Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-10

| 49,
every self-respecting Republican on III
rolls.
| -----------------------
SOURCE OF OUR WATER SUPPLY.
Mr.. Boiling. Superintendent of the City
| Water-works, is OF the opinion that one
of Tho basins of the New reservoir may
be used for the purpose OF experimenting
with sedimentation. That arrangement;
| would be satisfactory TO every one, we
suppose. IL would have the advantage
OF being in a public place, where all who
| wished TO do so might watch the process.
and we suppose could be used without
| cost. unless, indeed. 1t should be neces-
! sary 10 clean the basin out. In that event
an expenditure would be needed. But
Il would be money well spent. If our re-
collection serves us rightly but one Of
| the two basins has been thoroughly clean
ed out since they were built. How
ever. the deposit there is nothing but
clay; nothing that materially Injuries the
water.
BY using one OF the baslnssas proposed
and with the 5000 that the City Council
| may be counted upon TO appropriate, ex-
periments OF all sorts may be made and
we may soon have results obtained by
practical tests to take the place Of theo-
| ries. -
Superintendent Boiling, in the report
that he submitted to the Committee on
Water night before last, besides refer
ring TO the matter of clarifying our
water supply, answered Dr. Hunter Nc
Cures criticism Though he called no
names) about the city's drawing its water
supply from the canal rather than from
the river itself. That is a question OF
Importance and is little understood by
the public. We, therefore, republish what
Mr.. Boiling said on the subject:
The velocity of the water In the canal
Is "a mile per hour; therefore. it is in no
sense stagnant. Twice in It's flow to the
pumps II passes through gates where one
surface is higher than the other, and is
tossed about and whirled around re-
ceiNing the same kind of aeratlon it
would get in tumbling over the rocks in
the river-bed Except in cases of freshets
in the river, the water in the canal
taken in above Bosher's dam would
reach the pump-house in one half the
time of that flowing in the river.
This water has been examined by scen-
fists and pronounced a good and whole
some water. Comparative examinations
Of water taken from the forebay or
canal at the pump-house. and that %
the river have been made, showing the
water in the canal TO be equally as good
as that in the river. In such seasons Of
drought as we had last summer and sum-
mer before last no water flowed over
Bosher's dam for many days, and had
our pumps been connected with the river,
as has been suggested, we would have
had no water TO draw from. The sources
Of contamination along the canal-and
the same kind exist on the south side of
the river-are few and far between, and
the city, by act of Legislature, mas
right to prevent contamination OF !ts
drinking water, and exercises that right.
Constant inspection is carried on. For
a period of twenty-five years past our
drinking water has been analysed by
scientists and pronounced a healthy
water.
1t seems, therefore. that the water In
the canal is as good as that in the river,
and that If our pumps at the New reser-
voir were connected with the river in
stead OF with the canal, we should be I'M
able to get a supply in periods OF very
low water. Hence we conclude that I'M
less the pumps be connected with both
the canal and the river. the present ar
rangement is a better one than that PRO-
posed by DIR. Mcclure.
BY the way, 1T may be well to mention
again that Richmond has been quite
healthy this summer In the face Of the
fact that thousands Of families here have
used we'll and spring water Of this city.
What does that prove? 1t seems TO prove
that the we'll and spring water here Is not
the dangerous thing it has been said to
be. However. we claim no expert knowl-
edge on the subject.
Perhaps the continual rains that We had
and the cleaning that our lots and alleys
thus received, and the full supply OF
water that the wells and springs had, put
them in better condition than they are
ordinarily. Nevertheless. we prefer James
river water. clear or muddy. to any well
or spring water to be found here.
But to resume
Matters are now getting in proper train
for devising q method Of clarifying our
entire water-supply. Experiments will be
made on a large scale. and in less than a
year we shall probably know what can
and should be done TO rid our river water
of the only objection to it-viz.. the mud
that thickens and colors it after heavy
IN ms In Alhemarla and EluYanna-