Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/492

 398 Sloan's Architectural He view and Banders' Journal. [Dec, tion of the actual necessity for iron cis- terns and pipes in the reception and transmission of water, for domestic pur- poses, in our cities ; and also to tbe deprecation of lead as a medium. If Iron possesses sanitary advantages, Lead, on the other hand, is pernicious in its very nature, as it gives out salts of lead, slow but deadly poisons. Hence the lining of cisterns with lead, with the use of that material in pipes, is dangerous, and should be abandoned at once, in all cities, where the health of the community is a matter of considera- tion. To obviate this objection to the use of lead, a recent invention, or rather im- provement, has been patented for tin- ning pipes on the inside. Water is so susceptible of change, from mineral action, that the location of certain manufactures, near certain rivers, often gives permanent merit to an otherwise ordinary business. Thus, the presence of calcareous salts, in con- siderable quantities, in the river Trent, in England, renders Burton-on-Trent celebrated for its ale. There is a great difference in the water of rivers, when used on sea-voy- ages.* Some will remain drinkable for weeks. Others again will not hold good for one week. Some will turn foul in a few clays ; and at the conclusion of two weeks will regain their original taste very nearly. But all water, from what- ever source derived, should be carefully placed, either in iron tanks, or in casks, theinsides of which have previously been carefully charred. It may be considered foreign from our province, to allude to matters connected with the economy of sea-voyages ; but, viewing this subject in a philanthropic light, we think we do not deviate from our chart ; besides treating of water under various circumstances. •with the Delaware, or a little below Philadelphia, is by mariners considered to bo of the very best quality for long voyages.— Eds. Some forty or fifty j-ears ago, even in Europe, the supply of cities was indif- ferent, to say the least ; and a positive disgrace to the age, as compared with the admirable proofs of the paternal solicitude of ancient governments, for the health of the people, which j'et re- main to us in those vast structures, the aqueducts, which supplied Borne, Lisbon, and other cities, with pure water, con- veyed, over all impediments, for sur- prising distances. The Bomans, in this alone, have rendered their national character immortal ; as all the works of our clay, such as the Croton Aque- duct, the Chicago Tunnel, &c., fall into insignificance, as compared with those of that mighty nation. The introduction of water-works into our cities generally, is of more recent date, than that of gas-works. But, many of our cities may vie, in this respect, with any thing that modern Europe can produce. Such, for instance, are JSew York, Brooklyn, Boston, Bal- timore, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo, and last, but far from least, in utility, and pre-eminent in beauty, our own Fairmount Water-Works. These various institutions are credit- able to the respective cities ; for the benefit of which they were constructed. But it strikes us, that they are, each and every one of them, defective in the one thing, of all others, most needed, namely : Filtration. Water, to be pure, for drinking purposes, should pass through an ample bed of gravel and sand, with a laj'er of charcoal, between the two ; and should be so managed, as to force the water, from the receiving- basin, through this bed, or wall— either flat or horizontal — with sufficient force and adequate volume for the known consumption. This Section of Filtration should be kept in good order, by constant, watch- ful care and cleansing. Ino excuse, for the neglect of this, should be tolerated >y the superintendent of water-works ; and those subordinates, having to per-
 * The water of the Schuylkill, just above ils confluence