Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-14
wArEa-woRs<s AND noNps.

pump house" was erected. a big pipe
pa ssed beneath an arch under the James
river and Kanawha canal, ran through
r corner CT Hollywood Cemetery grounds
and across a part of the Clarkc's Spring
lot, and delivered water at what is now
the cid eservor-otherwise called Mar
shall reservoir. a name given it to honor
him VINO was the most distinguished "citi-
zen Richmond ever had
The Hon. Jefferson Davis was resi-
dent" CT Richmond. not a citizen in its
fun sense. The same may be said Of
General Z. e Lee. but Marshall was a
voter here and held q place in the city
| government and this districteIected him II
. Congress- and there he continued to re-
! side after he became Chief Justice. Ans
50 Richmond delighted 10 honor him.
Thousands OF boy babies we're named af-
ter him. and we had Marshall reservoir
and a Marshall theatre: so. too. Mar.
shall street, "afacshall Ward and
Marshall Park libby HID.
The pump house" and Marshall reser-
voir were wonders in these long past
| d&ys. -dany people visited them. On
surny Sunday afternoons they were
thronged; they served the purpose parks
DO now In the course OF time the pump
ing capacity of our water works was
Increased, and the size Of the reservoir
was doubled. In that day. as in this,
there was a complaint that The water
supplied consumers was muddy. and vari-
Gus methods were suggested to clarity it.
At last a sand filtration plant was put
into the reservoir.
It worked fairly well for awhile: then
got choked with mud ana, fell into disuse
and dropped out Of the memory Of every
body, nearly Not until the spring OF
1885. when the reservoir was e1nptied TO
purify ii because Fannie Lillian Madlson's
body had lain in it six or eight hours
was that old filtration plant thought Of
again Then it was uncovered and 'carted
out with the mu.. which had accumulated
during many, many years.
That mud from the bottom and sides os
the old reservoir. which, by timely pre-
cipitat.on. escaped going into the ston1-
achs OF The Richmond public. was heaped
UP on the south of the cn1banknent. max
ing a shapely circular mound Rich in
ali the essentials OF Tic James river low
grounds. the mud is now covered with turf
and trees. Perhaps, in the far-off future
archaeologists viii p1y and tunnel into
it ana l'poa the strength OF a piece Of CID
hoopskirt or tomato can, put forth able
and ingenious theories as TO It's origin
-ol1
came a time when thousands Of Rich
moni's working people We're unemployed
To give wages to some of those unfortu-
mates and 10 secure larger basins where
it was hoped the muddy water would set
tie and clear itself 10 some extent. the
building Of the new reservoir was under
taken. Il was a good investment albeit
muddy water pumped there from the river
nearby is not allowed tc linses
in the basins long enoush to
settle thoroughly. What has been
the consequence? Why. during long
periods CT muddy water in the river
the public has protested ana objurgated
and demanded relief Meanwhile. here
have been inquiries by committees and in
restigatons by experts, and discussion by
the learned and Gnlearnei, with the result
that The theories advanced decades ago
by Coroner Taylor and Superintendent
Boiling. and Colonel Cutshaw have been
adopted The plans for the settling basin
which nave been agreed upon are hose OF
Superintendent Boiling Yesterday. The
newspapers announced that Mayor Taylor
t~sue OF s.o5.1C0 in l2-year 3 u per cent.
city bonds, with which to construct The
plant.
The method adopted TO secure for Ricn-
nona constant supply of clear water.
is sedimentation, assisted. when noces-
sary. by coagulation. The settling basin
viii be located on and about Williams
Island" which is on the north side OF the
James river. between Bosher's dam and
the new pump house. II will DC long,
and, for the most part, narrow basin in
the basin of the James, SO 70 speak On
its north side the basin will be bounded
by the canal emhankmcnt. and on the
south side by stone wall, Shutting out
the river.
inere Will De a ScfleS OF aaS!nS, ana |
from the lowest one the clarified water
will be delivered to the pumps by the
force OF gravity.
a year or two ago actual experiments
made by keeping James river water stand
ing in one Of the basins Of the new reser- |
voir fer weeks and weeks. GeInogstrated
that it suffered no detrimeut. but quite
the contrary. So. on that point our an
thorides are not acting upon theories, but
upon results obtained from actual prac-
tice; results which accord. too, with the
lessons OF experience obtained in other
places where sedlmentation is resorted to
Upon a large scale
As means Of lettering the water sup
ply in another direction. the City Council |
has taken steps 10 erect stand pipe in
Lee District. The highest ground in the
city limits is on Lonbardy street; hence
the. need OF that naighborhood for water
supply which has lis source more elevated
than the reservoirs are.
We presume that ii VIII take year or /
two TO make these Improvements. but when
made we expect Richmond TO have an |
,,n mailing md ,,rirrro cha HE SUNNY of |