Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-13

showing that the pump water was not
| tbe cause OF the disease. The more
| thoughtful and logical OF those who az
| serted that the pump water was the
| cause OF 'typhoid-fever. feeling tne
| dilemma into which they had been thrown
| by the failure OF the city water
| 10 abate the disease. or even modify It's
svmntoms in the least, have fallen back
| 10 their old theory OF the etiology OF
| tvphoid -feyer--bacellus typhosus arising
| from water-closets and floating n the
| air not I'm the water-hence their silence
| about the pollution of our water by the
drainage OF the water-closets or the
Green Spring Valley and elsewhere into
t. must have been loud In calling ior
system OF sewerage.
DIR. Barnes proceeds to ridicule the idea
that filters can clean the water OF nith
held in solution: but he fails to oner any
solution Of the difficulty he raises.
There are those who oppose the use OF
filters: there are those who decry setting
basins for clearing such water as ours
whittier. then. are we TO turn? Can no
thing be done? Surely, though II Is no
doubt true that no system is perfect. we
believe all are deficient; some in one re-
spect; some in another.
AS vet James-river water suffers little
from pollution. The communicating mat
ter is small in quantity. compared with
The immense volume Of the stream, when
comes leaplng and dashing over the rocks
to Richmond. Our present trouble is with
muddy water. This summer our pa
tience has been sorely tried. For weeks
at n time our hydrant water has been
nasty-looking stuff.
Our people are well-nigh in despair, ana
II they were called upon TO vote upon the
question at this moment they would DC
willing, almost, 10 mortgage all their
earthly possessions TO get relief. But
how can we get relief? That's the ques-
ton. Settling basins have been spoken
Of. and are favored by influential men,
but. on the other hand. DR.. Hunter NC
CURE has expressed the fear that while
the muddy water is settling 1T viii be-
come impure. That's serious matter
Unless this theory of his be disproved'
our city would better not go to the ex-
pense of constructing settling basins. They
would cost a very large sum of money.
If. however, they served our purpose we
could stand the expense; but If they
failed us how great would be our misfor-
tunel
II seems 10 us that a good way TO deal
with this question would be to expert
ment with filters and basins upon some
what large scale We should like to see
several big filters in operation in public
places In this city. They would serve the
temporary purpose of supplying thousands
OF persons who are now getting drinking
water from springs and wells that nave
been condemned, and they would be in
formatory to the masses. So. too, set
Ting basin covering an acre or two would
serve an admirable purpose.
We repeat, we believe there is no per-
feet system of purifying water. All we
can do in pursuit Of our purpose Is 10
adopt the best system in sight. And to
find the best system we know of no bet
ter way than to experiment upon good
ly scale. Richmond could well afford TO
spend $4,000 or $4,000 in that way.
If the City Council will give the people
the opportunity of sitting in Judgment
upon the two systems, we doubt not that
n correct conclusion will be reached in the
premises. That done, the needful appro-
priation will be promptly made.