Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-12
GAS WORKS WASTE KILLS
FISH IN JAMES RIVER
oate and Federal Investigators File
Report After Series of
Examinations.
Pill HAS HIGH MARKET VALUE

iy-Product for Years Allowed to
Float Away From Municipal Plant.
Bed OF River Now Is Imprcgnatcd
With Tar and Oils.
Waste products from the Lower Gas
forks and from the Armitage Refining
omDany are held responsible for tho
Fldespread pollution OF fish in the
ames River in reports filed yesterday
with Fish and Gamo Commissioners
arsons by State Bacteriologist Henry
Stewart and Fish Pathologist Adrian
homas. OF the United States Bureau
Fisheries
numerous complaints had been mado
fishermen on the james River for
least five years that some substance
nfnpcd into the river by certain manu-
ncturinS concerns In and near Rich
nond impaired TO fish an unpalatablo
iaFor and rendered them unfit for food
'cccntly these complaints crystallizcd
7hsn the supervisors Of Henrico County
made an official complaint to Commits
ioncr Parsons. Fish were found con.
animated In large number. and many
vcrc found floating dead on the water
\ Commissioner Parsons Instituted an
inquiry. enlisting the help Of State
'actcriologtst Stewart and PathoIogist
tnomas. OF the Federal forces. Begin.
ing Juno Is. several inspection trips
we're made Oh tho Commodore Marry,
no samples Of the water AT different
Joints in the river were taken back
the State and Federal laboratories
or analysis.
AS WORKS AND ARMITAGE
ALONE RESpONSIBLE:
Tho investigators. in their official re-
orts, agree in holding the City Gas
Works and the Arm!tagc Refining Com
ANY alone responsible for the pOllu-
ION Commissioner Parsons filed a
opy Of the reports with the Admins
tai!ve Board. and received assurance
rom that body that steps would be
i"ken 1t once to correct the drainage
arrangement at the Gas Works and
liminate the trouble. Similar assur-
nee was given by representative OF
ne Armitage Refining Company
Reporting on the numerous samples
the water taken AT various plants
long the river and the examination OF
hem by himself and Mr.. Thomas, Bac-
ertologist Stewart sage:
From our examination OF tho sam
les collected and a consideration Of
ne materials they contain, we can
quickly dispose OF all except the chlu-
nts from the City Gas Works and the
,rr!tage Refining Company. These
a'uents contained soluble and insolu-
lie compounds that numerous experI-
1ents have shown to be injurious o.
sh life, even IN very small amounts.
The practice Of allowing these com
pounds 10 go 10 waste has been going
n for number Of years. owing to an
inability 70 probably dispose OF them,
1ut at the present time there Is no
reuse for this practice, as each one OF
hese compounds. were they properly
recovered. would have a very high mar
get value. That this practice has been
# long duration is evidenced by the
act that the mud in the river bottom
or several miles below the city has
ven now. after a heavy freshet a very
pronounced odor of tar. and occasional
y small globules OF tar are found
tILLs FISH AND RENDERS
OTHERS UNFIT FOR FOOD
Tho ingestion OF these small par
!cles Of tar by fish that feed in these
Ind even II they are not killed, n pro-
bounced petroleum oil taste in the
neat OF the fish will In a short time
= DC produced, rendering them unf. for
food. and those fish that do not feed
n fresh water will have tho taste pro-
5uced In the meat, because the tar
particles are caught IN the gills and
he oil taste disseminated throughout
he body by the circulation Of the
blood.
Another fact that may have n bear
ing IN this case was disclosed by our
Investigations. 1t seems to be tho
practice of the crews Of oil lighters
when going down the river empty. to
pump out bflge water into the river
This bilge water contains an appre-
cieblc amount Of petroleum oil, and at
the time we noticed it being done, there
was a film OF oil on the water from
bank to bank and stretching from a
distance Of one to ono and one-halr
miles up the river.
"At the time of our inspection of the
premises Of the Richmond Gas Works.
It was observed that the officials had
already taken some steps to put O stop
10 the trouble by installing filters to
take care of the effiuents containing
tar and oil. These filters had only
been in commission a few days, and
their efficiency could not be deter
mined. 1t is recommended. therefore.
that this matter be brought to the at
tention OF the proper city officials, so
that they may be given an opportunity
TO correct the trouble from their plant,
and also sec that the officials of the
Armitage Refining Company correct
Ithe trouble from their plant.
ut is also recommended that the
Question Of river pollution be brought
to the attention of our legislative
bodies, asking that proper laws be
Enacted that Will enable our authori-
ties to protect the natural resources
contained therein"
Pathologist Thomas reports that at
the Gas Works constant stream was
found flowing through ditch empty
| ing into Gillies Creek, which after flow
ling few hundred yards joins the
James River This stream contained
much coal tar. chiefly heavy oil" or