Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-17
TOUR OF INSPECTION.
WATER COMMITTEE VISIT PUMPING
STATIONS AND RESERVOIRS.
THE QUESTION OF CLEAR WATER
The Subject of Filtration. Discussed
Artcsian-welIs Also Considered
Appropriation for Surveys with n
view to Filtration.

AFTERNOON. visiting both the pumping sta
tons and the Old and New reservoirs.
A business session Of the committee
was held on the trip. and the subject Of
the Qualification Of the citys water supply
received considerable attention. No de-
finite action was taken. however, though
the meeting was really fruitful Of sug-
gestions
The party left the City Hall in car
riages shortly after o'clock, and IT was
past before the trip was completed
and the last member al home. The mem
bers OF the committee in the party were
Messrs. c. w. Tanner, c. r. Winston,
William II. Zimmerman, Robert l..
Whittet, A. y. Ferguson. and NJ. f.
Whalen. Mr.. r. G. Boiling. Superintend-
ent OF the Water-Works; Mr.. Eugene
Davis, clerk 10 the Water Committee;
Mr.. Briggs, former chairman of the COM
mittee; Mr. G. l.. Parker. of Norfolk; Mr..
Samuel Morrison, general manager OF the
| New York Filtration Company; George
g. Ruskel, Sergeant at-Arms of the
/ Council. and two representatives OF
the press accompanied the committee.
Mr.. Alexander Delaney Superintendent OF
the Pumping Stations, joined the party en-
route.
AT OLD PUMP-HOUSE.
The Old pumping station was first visit
/ ed, and the committee went all over the
! place. several of the guests. at least, WIS.,
/ iting the building for the first time. The
! machinery in the station was the object
| of great interest, and Mr.. Delaney and
/ his assistants were careful to explain
| every detail for the benefit of the guests.
/ 1t is an interesting fact, and one probably
mot luT hp n
/ Richmond. that one of the pumps in the
/ station. and still i'm constant use, was put
/ in in 1892. and though 1t has been work
I ing away these sixty-siX years almost
/ constantly. it is still one Of the best
pumps owned by the city. Everything
/ about the station was in such excellent
| order that the most pleasant comments
were made by the committee and invited
| guests.
The party. after each one had lighted
: one of Superintendent Bollng's fragrant
cigars, was next driven to the Old reser-
vor. and after strolling about the beau
tifully-kept grounds for a short while,
the members of the committee gathered
under the magnolia at the entrance for
+ a business session.
THE BUSINESS SESSION.
After dispatching a little routine bust
ness the committee was addressed by
Superintendent Boiling, who said he de-
sired to ask the appropriation of 800 for
the purpose of running the necessary
lines and grades to ascertain the height
of the water above and below the pump
ing stations, so that he and the City
Engineer could act intelligently under the
resolution adopted at a recent meet
ing of the Council directing them TO re-
port upon the cost of filterng the water
supply of the city. Colonel Cutshaw,
City Engineer. was not in the city, but
Mr.. Boiling said he had agreed with him
that the committee should be asked to
make the appropriation.
HOW TO GET CLEAR WATER.
Mr.. Boiling said that during the past
few weeks his time had been so COM
pletely taken up by persons who had
plans to offer for the Qualification of the
water that he had been able to de-
vote but very little time to the routine
work of the department. 1t was his opin-
ion that clear water, or water approx
mately clear. could only be obtained by
sedmentatiop or filtration, and if the
b latter method were adopted the water
) would have to be first sedimented. Still
/ | IT would not be perfectly clear. No matter
- which system was adopted the water
Y would be the color Of pale lemonade.
= Mr.. Boiling said that If it were true
as had been stated in the papers that
- water stored for sedimentation would be
e come impure before IL became clear, OF
Y by the time IL was clarified then he was
# all wrong in his theories as to the
d best methods OF improving the city's
e water. He urged the committee to dc
S nothing hastily, and suggested that some
d experiments with sedimentation be made
The committee, at the conclusion of Mr.
II Bolling's statement, voted that the APP
y preparation for which he had asked bt
- made.
d MR.. MORRISON ON FILTRATION.
d Mr. Boiling then introduced Mr.. Samue
e Morrison general manager of the New
II York Filtration Company, who spoke 70
probably fifteen minutes. discussing tn
! whole subject Of water filtration since
o, had been undertaken by the city of Lon
: don, the first Of any municipal govern
# ment in 1887, down 10 the present day. II
Il said he had examined James-river waite
80 very carefully several years ago, and lat
5. terly he had again analysed 1t very close
y ". and he felt perfectly safe In prom
Using that If the combined system Of CO
agulation. sedimentation. and fltratio
employed by his company were adopted
the city would have pure. sparkling water
4 Alum could be used in altering water bu
none should ever be allowed TO get throug
the filter.
T The entire cost Of a plant. such as MI
Morrison's company would put, in to filte
2 the supply for Richmond would reac
$4,000. The cost of filtering the waite
would be about 70 cents per million ga
, Ions. Mr. Morrison said his company no.
d had filtration plants in 1874 cities and town
70 of the United States and he would b
l. clad to send an experimental filter her
II TO show it's working to the committee.
NONE PURER THAN OURS.
In response TO a question from Mr.. Bo
: ling. Mr.. Morrison said he had examine
T. the water supply Of a great many Amer
l. can cities, and he did not think there wa
Il i'm the United States purer drinking waite
n than that which comes from the Jane
8 river. AS TO the efficiency of the systeI
n employed by his company I'm clearing IN
water Of bacteria, Mr.. Morrison said tia
n in the city of Elmira, n. Y, In 1896 theI
Il were 426 cases OF typhoid fever; in JAM
n airy, 1897 there were lis cases, and after
Il filter was put in In the month of Febrl
airy. there were not, during the rest of III
year. but eighty cases.
Mr.. Morris's address was highly intel
esting. and received very close attention
. AS TO ARTESIAN WELLS.
MIR. Boiling next introduced Mr. Parke
of Norfolk. who spoke very briefly on I'll
J. subject of Artesian wells. He said tht
e such wells had all been put in With
=. the past twenty years, and in that tim
he bad bored them in Louisiana. Tennes