The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-07-12
RESERVOIR IN
.UNCLEANLYSHAPE
HAS NOT BEEN CLEANED THIS
YEAR AND NEEDS IT BADLY.
Pumps At The Engine House Break
Down And The City Is Put To
Great Inconvenience.

Columbia is one of the dryest town.
in the state today, as even the thicl
Duck river punch, which of late many
| citizens have been forced to drink as
a substitute for moisture Cor a cold
I bottle), has given out. The trouble
started with the breaking of the
/ pumps at the pumping station Tues
day and the end is promised this af-
! ternoon, though whether or not the
pumps will be started by the time
mentioned remains to be seen. The
water famine is the cause of much
inconvenience to the general public
and particularly to the mills and fac
tories, all these having been forced
to close down except the Cotton Fac
tory which has a private water sup
ply. The railroad too has been put
to considerable inconvenience and has
been sending its engines to Mt. Pleas
ant to take water.
The cutting off of the water down
town caused City Health officer DR..
Dake Biddle and Officer James White
to make an inspection of the reservoir,
and their report of conditions up there
was enough to drive a total abstainer
off the water wagon, If he had to drink
the water in the reservoir. They re-
ported a green scum on the water and
that the mud of months had been al
lowed to accumulate in the reservoir
and on the sides, and that dogs had
evidently been playing in the water
as dog tracks showed all through the
mud. DR.. Biddle was apprehensive,
because he knows how important pure
water is to the health of the people. |
He said there were already several !
cases of typhoid fever in town, and |
that with the water supply impure
and uncleanly there might be consid-
cradle sickness. DR.. Biddle at once
went to see the managers of the water
to protest against the state
of the reservoir. He likewise laid 4
the matter before Mayor Guest for
he purpose of having an order issued
he Water & Light Co. to clean out
he reservoir.
Mr.. w. B. Dobbins of the Water &
Light Co., was seen by Herald man
n regard to the matter He said the
company had heretofore cleaned out
he reservoir twice each year, but that
t had not been cleaned out this year
That Mr.. Robinson was preparing to
lean it out month or two since and
vas called out of town on business.
That since that time the river had
,een constantly muddy and that it
vas against their policy to clean out
he basin while the river was muddy
IS mud would be pumped back into
he basin and would soon accumulate
gain.
The Herald man decided to inspect
he reservoir for himself and went up
t noon. He found sixteen inches of
7ater in the outlet side of the basin
he side nearest town-and about four
cen inches of water and two inches
{ mud in the intake or settling side.
here was thin green scum over a
art of both sides. 1t covered perhaps
sixth of the surface in both basins. T
side from this scum the outlet side
ppeared to be fairly clean on the
ides, but there may be thin accum-
lation of mud in the bottom. The ,
ettling or most distant basin was very =
luddy and uncleanly. Mud was caked
i around the sides and had baked =
nd cracked open. At the edge of the
alter the mud appeared to be deeper,
nd all around this basin there we're $
Og tracks, where dogs had been play
Ig around and in the water. An in
lection of the fence would lead one
the opinion that the dog or dogs :,
I'D been let into the enclosure by "
,me one who had key-the animal
needed a bath and got 1t.
here was one "V" shaped crack in q
e fence where a man with long legs N
'uld squeeze through, but a dog could
arcely get through there unless he
as lifted in.
Before the Herald man went to the
servoir he was informed that one OF p
e pumps was running and that the al
ater was being kept in the reservoir