Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-05
TOCLEAR THE WATER
TWO PLANs WILL BE SUBMITTED
TO COMMITTEE TUESDAY WEEK.
T8E SUpI COMPLETES OBSERVATIONS
Mr.. c. l.. Parker, of Ithaca, NJ 4,
Submits the Details of HIS fian 10
Develop Artesinn-Welis-Th Set
Ting basin system.

| SSS'Ns
| The CITY Water Department Is tho
roughly aroused over the prospect OF the
adoption Of some plan 10 clear the water
supplied through the mains. FPr several
years the Superintendent of the works
has been working with this end In view,
| and has submitted a number Of reports
10 the Council committee that presides
| over the destines Of the department. re-
| commanding the settling-basin system as
the most practical and effective way to
get rid Of the James-river mud from the
dining table.
On Tuesday, the 10Th instant, the COM
mittee will start on a tour Of inspection
from the city Hall, and will 20 over the
ground very thoroughly, following the line
OF observations made by Superintendent
Boiling and his lieutenants The proposed
basin will cost $4,000, If site can be
purchased at a reasonable figure.
Mr. Boiling concluded his observations
yesterday afternoon, and will prepare
report. which will be submitted 10 the
committee on the 18th. This report will
include suggestions as to the location of
the basin. If that plan should be adopted
bv the committee.
THE ARTESIAN-WELL SYSTEM.
Another plan that has much 10 recon-
mend 1t, though doubt is expressed in
some quarters as 10 whether the geoogi-
cal conditions make it feasible. is the
building of a series of Artesian wells.
Mr.. c. J.. Parker, of Ithaca, n Y, who
is now at Norfolk, has sent a paper to the
committee through Chairman Tanner,
and this also will be discussed at the
forthcoming meeting. The communication
is accompanied by very strong recon-
mendations, given on the strength OF
work done, by the Capital City Water
Company, of Montgomery, Ala; the
Superintendent Of the Water-Works at
Savannah, Ga: the Clarendon Water
Works Company, Of Wilmington, and the
Jeter & Boardman Gas and Water Asso-
citation Of Macon. Ga.
MR.. PARKER'S PLAN.
The plan substituted by Mr.. Parker is
as follows:
Norfolk, Va, August 3, 1898.
Mr. c. W. Tanner, Chairman Water Com
mittee, Richmond, Va:
Dear Sir,--I have 10 own receipt Of your
favor of the I'd instant. in answer to my
letter Of the Both utimo, note its con-
tents, and beg to submit the following FOR
the consideration of your honorable board
and Superintendent, Mr.. c. r. Boiling
After an active experience Of fourteen
| years. in the South Atlantic States, In
developing large daily amounts Of good
! pure clear water by means OF deep Arte-
sian wells, Of large inside diameter, for
| water-works. ! am Of opinion that II -
| the most desirable source Of water supply.
WHY 1T IS DESIRABLE.
l. The supply is good and the yield, or
production. Of water is uniform, no mat
| ter whether you have local rains or
| droughts, and the water is good and pure,
clear as crystal, and free from all vegeta-
bic matter, malaria, typhoid-fever, germs,
/ etc.
2 The wells can be sunk near your
! pumping station, thus avoiding long con-
Quits, reservoirs, etc, with their conse-
quent expense of construction and repairs,
and the wells, when once established, are
Of no farther trouble or expense.
g. Artesian wells can be connected d.
rect to a suction, or feed main, 10 which
the large pumps can be attached, and
thus the water can be sent 10 the con-
sumner without having seen the light or
touched the air. and without contamina-
| ton. as pure as when hundreds Of feet
/ in the earth.
WILL NOT GET OFFENSIVE.
4. This keeps the water charged with
its natural gases, and II will then keep,
even in dead ends of water mains, with
| out becoming foul or dead. and will not
get offensive with bad odors.
| 5. Within reasonable limit underground
sources of water are practically mex
haustible even when heavily pumped. as
farther percolation will refill the water
veins but in flowing wells this needs no
! consideration as the volume, head, or flow
Of the wells remain uniform and undimin-
ished
G. In fourteen years Of active work, en-
ploying four and FIVE crews of men most
OF the time, I have produced flowing Ar
tesian wells in all but three instances.
These were not expected to flow, by rea-
son of their location. but were good
pumping wells and yielded an abundance
OF good, clear water.
BETTER THAN DRUGsTORES.
7. Artesian water, used in water-works,
is worth more for good health than are
drugstores, as the percentage Of sickness
| and Of death largely decreases after the
introduction Of deep well water. At Oca-
| Ia, Fla, il run down from 81 TO II per
cent. in five years after the water-works
began using Artesian water.
s. AS a rule, we have found three we'll
! defined Aytesian water veins. where wells
have been sunk deep enough to reach all
OF them. The first water vein is the
smallest in flow, least head. and its water
is not as good as the second water-vein
produces. which has larger flow OF
| water. and the third water-vein Is better,
| both as 70 flow and quality of water,
than either Of the two first water-veins.
| Reason: The deeper veins have their
heads, or sources, higher up in the noun
tains. travel further under ground, and
/ thus have a greater head, and have be-
come better filtered by their longer pas
sage through the sand and gravel-beds.
TO SINK A TEST WELL
g. Experience has proved the wisdom OF
first sinking a deep test Artesian well.
Each water-yein. as ii is reached, should
be examined as To its quality Of water
| and the amount il will flow. This holds
true as to non-howiug veins, or beds, Of
water. 50 that you may have a correct
record OF all the underground water N
the section Of your city. After completion
of your test well you have proper data
| from which you can estimate the num-
Der OF wells needed. time Of construction,
expense, ETC.. and can arrive at an intell-
gent conclusion Of the whole matter.
10 The test well sunk bN me- ar Sa-