172 



The Water Supply of Albany. 



spring and river water become contaminated, and are ren- 

 dered unfit for domestic use. 1 



Paris, the pioneer city of modern improvements, in ad- 

 dition to her double system of spring water and river sup- 

 ply, has recently completed a second aqueduct over sixty 

 miles in length. Madrid and Glasgow have followed with 

 similar improvements, and London, as a matter of absolute 

 necessity will soon be compelled to construct an aqueduct 

 from the Welsh mountains, one hundred and eighty-three 

 miles distant, or from Ulswater near Cumberland which is 

 two hundred and forty miles from the metropolis. 



Repeated and constant attempts have been made both 

 in England and in France to mechanically purify the river 

 waters by filtering and other processes, but notwithstand- 

 ing the great amount of time, skill and labor employed 

 and the expenditure of vast sums of money, protected by 

 acts of parliament, and subsidies from numerous wealthy 

 corporations, all these efforts have proved to be unsuccessful. 



Dr. Frankland and Angus Smith, eminent chemists, the 

 former for many years, and at present, in the employment 

 of the British government, have frequently reported sew- 

 age in the water supplied at the city of London, " after it 

 has passed an act of parliament and the fitter bids of the 

 water companies." 



In speaking of the project of dispensing with the present 

 system of pumping, and adopting the gravitating plan, Dr. 

 Frankland says : " The schemes are very costly. Mr. 

 Bateman's plan which is to bring water from the mount- 

 ains of North Wales is calculated to cost for a supply of 

 220,000,000 gallons per day, the sum of £10,850,000, 



1 Previous to the construction of the present Albany City Water Works, 

 an analysis was made of the well water at various points. The pump well 

 at the old State House contained 36 grains of organic matter. The well at 

 the Exchange 64.68 grains, and the pump well at the Capitol Park 65.62 

 grains of organic matter to each gallon of water. 



