The Water Supphj of M'nineapoJis — Comnnttee. 43 



river. Keep on across the railwa}^ and come to the point where 

 Bassett's creek is crossed )jy the road. We observe here the 

 houses, — and the out-houses, — on the sides of the banks. Pass 

 around through an avenue to a corresponding point of observa- 

 tion on Second street. Here among other things we find a gen- 

 eral dumping place for mixed rjefuse. Now ])ass around to Wash- 

 ington avenue, and look at the surroundings of the creek on both 

 sides of the road. In short, it will be apparent to any one that 

 the w^aterof Bassett's creek in that neighborhood must be of the 

 foulest character. Tiiis being admitted, two practical questions 

 present themselves: First, will the water of Bassett's creek,or any 

 of it, find its way into the new in-take of the city water-works ? 

 Second, will any harm result from such contamination of our 

 water supply ? To the first of these questions your committee 

 feel constrained to give an answer in the aifirmative. The config- 

 uration of the west bank of the river from the mouth of Bassett's 

 creek downward is such that the water flowing out of the creek 

 cannot be expected to confine itself to the immediate neighbor- 

 hood of the bank as it passes along. If we stand on the Suspen- 

 sion bridge and look along the stream above and below, observing 

 the position of the new in-take, etc., or if we place before us a 

 map of the city, the conclusion becomes inevitable that the in- 

 take pipe wall receive its share of the foul water coming from that 

 creek. Nevertheless we believe that we shall, after the completion 

 of the work now being done by the water board, have a supply in 

 some degree better than the old one. The surface drainage from 

 the unclean premises along the steep bank on High street, below 

 the Suspension bridge, will certainly not enter the new pipes to 

 the extent that it has entered the old. But as we attend to points 

 higher up stream, the smaller will be the difference in the effect 

 of contamination derived from these sources upon the water at 

 the two places,— the old and the new in-take. The dwelling 

 houses and stables along First street, the mills and iron works, the 

 railway structures, the three bridges crossing the river, will all 

 •contribute their portion of dirt, of which the water pipe at the 

 crib will draw in its share. The second question in this con- 

 nection was, whether any harm will result from the contamina- 

 tion of the water to wOiich w^e have referred. This is not a ques- 

 tion of mere uncleanliness. It is undoubtedly repulsive to all of 

 us to think of the impure matters of whose presence in the river 

 we have ample evidence. Contact with dirt we are all destined to 



