The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-26
.WATERA1 MANASSAS
Pure A 4 ! ] |. |. / !
Wells Sunk Deep Through Sand
I stone, and the Water Clear
and Wholesome.
ENDORSED BY GENERAL GRANT
Having Been Il, Command Of
Troops Supplied from Wells,
He Tells the Result.
INDoRsED BY cE NERAL GRANT
[speclalto The Times Dl.palch.l

nection with the contest ns to the loca-
ton OF the new State Normal School
Tor Girls, Mr.. George G. Round. on be-
half Of the Manassas Business Lea que.
wrote to General Fred Grant, who com-
manded the "Blue Army" during tbs
Manassas manoeuyres, consisting OF
5l2.50O men, oil otwhom were supplied
with water for drinking. cooking and
bathing purposes from wells during =
very dry season., and he has Just re-.
ceived the following reply:
..Headquarters Department Of tha
East, Governors Island. New
York. January Fl. 1908.
'Hon. George c. Round. Manassas,
my Dear Mr.. Round.-1n reply
to your favor OF the Goth inst. the
water supply at Manassas at the
time OF the army manoeuyres in
September, 1904, was excellent and
ample. There was no complaint as
to quality or quantity. and no sick-
ness due to water.
your letter was submitted to
General Grant, who commanded the
Blues and he Endorses the fore
going In connection Herewith.
yours very truly.
III. o. s. HEISTAND,
"Adjutant-GeneraL"
supply Pure and Abundant.
The Manassas Journal In quite a.
lengthy and interesting articls on the
subject OF water supply says:
Manassas has an ideal filtration plant
| In the sandstone strata over which the
town Is built, with inexhaustible reser-
yoirs OF water coming from the Bull
run mountains and adjacent hills and
passing by percolation through q
|straining, Offering and purifying pro-
cess, as near perfection as 1t Is pos
sible to Imagine. For about fifteen
years past the plan OF tapping this
unfailinE water supply by wells from
100 to 200 feet deep has been resorted
to by our citizens, and typhoid cpl
denies have ceased. The only appa-
rent exception to this was In 1898. the
year OF the Spanish War. when the
proximity Of large bodies OF troops In
Camp Alger and other places scattered
typhoid germs through Northern vir-
gInia. That this was entirely unneces-
sary Is shown by the fact that the
wells protected from surface drainage,
provided by the Quartermaster's De-
partment OF the United States Army
at the time OF the army manoeuvres Of
1904. not only provided an abundance
OF water. but water which was pros
nounced good by the rigid tests of the
Surgeon Generals department.. It will
be remembered that the latter depart
nent tested every well in the ma
good" or bad" as they found it. for
the information of the troops.
More recently the United States Geo
logical Survey has made full ex-
amina ton Of water conditions in this
4 section and has made very favorable
report both as to abundance and
! health.
The Council of Manassas has;rccently
sunk an experimental we'll. to the depth
OF $40 feet. passing entirely through
the sandstone strata to the hard rock
4 beneath. Private engineers employed
by the Council. as we'll as the govern
ment engineers named. believe that this
we'll would supply all water needed
by the town for the present and i'm
mediate future. The development OF an
electrical plant on the Occoquan run
4 Investigation, will probably solve oul
water problem. But until this Is done
i there Is no reason why any manufac-
turing plant or educational institution
! could not provide for itself through 1t.
OWE we'll.
Those towns that depend on gray.
ity system for their water must ulti
mately be forced TO purchase the larg.
area, constituting the water shed, an,
AAoIS uHAJst 4ollloNo OIL A4iSAA IlieA SA4 OHl
) but keep guard over it to proven,
contamination. They must also have
I. sufficient number OF dams or reservoir
| to provide against the exigencies o
5 high water, low water. leaves and Ice
{ and they must provide filtration sys
r TENS which must from time to time b
Q renewed at heavy expense. In the ligh
/ OF these reflections, is ittnot self cyl
/ dent that town situated over q dee
/ and porous rock formation, well file
With water, can be supplied with bet
n ter and cheaper water by bringing
: in such quantities as may be needle
: directly from the inexhaustible resel
\ voirs provided by nature.