34 The Mourne Water Scheme. 



authorities on the subject, whose opinion before a Parlia- 

 mentary Committee on the question of the quahty of 

 water would pass a Bill or throw it out. And on the other 

 hand, what have we ? We have Mr. Brown's bottles of black 

 water, taken from a river with which the Commissioners do not 

 propose to interfere. Some time ago a gentleman wrote a letter 

 to the Northern Whig calling attention to the fact that some 

 of this water was very boggy, and he sent a bottle to the office 

 of the newspaper, inviting inspection. Well, I was informed 

 by a friend who went to see this bottle about three days after 

 it had been deposited that it afforded a remarkable proof of 

 the fact I described to-night. He found that a lot of black 

 stuff in it had settled in the bottle, and the remaining water 

 was as pure as anyone could wish for. I think Mr. Brown 

 was the gentleman who sent the water. As to Professor Letts's 

 communication about the quality of the Belfast water, no doubt 

 the present supply from Stoneyford or Woodburn does not 

 come from an area or areas equal in character to that in the 

 Mourne district, but they will compare with many of the 

 areas in operation in different places in England and Scotland, 

 and you may look for a very fair quality of water. At the 

 present time our water is nearly all filtered, but the works 

 are not complete. Looking at the water which comes out of 

 the filters it is bright and pleasant, and if the consumers got 

 their pipes and cisterns well cleaned out there would, I am sure, 

 be no complaint. Dr. Lindsay made an observation with regard 

 to the influence of the water supply on typhoid fever. I cannot 

 say whether he is wright or wrong in the conclusion he drew. 

 Until the present it was admitted that the quality of water in 

 Dublin was of a very high class, yet is it not a fact that Dublin 

 headed the list in typhoid fever .? I must conclude now by 

 thanking the ladies and gentlemen present who have taken 

 such a very strong interest in the details which I have had to 

 submit to them. 



