The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-12-06
Sc filing BASIN
FOR CLEAR WATER
Prof. Mal|et and Others Favor This.
System.
VIEWS OF MANY ARE HEARD.
In addition to the University Chemist
Drs. Levy, Taylor, W:llford aud
Oilers Are Heard on This
Interesting Subject.

~--
The Finance Committee of the City
Council met last night and for two hours
and a half heard a discussion by e2-
perts, Including chemists, doctors and
engineers, on the best means OF securing
clear water for Richmond.
Those of the committee present were
Messrs. Allen. Camp, Cottrell, Gordon
and Wood and SOL. Bloornl,erg. Those in
attendance as spectators or participants
in the discussion were Mr.. Charles e
golling, superintendent Of the water
works; DR.. W. T. Oppenhimer. president
of tho Board OF Health; DR.. ]. S. Well
ford, DR.. w. II. Taylor, State chemist
and coroner of Richmond; Mr.. John e.
Robertson, who has asked the city for a
franchise to furnish the city water from
Swift Creek; President William NJ. Tur-
pin, OF the Board of Aldermen; Professor
Nfaplct. chemist at the University OF
Virginia; Mr.. S. L., Morrison, general
Company; mr.. Robert F. Morris, mining
engineer; DR.. E. c. Levy and others.
Chairman Caskie stated that tho meet
ing was held especially to consider the
subject of clear water" Supe-1ntend-
ent Boiling. the superintendent Of the
city water works was recognized, and
made a complete statement Of the his
tory of the movement In Richmond He
was of the opinion that the best solution
of the troublesome question was to have
a settling basin He said that for years
he had had a site in view for such a ba-
sin. It was about one mile above the
IIump-house- 81,
QUESTIONED BY Mr.. CAsKIE.
Mr. Caskie asked him if he was pre-
pared to recommend tho settling basin
as the most desirable method for the city
to get clear water at all times of the
year. ~
yes" said Mr. Boiling, who in reply
to further questions, said the, basin
should be about sixty acres in size, and
would hold two hundred million gallons
of water, which will be drained from
the river. Asked how the water would
be cleared in the basin the Superintend-
ent replied that natural sedimentAtlon
would be used first, and then by the use
OF an iron coagutant. ~
Mr. Boiling was also asked how long
the basin he proposed would supply the
city. He replied: About twenty, days
The cost Of such a basin would be s2oo, GOO,
with $4,000 more, for the. coagulating
basin, or about s350.0o0 altogether.
PROF, WALLET POSITIVE.
MI Caskie invites Prof. Mallet to make
statement Of his views and the result
of his investigation. Prof. Mallet spoke
the water ard the comparative whole
someness of the water as clarified BY
one process and then another. He was
In favor of iron being used to any other
artificial means of clearing It. he OBJ
| tected strongly to alum sons the ground:
t that it was rarely possible to. use just
! the quantity of alum that was, necessary.
Major Alien asked PROT Mallet if he
| thought the settling basin was the very
! best thing for Richmond. The reply was
t short and direct. simply Yes.
| Major Allen asked Prof Mallet:f DO
you think that q settling basin is abso-
| lutely necessary for Rlchmond?"
Yes said Prof. Mallet. II do not
say that the settling ba sin VIII be ali
| the city will want, but 1t certainly is the
| first STEP 1t will certainly give the city
| much better water than ut present. Thls
water would be wholesome
| Mr.. Camp asked DR.. Ma1lett If the
water would be stsgnant and become i'm
| pure. The chemist replied that lie was
| confident that the water would not thus
become impure.
DIR, WEXFORD NEXT.
| DR.. Wexford was the next speaker. He
! presented the report of the special com
|! mittee of the Academy Of Medicine and
| Surgery. That report is very interesting
| Briefly stated. it is: That James River
! water is liable to contamination with
/, disease-producing germs, and has posi-
i lSy been the cause Of serious epidcmics:
| that the mud in The waite: renders the
| water largely unsuited for commercla
, or domestic purposes: that the water
when purified by satisfactory sedinienta-
ton and filtration. is as pure and whole
some as that possessed by any city III
| their knowledge.
| 1ro Sicnaf nv 11rc I. :,
| Wexford, ]. Allison Hodges. ii. D. I1oge,
/ Jr., William S. Gordon, and ". T. OPP
| penh;rner. ,..sE5f..s sEj.s-=
F; DRs. LEVY AND TAYLOR
/ DR. Levy followed DR.. Wexford. lie
discussed James River water as the
| home Of bacteria He declared In une-
| cuivocul terms that James River water
was not unwholesome. It was good water
and could never be justly charged with
| being the cause of an epidemic in Ricn-
| mond It had not been the cause Of any
increas, Of typhoid fever.
| Or. W. n Taylor, the State chemist,
| is tho staunch champion Of James River
water He got a fine opportunity last
night. He declared he was not afraid to
say what he thought about the water
He did not have any patients to lose by
expressing his opinions regarding
| thing His patients were all dead men
and didn't object to anything he said.
DR.. Taylor asserted that those who OBJ
iected to James River water We're society
| people, people who talked and wrote
about it, but who didn't know and hadnt
| investigated the subject, but the three
men who had spent days and months IN
studying the subject were Of the opin-
ion that the water was entirely whole
| some.
THE MECHANICAL SIDE.
Mr.. Morrison, representing one of the
largest concerns in the world engaged
in clarifying city water, spoke of the
! mechanical side, and in answer to a ques-
ton from Major Allen, said that the set
Ting basin was the first and necessary
| step.
| Mr. Robert It Morris said he had found