Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-28
l0CLEAR TIE W ATER
JOINT COMMITTEE TALKS OVER
MATTER OF MAKING TESTS.
IS TAKEN UEbER ADJUSTMENT.
suDt. Boiling Fully Explains the
Necessity for nm Appropriation OF
s5,OOO-The Eiectrolysis Issue De-
ferred-Nust Pay Debts.

met in joint session last night to consider
the resolution calling for the appropria-
ton OF 5000 to experiment in methods for
| filterng the city water. Some very inter-
| esting statements were made In this re-
! gard by Superintendent Boiling by which
the members OF the Finance Committee
were undoubtedly impressed.
After the joint meeting the Finance
| Committee held an executive session TO
consider what recommendation to make
10 the City Council. The result OF THIS
elaboration could not be ascertained.
The joint session was held after the
meeting Of the Water Committee. Those
present from the Water Committee were
Messrs. G. W. Tanner chairman, Fer
gusson. Winston. Whalen, zimmerman,
Cutchins, Montgomery. and Mills; and
from the Finance Committee Messrs.
Hardwicke, Allen, Cottrell, zimmerman
| HARRISON. Camp and Drewry.
Mr.. Tanner. chairman of the Committee
on Water spoke Of the necessity for the
test, and the extensive scale on which
such tests would have 20 be conducted.
While q small sum might be Of great SER
vice, it was most desirable that the tests
should ,be as complete and as wide as
possible.
VIEWS OF Mr.. Boiling.
On motion Of Mr. Allen, Superintendent
Boiling was heard The water, he said,
was perfectly pure, but the difficulty was
to clear it. Years ago a distinguished
scientist made thorough examination
| of the water. and as a result OF his eN-
| periments he declared that sedimentaton
was unusually slow. The examination
| made in Boston showed that water stored
| in deep basins for sedimentaton became
| impure, and shallow settling-baslns had
/ been adopted in several cities. Inc SUI
perintendent then spoke of the natural
! sand-beds as a filterng medium. 1t would
| be TO the interest Of the city 10 Duliu
! of small bed as an experiment.
| The results Of mechanical filtration were
! next presented. The object Of asking Tor
| the appropriation was TO ascertain Wnlcn
would be the cheapest and best method
for this city.
be possible to get clearer water hgher up
the river Mr.. Boiling replied that ne dld
not think 50.
ARTESIAN WELLS NOT PRACTICAL
Bile.
In reply to a question put by Mr.. ANen'
Mr.. Boiling said there was no Artesidn
water In the vicinity OF lHchmoHd' Hd''
OF the city Artcsi3n water may DE- redcH-
ed. but it would have to be piped to the
CITY. ana would mean the undong of all
that had been accomplished IN buildlhB
the two pump-houses.
In response TO a request made by Mr..
Allen. the superintendent made a state
! ment as To the purity OF the wafer nc
detailed the results of the examinations
of the water made by Dr. Taylor, Prores-
sor Mallet and others, ana In every IN
stance the water was pronounced eNcep-
tionaly good and healthy, with no organ
isms: and the death rate from those
diseases generally ascribed 10 bad water
was 80 Per cent. less in Richmond than
any other OF the fourteen cities TO the
reports of which the superintendent had
access. The water of the James river
had been examined more frequently than
that of any other city, but not once had
irs enemies even been able TO ind Dacii-
lus in H..
TAKEN UNDER ADJUSTMENT
Mr.. Cottrel asked if it would be neces-
sarv to appropriate 5000 to make the
tests. Mr.. Boiling said he could give no
Iapproximate estimate. Careful chemical
tests would have to be made as TO the
necessary amount of alum 10 clear the
water without any alum being lett IN IL.
The Finance Committee took the mat
fer under advsement, and both bodies
adjourned.
The EiectroIysis Matter Deferred.
The Water Committee agreed to extend
| the time granted the strcet-railWny COM
panies 10 meet the elcctrOlysis issue until
January LIST. Mr.. Andrew Pizzini, on be-
half OF the Richmond Railway and Flee
! trio Company, said that girder rails would
be laid on Seventh street I'm the near tu-
ture. and on Church Hill and other parts
of the system next year In tAe me an
time. the company is ready to indemnify
the city for any and all damage caused
by electrolysis.
4 request was received from Mr.. w. T.
Armistead for the extension of the water
main on Grove avenue from Strawberry
to Cedar street, I'm order that he might
have water i'm his house. Mr. Armistead
offered TO pay the city per cent. per an
mum on the amount expended In laying
the MAN, and 10 continue so To do until
the water-rent derived from his square
exceeded that sum.
The request was granted. with the pro-
viso that Mr.. Armistead shall pay per
cent on the investment. instead of 4.
THE ELECTROINSiS MATTER.
Captain Andrew Pizzini appeared before
the committee in response To- "a notice
that unless the track on Seventh street
was put i'm a satisfactory condition within
thirty days the company would bee sum-
moned 10 appear in the Police Court. Mr..
Pizzini said he was authorized 10 say that
the company would lay girder rails on
| Seventh street. In the mean time, ne
would respectfully ask that the time
limit suggested by the superintendent
should be extended TO January LIST. The
company would undertake 20 pay all dam
ages to Water-pipos from electrolysis. Mr..
Boiling asked if the girder rails would be
laid on Church Hill by January lst Mr..
Pizzini replied that il would be impOss-
bic TO do this. but the company had de-
termined to lay the girder rails on this
track next year.
ITS RESULTS ARE SERIOUS.
Mr. Boiling made an exhaustive eXpla
nation as TO the serious results Of cleo
trolysis. and said that no delay should
Doe tolerated. Mr. Pzzini replied, sayin
f. was absolutely impossible 20 comply
with the ordinance I'm the time specified
and explained what his company had
already done. The company admitted
that il was an important subject bul
they thought the ordinance now in force
imposed very hard and expensive condi-
tions. He urged the committee to adopt
some ordinance to meet the electrolysi.
T..