ginal provision made for the supply of water was quite inadequate. Four welle, and two cisterns for the reception of the water from the roof, were thought ample." A fifth was dug, but went dry during the summer. A sixth was then dug, and two underground cisterns, capable of holding not far from six hundred barrels, com pleted. "An exigency is hardly supposable, for which we are not now insured in this most essential particular."

Notwithstanding the confident tone of this assertion, in the sixth report (page 272) it is said, that in consequence of the limited supply of water, the fetid odor from water closets, in very dry times, had rendered "portions of the wings almost uninhabitable," and (1858) "has been a source of great discomfort, and, we fear, no small aggravation of the current amount of sickness." This fault is now happily remedied.

In their seventh report (page 290), the trustees call attention to the section of the law of 1847, which directed that the site selected for the hospital should "have a never-failing supply of water upon the premises," and state that the only supply is from cisterns and from wells. "Frequent attempts have been made to procure an adequate supply of water by wells, (in one instance by digging to the depth of 112 feet,) yet all these attempts, in view of the quantity of water required, have been failures." In 1859-60, twenty four hundred dollars was expended, in hauling water for the use of the institution. The trustees, in this report, ask for an appropriation of $10,000, with which to build waterworks, in accordance with the plans of Mr. E. S. Chesbrough, an eminent hydraulic engineer, from Chicago, whose report may be found upon page 375

The amount of water estimated to be necessary, by Mr. Chesbrough, for five hundred patients, was fifteen thousand gallons daily. He recommended dependence upon surface drainage and storage, by means of an artificial reservoir, to hold one hundred and fifty days' supply. The flow from Dunlap's spring was measured, and found to be only four gallons a minute, or less than six thousand gallons daily. He accordingly advised reliance upon the main branch of Mauvaisterre creek, which was reported to him to be "nearly dry, in extraordinary seasons, for about three months."

In the eighth report (page 371) is a diagram and description of the embankment; and on page 334 it is said that "the water

works have been in continuous and successful operation for about ten months, and the object to be attained by the appropriations has been fully accomplished;" although (page 371) "the loss of water by seepage has been greater than was anticipated."

No further complaint is made, until the eleventh biennial report (page 21), from which the following extract is taken: "The unprecedented drought of the year 1867 reproduced, for a brief period, the evils described in our seventh report, as arising from a deficient water supply. The stream feeding the hospital reservoir ceased to flow in July, and remained nearly dry till the middle of February, 1868. The store in the reservoir gave out in October, and for four months the institution was mainly dependent upon water hauled from a greater or less distance. The service of eight men and as many horses was in constant requisition, during most of this period, to render even water enough to maintain steam in heating, and the utmost economy of water in washing and bathing. Expenditure of money was the least calamitous result of this state of things. The failure of a flow of water through the sewers, was signalized by the appearance, in the wards of the old wings, of cases of cholera from poisonous gaseous infection. About twenty patients and attendants were at one time prostrated by the disease, which proved fatal in eight cases."

During the past year, the reservoir upon the hill has been repaired, and an additional reservoir constructed, by means of a dam, at the foot of the hill. The amount of water needed by the. institution is more than Mr. Chesbrough estimated. Twenty-two thousand five hundred gallons a day, for eight months, as in 1867, would give five million, four hundred thousand gallons as the requisite capacity of the reservoirs, diminished somewhat by the slight amount of water which flows even in dry weather. What their actual capacity is, the board is not informed. It is hoped that the enlargement and repairs which have been effected, will prevent any recurrence of the former scarcity, so far as the hos pital for the insane is concerned; and it is said that the supply is even sufficient for the use of the institution for the blind.

Institution for the Deaf and Dumb.-After the introduction of the apparatus for steam-heating into the institution for the education of the deaf and dumb, in 1858, the scarcity of water began to be felt there also. On the twenty-second page of the eighth bien.

nial report, Mr. Gillett, the principal, remarks: "A subject that is already one of great inconvenience, and is constantly becoming more annoying, is the want of a good supply of water. There are seven wells upon the premises" (1860), but the supply they afford is meagre. We have also three large cisterns, with a capacity of four thousand barrels, but the rains for two years past have not been sufficient to keep them supplied."

In April, 1864, the trustees bought, at their own risk, a piece of ground containing about seven and a half acres, adjoining the premises of the institution, upon the north, for the sake of what they then called "a well of never-failing water, used for several years in running a steam mill," for which they paid thirty-five hundred dollars. The state took their purchase off their hands, at the next session of the legislature.

In the eleventh report (page 10), the directors were still of the opinion that this mill well "will, without question, more than supply deficiencies of the institution ;" and they ask for an appropriation of $1800, to enable them to "conduct steam and water pipes from the present boilers and cisterns, so as to run a steam pump at that well." "The deficient supply of water," (page 28) "continues to be a constant source of uneasiness and anxiety." "Experience has proved," (page 10,) "that during seasons when water is most needed, and most difficult to be obtained from other sources, our wells and cisterns fail."

