The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-11
THE DANGER TO
THE CITY WATER
The Report of Committee OF
Physicians.
TITO OM TIE WATER CHI IT
.ITISON THE WATER SHED
IMPROPER CONDITIONS SHOULD
BE ABATED.
TIE F0UEE TO AVOID THE ACiL

Mr. Lacy Resigns as Commissioner of
Sinking Fu,d Mr.. Walters
Durham Elected
a special meeting of the Board of
Aldermen was held last night in the
Mayors office. 1t was for the purpose
of receiving and considering the report
of the committee, consisting of Drs.
Knox. Lewis and Royster, on the city S
water supply. and the suggestion of a
line to avoid the acid deposits at the
Phosphate Works.
The following aldermen were present:
Drewry, Mcdonald. Parish. Pegram,
Bogasse, Correll, Riddle and Spence.
There were also present, Mr.. julius
Lewis, president Of the Water Company;
A. Nj. McPheeters, superintendent, and
Mr.. Ernest Haywood. attorney for the
company; Mr.. f. o. Moring, Drs. Knox.
Lewis and III. A. Royster, Col. Shaffer,
Mr.. Chas. e. Johnson and others.
The committee made the following re-
port:
THE COMMITTEES REPORT.
To the Honorable Board of Aldermen of
the City of Raleigh:
Gentlemen-Your committee, appoint
ed ITO analyze and examine thorough
ly the water which is now being fur
nished our citizens by the Raleigh
Water Company, and investigate any
other facts and conditions connected
with our water supply, and report the
same, with recommendations, to this
board as soon as possible begs leave
to report as follows:
Recent analysis by the State chemist
"a copy of which is hereto attached,
shows that the water furnished by the
Raleigh Water Company has, for the
past several weeks. been contaminated
with sulphuric acid. This contamina-
ton originated. evidently, from acid in
the Caraieigh Phosphate Mills whether
as result of the destruction of said
mills by fire in 1893, evacuating over
four Thousand tons of acid over{the sur
face of the ground thereabouts, and al
most Immediately over the water-sup-
ply pipe of the said company or from
the tipping over of Il large vat in Jan
uary. 1898, we are unable to say; but
it probably was due to approximation
of the soil with acid at the time of the
former accident.
This acid-contaminated water is, in
our opinion, injurious to health, and
unfit for domestic use, causing disor
dered digestion and bowel disturbances.
but is not dangerous to life.
Il, Of
water has been perceptible. from time
to time, for the past six years. to-wit:
Since the destruction of the phosphate
mills by fire, and. while a temporary
thing, it is, nevertheless. liable to re-
cur at any time. i'll the event of rain
falls or heavy SHOWS.
Under authority of His Honor Mayor
Powell your committee called Colonel
a. w. Shaffer in with consultation, and
an expert engineer, together with
him, on the afternoon of the Sth inst.
made a personal inspection of the region
in the immediate vicinity of the phos-
phate mills. This investigation showed
that the present line of watersupply
pipe runs Immediately under the mill
and directly under the location of the
acid tanks; also under Il large pile of
refuse matter resulting from the manu-
facture of sulphuric acid. This pile of
refuse, amounting to several hundred
tons, contains approximately about two
(2) per cent of sulphur, according to
the statement made to us by the secre-
tary and treasurer of the mills.
We recommend, therefore, that the
course of the supply pipe of the Raleigh
Water Company be altered, so as to
run along the north side of the railway
track which passes the phosphate mills,
in accordance with the proposal of the
sanitary engineer whose written re-
port, with accompanying sketch. we here
with submit as a part of our own re-
port, and which we unanimously APP
prove.
The pipe line as recommended by the
consulting engineer provided survey
shall verify our hasty Inspection, VIII
pass under the asylum sewer-an open
ditch or ''run"-and at this point, and
for a sufficient distance to the east
and west of said sewer-crossing, the
supply-pipe should be Of iron and its
joints should be carefully and perfectly
sealed.
We further recommend that the exact
location of the proposed new pipe line
shall be under tn control and direction
of competent surveyor Tor engineer).
who shall also supervise the laying of
the same from start to finish.
We have sent a sample of water for
analysis to the State chamist, and, I'D
addition. one sample each to the bac-
terioogist of the State Board of Health
and to a distinguished bacteriologist of
national reputation, who resides in a
Northern city. The results of these
examinations will be submitted to you
as Il supplemental report as soon as
they are received.
In this preliminary report we feel
that we are authorized--by the broad
scope of your resolutions by which you
appointed this committeer-to refer to
certain other facts and considerations.
of vital moment. in connection with the
question of the permanent purity of
Raleigh's drinking water.
While the contamination of drinking
water with sulphuric acid and other