The record-union., 1899-07-20

guidance of the several subcommittee
whose duty it would be to present
water for analysis. All the water so
presented must be placed in bottles
which will be provided by the Purity
Committee, and shall be so arranged
that the committee shall have no
knowledge whence it was taken.
DR.. Power said each analysis would
entail an expense of $50 if made by
the committee, and probably S3O II
made by parties outside the city. 1t
was the desire of the committee that
all analyses be made outside of the
city, so as to relieve the members OF
the committee of any suspicion OF un-
fairness.
Dr. Henderson moved that the Purity
Committee be empowered to have the
necessary analysis of water made by
parties outside the city, if possible;
if not, then by members of the COM
mittee. He said the water from the
Sacramento and American Rivers
ought to be analyzed immediately SO
as to determine whether the present
Objectionable feature of the water
arose merely from an odor, or from
solid matter which would be injurious
to health The analysis of well water,
he thought, could be continued until
later time. He thought the commit
tee might rely upon reports from other
and similarly situated cities, on filter
propositions, and that the examination
should be made of the filtered water.
nv t1n hnr nf
pies and the consequent cost, Of analy-
sis would depend upon the several
sub-committees. He estimated that at
least twenty analyses would be nee
essary, which would entail a cost OF
from $400 to $780,
Mr.. Stillman explained to the COM
mittee that several days would be con-
sumed in making a single test
Chairman Grau said from what had
been said it looked as though several
hundred dollars would be necessary,
and it had been reported that Mr.. Nc
Kay, President of the Board of Trus-
tees, had gone on record to allow no
expenditure of more than $500 unless
the Board of Trustees was first con-
suited He suggested that DR.. Hender-
sons motion, if carried, might get the
committee in an unenviable position.
Mr.. Arnold thought that for the pres
ent only two tests-Sacramento and
American River water-were necessary,
and he thought there would be no
difficulty in getting enough for that.
Mr.. Bentley moved as an amendment
that the Purity Committee be given
full power to act, and that it was the
sense of the General Committee that
it's members make the necessary analy-
ses.
Mr.. Arnold said he was willing to
go ahead and contract debts if he was
assured that they would be paid. but
said that at a recent meeting OF the
committee of which he was Chairman
he had been obliged to go into his own
pocket for 50 to pay the expenses OF
a competent engineer who had been
called to advise the committee.
In the end it was decided to request
the Board of Trustees to provide
fund of $1,000 on which the commit
tee might draw for necessary Incl
dental expenses.
Mr.. Adams of the Sacramento River
Committee had nothing to report.
Mr.. Arnold, Chairman of the Amer
lean River Committee, reported pro-
gress, but had nothing definite to hand
in.
A Meister of the Committee on Wells
said that nothing could be done unless
funds were forthcoming for sinking
wells, or in case those already sunk
were to be used, for pumps and power
to run them.
At this point D. Mckay, who had
been in the country investigating wells,
arrived, and said he had been out to
see the lady who owns the land on
which are situated the wells sunk by
the Chamber of Commerce when that
body made its test. He had drank of
thought it would be a lucky day for
the city when that water would be in
the city mains He had learned that
no objection would be made to the
committee making its. test of the water
from those wells, if it desired to do SO.
DR.. Charles Van Norden being invit-
ed to address the committee, said he
was astonished that a subcommittee
had not been appointed to investigate
a source of supply somewhere in the
mountains. He thought that sooner
or later the city would be obliged to
get it's supply from the mountains.
DR.. Van Norden said he believed in
public ownership of a water supply. He
said he represented, he felt, a great
many people in the city who We're op-
posed to receiving a supply Of water
from wells. He said the valley was
composed of loose materials, and that
the wells suggested were surface wells.
and it would end in the city finally
using it's own drainage and sewage
Water flowing to wells, DR.. Van Nor
den said, would follow a practically
straight course to the WELL and each
stream would finally wear channel,
which minute organic matter would go
through without filtration. He felt
that if the city's water supply should
be drawn from wells, they would in
time, have to be abandoned.
In speaking to his theory of noun
tain supply of water. DR.. Van Norden
said the city could easily purchase a