In the twelfth report, these complaints are renewed, even more loudly. "All attempts that have been made to obtain an adequate supply of water have failed, and the deficiency has grown worse with each succeeding year. During last winter, at times ** washing clothes and bathing were utterly out of the question. A number of men with teams were in constant requisition for hauling water, and having exhausted the supply on our own premises, the fair ground and Dunlap's spring, were obliged to suspend their efforts, simply because there was no more water to be obtained." On pages 22-25 may be found, however, letters from mayor Barr and the city engineer, which assert that "it is praċticable to supply the city with water, at an expense of about $150,000. * Measures will be taken at an early day to submit the construction of adequate and permanent water works for *The number of wells, at this time, is eleven.

*

the city to a vote of the people, and public sentiment is decidedly favorable to the desired result." In view of the probability of this result, the General Assembly was asked to appropriate one hundred thousand dollars with which to erect the greatly needed chapel and school building, which it declined to do. The assembly did, however, authorize the expenditure, by the directors, of the proceeds of the college and seminary fund, and four thousand dollars, in addition, from the current expense appropriation, in the effort to procure water.

In the report of last year, the following sentences occur: "The interminable annoyance under which the institution has labored for years, resulting from the scarcity of water (a serious want), we are glad to be able at this time to state, will, after the present winter, be experienced no more, as the city of Jacksonville has, by a vote of its citizens, determined upon the erection of water works for the city, from which the institution can be abundantly supplied. We have reliable information, that this enterprise will be put in successful operation during the summer of 1870."

This, like all previous hopes, was destined to speedy overthrow. At a second election, the erection of water works by the city was indefinitely postponed. The reasons for this postponement were various. Some voted for it, because they had no faith in the suc. cess of the scheme; others, through fear of increased taxation, without corresponding benefit; others, because they thought that it was the business of the state to provide its own institutions with water; others, because more pressing and important enterprises, in their estimation, should be attended to first.

The directors then decided to avail themselves of the permission granted them to use the funds already mentioned, and proceeded to construct in the rear of the building, an artificial pond (secured against seepage, by puddling,) of two million gallons' capacity. The amount of surface drained, to supply this pond, is about fifty acres. Mr. Gillett's language to the commissioners of public charities, concerning this new attempt, was: "If this fails, the Jacksonville water works would fail; they rest upon the same principle."

Rain has since fallen, and demonstrated the absolute failure of the effort.

It is now proposed to try again. The directors intend to see whether a supply cannot be cbtained, by damming, from a little Vol. I-9

stream which runs through the town, by the gas works and woolen factory, and furnishes both with water, (by the aid of storage, for the stream is dry every summer.)

Certainly, it is greatly to be hoped, that perseverance may in the end insure success. Jacksonville is an admirable location for a public institution. The citizens residing there are in full sym.pathy with its spirit and aims. Any change would involve serious pecuniary loss-so great has been the amount already expended for land and buildings. The same difficulty of obtaining water might be experienced elsewhere, away from the vicinity of a river. This board has no ill-will to Jacksonville, and no personal ends to accomplish. The statements made have been made simply from a sense of duty to the state.

With regard to the new enterprise, the following points will have to be considered: First, the amount of water needed;* second, the amount of water now obtainable from the stream referred to; third, the prospect of a continued supply, in view of the general process of drying up, throughout the state; fourth, the probable losses, by seepage and evaporation; fifth, the de gree of probability of the corruption of standing water, by the growth and decay of organic matter.

If these points are satisfactorily determined by experienced and prudent men, unbiased in their judgment, the objections to enlarging the existing institution will be wholly removed. If not, the state, by building, would only make the loss greater, in case of the ultimate abandonment of the present site.

The amount thus far fruitlessly expended, so far as a supply of water is in question, has been in the neighborhood of ten thousand dollars. In the winter of 1868-9, the institution paid for seventythree days' hauling, in succession, besides using its own teams. The amount hauled averaged one hundred and seventy-five barrels daily. The engineer has sometimes been obliged to put out the fire under his boilers, to prevent their bursting, on account of the impossibility of filling them. Mrs. Smith, the nurse, testifies,

* It is proposed to enlarge the capacity of the institution to 320 pupils, or with employees, teachers, etc., a population of (say) 350. The amount needed will be one barrel and a half daily for each person, or 15,000 gallons. Experience has shown that in 1867, the insane hospital had to depend for eight months upon storage. The amount necessary to be stored, for the use of the institution for deaf mutes, therefore, would be about 3,500,000 gallons.