Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-19
punIrYrxa WATER.

the Monumental city are making the sui
Ject the leading local topic of discussio
and printing a great deal OF matter beat
ing upon methods Of water purifcatio
and the evils and diseases trncable TO i'm
: pure water. In view OF Richmond's wat
agitation some OF the points brought on
and suggestions made In the discussion
may prove profitable to the Richmon'
authorities in their efforts to arrive at tn
best solution OF this city's water problem
The Baltimore water supply is draw
from small streams flowing into LAX
Roland and from the Gunpowder river a
Lock Haven, and for long time hat
been considered comparatively pure. Re
Gently. however, typhoid-fever, malaria
and dysentery have developed in the city
10 an unusual. extent, and Il seems to be
established that the great increase in
these diseases Is due to contamination OF
the drinking water, such contamination
resulting from the settling up OF the
| country along the source OF supply. In
| Wednesdays issue OF the Sun DIR. o. f.
Janney, leading Baltimore physician,
urges most forcibly the necessity for
taking immediate steps to purify the
water supply. and In so doing presents
some facts TO which we would direct the
especial attention of our people and our
city fathers.
After stating that It is impracticable for
a city TO effectively protect the sources OF
its water supply, DR.. Janney says that
1t is fortunate that a method has been
discovered by means of which river
water may be made pure and virtually
free from germs. This is EFFECTED by
filtration through gravel and sand and
II is perfectly practicable for al! water
used in a city TO be so filtered. This is
not merely theory. adds the doctor. The
plan is in operation in some American
cities, among them being Wilmington,
Del, and Lawrence. Mass, but the best
instances are in the old world. The an
cient cities of Berlin, Hamburg, Rotter-
dam, and Breslau are all situated on
filthy rivers, from which they derive
their water. Villages and town5 drain
into these rivers. and yet the water,
drawn from such sources, is filtered and
made pure.
DIR. Janney, therefore, argues that Bal
timore should lose no time in establishing
a system OF filtration-a system which he
declares will not only free the water from
dirt and mud" but nearly Danish
There seems no question that DR.. jan
ley is correct in his contention that it sis |
not merely theory" that disease germs |
can be largely eliminated from water by |
certain processes of filtration. His |
Is notably fortified by the |
experience Of Hamburg during the last |
great cholera epidemic there. In that |
part of the city which was supplied with |
water that had been subjected to the |
filtration process the disease gained COM
oaratively little foothold. His contention
s also more or less fortified by the ex-
,erience of other cities that have re-
sorted TO filtration of their water sup
)lies, as shown by some statistics on this
subject the Dispatch reproduced from a
anitary magazine some time back, and
Which, we think, are the basis Of sta
istics DR.. Janney presents in enforcing
lis position.
But to bring the question directly home.
The principal problem at present in con-
lection with Richmond's water supply is
low TO free 1t from mud. The weight OF
violence is to the effect that In other re-
poets James-rive- water is not "im-
ure"-or, in other words, IS practically |
rec from disease germs. But IL is only a |
uestion Of time when the same conditions
ill overtake US that have overtaken Bal
more That is to say, there will be a
ettling up of the country along the
PURGE Of supply that will result in con- I
iminating the water. By some il is
aimed that James-river water can only
2 freed from its mud by sedimentation
ut DR.. Janney, and he is sustained by
gh authority, claims that dirt and 2
I'D" as well as disease germs, can be
minated by filtration. The point is.
erefore, that any experiments we make 7
oking 10 purifying our water supply y
Iould be exhaustive, TO the end, IL pos A
BILE, of killing two birds with one 4
one. We should endeavor to hit upon 9
system which will not only secure us r
ear water. but provide against the con- Il
lgency of germ-contaminated water, c.
tn as to the present and the future. p
|