The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-06
Ma, W. j. Miner Says There
is No Scarcity
QUESTION OF CITY OWNERSHIP
Light on the Schiller Proposition-it
Is Said That If We Go to the War
rior or Coosa the Water Would
Have to Be Filtered.

Maj. W. j. Miner, who was the en-
gineer in charge of the construction of
the present Birmingham water works
system, and who for many years was
general manager of the company, acting
in that capacity until its sale several
years ago to the company now owning
and operating the system, has sent to the
Age Herald the following communica-
ton:
Birmingham, Ala, January 5, 1903
To the Editor of the Age-Herald:
Among the many things said and writ
ten upon the water question, the most
pertinent and practicable suggestion that
l have seen or heard is that of Med
Brace" In Sundays Age-Herald. 1t has
always been contemplated that the city
would at the proper time take over the
water works and 1t may be that now Is
that time. Some years ago when Mr.. Fox
was mayor a trade was agreed upon by
which the city was to purchase the works
at about cost viz; 81, 10000, to be paid
in thirty-year per cent bonds, without a
dollar in cash. but the Van Hose admin
istraton, which succeeded, whether WISE
ly or not Ii Is not now necessary to say,
refused to consummate the agreement,
and the opportunity was thus lost. The
committee of the Commercial club,
through whom the present agitation was
started, made no recommendation In ref
erence to the purchase of the present
works. They suggested, however, that the
quickest way to get relief was by nego-
tiation and amicabe adjustment, which
Is not at all opposed to, but rather in
accord with Ned Braces" suggestion,
and II the public think that now Is the
time, let us all unite on that idea and Sc
cure such legislation now as will enable
us to carry 1t into effect.
There is a great want of information in
the public mind upon this subject. No
one questions but they have had griev-
ances In the past but let us now correct
these wrongs in business-like way, leav-
ing punishment for these wrongs entirely
out of the question.
Scarcity of Water.
There is no scarcity of water In Blr-
mingham, nor has there been since the
introduction of Cahaba river nor will
there be for many years to come, and we
do ourselves and the community great
injury and serious harm when we so pro-
claim to the world Because the Schulers
demanded and were refused the option to
draw from the water company three mil
lion gallons per day at l cent per 1000
gallons, without any obligation on their
part to take any given quantity at any
time, 1t is proclaimed ana spread abroad
that we did not have waterr enough, to
our great damage. This water, too, be 1t
remembered, was to be filtered water and
under full pressure from the mains.
which Is sufficient to obviate the neces-
sity of pumping. In 1891 the water COM
pany engaged the service or one OF the
most eminent hydraulic engineers In this
country, Col. John T. Tanning of Minne-
apols to look into this question. Colonel
Tanning spent about ten days here ex-
aiming the water works and the water
sheds carefully and rendered a report.
After reviewing the facts he had collected
and tabulated them. he sums up by say
ing:
1.-THE mean annual flow of both streams
(the two Cahabas, not including Five
Mile creei) with such storage as Is
easily possible, is sufficient to supply the
city of Birmingham with an abundance
of water until its population exceeds one
third of a million, and 1t is possible to pro-
cure a good and adequate supply of water
from the two branches Of the Cahaba
for 100000 people"
Colonel Fannings opinions are shared by
other eminent and capable engineers, who
have studied the question. Some people.
however, prefer to accept the dicta of
some eminent unknown engineer who may
happen to be passing through the city or
stopping over at the Hillman for the
night.
There Is also a great want of informa-
ton as to the character of the water
sheds. The more recent investigation of
Messrs. Benzenburg and Fuller. two ex-
perts of unquestioned ability and stand
ing. confirm the results obtained by both
Tanning and DR.. Mason, the latter in 1898,
upon this point.
They say after careful study and
numerous analysis: THE detailed results
of these analysis are appended hereto
(their reporD and show the sanitary char
acter of the water to be very good In
fact the absence of intestinal bacteria
in all but one of the fifteen samples, when
testing as much as 800 cubic centimeters
is a record for surface waters which.
within our knowledge, has been rarely II
ever, exceeded"
Concerning the Warrior.
We will find that, even il we go to the
Warrior or the Coosa, we will have to
filter or otherwise purify or clarity the
water to make it acceptable at all times,
while the expense of pumping will be no
less, but even greater by reason of the
greater distance and consequent greater
amount of friction to be overcome. Even
Colonel Montgomery's suggestion is one
which contemplates pumping the water,
and II will cost just much to do this,
possibly more, as to pump the water from
the Cahnba. 1t is. therefore, far more
economical to purify the water of the
Cahaba water she'd which can easily be
done and will be done within the present
year.
1t Is mistake to assume that satisfac-
tory results cannot be obtained by fl
tration that Is now done very largely in
Europe. both on the continent and in
England. as well as in various parts of
the United States, even with badly pol
luted waters. If. then, Colonel flaming
and others are right in advising us that
all the water we need is obtainable from
sources already at command, and this
water can be made satisfactory in char
acter, by processes which are now be-
ing put into effect, what Is the wisdom of
expanding our thought and energies and
the public money in other directions
first?
The public will find itself in a sad plight
If 1t attempts to disregard the existence
of the present system Of water works.
This has been done In other places with
unhappy disastrous results. In Denver