk in ample Quantities for years
nnnumbered vet to come. He proposes
TO do this by means OF a system Of
gang wells" Of depth of twenty OF
thirty feet. as may be necessary, con-
nected with main pipe, the water to be
pumped from them by an engine on the
SPOT and forced either directly into the
| CITY mains or into reservoir, the former
\ IT the wells are to be used as a sole sup
| DIV. the latter II II is to be utilized mere
Nv as anauHiliary. over the pipes lead.
ing to the various wells 1t will only be
Il q wv In yNln l.
nsual inter. as the water is already nat
Iurallv filtered.
Mr. Editor:-I noticed in your valua-
Die paper few days ago that the city
officials had authorized the Superin-
tendent OF the Norfolk Water Works to
take trip North for the purpose of ex-
amlninE the best system OF filtration.
with the view OF installing a plant for
| the Norfolk Water works. It is right
and proper that Norfolk should have a
| pure drinking water. and ii Is evident
hat she has got to increase her sun
DIV In the near future. the expense Of
I an increased supply of the same quality
or water that she now has, viz: That
| or Little Creek in case the artesian we'll
rs failure and the installation of a
| hitering plant Of sufficient capacity TO
| take out the vast amount of decom-
| posed vegetable and other foreign mat
| ter that is held in solution to make il q
potable water and the expense of main
tanning and running the same added to
the present cost OF the water works,
| winch now reaches over 81 900 600 is
enough to make every taxpayer in the
city to cry out with Indignation and
ask when will the time come when the
Norfolk Water Works will be elf-sup-
porting. Right here the writer will
make bold assertion and one which he
can back up. not only by logical ar
eument. but by bond il necessary, 10
he amount of sl000,000. "a SUFFICIENT
Supply OF fine water can be had to sup
DIV the needs OF the city OF Norfolk for
me next Twenty-Five years with all OF
the increased population that is possi-
bic for her TO Eet-this supply OF water
VIII do more TO increase her population
/ than any one thing that can be done
The supply of water is the very cheap
est water that can be had. The intro
duction of IL into the CITY OF Norfolk
wonld cause an increAse in her revenues
r:om $4,000 to $4,000 within two or
'hree wears after II is introduced. II
would carry her bonds to a premium and
enable her TO negotiate Il new loan nj
or per cent. and redeem the pres
ent s5oo.000 per cent bonds now ont
standing. and its influence for the city
of Norfolk would be worth hundreds Of
| thousand of dollars
This supply would be conducive of
eood health as will be seen from the
following report from the chemist;
insoluble siliceous matter, O444 grain
per L. ). gallon; alumina and oxide OF
iron. 0.Oi4 grain per u. S. gallon. suI-
nhate OF lime. 0.07o grain per u. s. gal
lon' sulphate Of magnasia. O.27s grain
Der L. S. gallon: sulphate of potash
o.o2l per grain L. s. gallon: chloride OF
potassium. 0.055 grain per L. S palIon :.
chloride of sodium. 0.SSG grain per n. s
Gallon: undetermined. O209 grain nor
:. s. gallon. Total grains per U. s.
gallon. 20lS
rms Is remarkably pure water. Few
natural waters are SO pure. II Is we'll
htted for all domestic and manufactur
ing purposes. and its use for drvkinp
would be especially healthful.
i Respectfully
(SiEned) FREDERIC P. DEWEY
Analytical Chemist.
1t would be well for your city officials
10 consult with the writer before having
, any plans for the expenditure of furth.
ef large sums OF money, for an increa se
} OF supply OF water or for the filtrati
|, OF the present supply, both of which
VIII be very expensive. A filtering plant
SUFFICIENT to filter thoroughly Norfolk's
suDplv OF water will entail a very heavy
annual expense. TO run and maintain
the same. Besides this. very expensive
; alterations will have to be made to in
stall such plant. I hope this will omen
: the ewes OF all who are interested in a
purer water supply for the city
The writer has already spent ouitc a
sum OF money to obtain these facts and
, IS ready at any and all times to ex
change views with all who are int erest-
} n RI M Gtth -