The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-07

solid impurities. but TO permit the impure rain
to purify itself from the hidden 1ontaminn'tion
meas and apparent purity.
By such means q cemparativaly pure water
can be obtained az pseRlly In winter, for poa-
ble use. but sedimentation aud storage are not
the processes which nature. adopts for the
elimination Of organic matter from the Rtnfa!l.
Her method lie much more efficient and yields
n water which II Organeallv pure In many In
stances. BedimentAtion and storage Hs con.
ducted naturally, furnishes what - known as
pond water. which has by no means a good
reputation. 1t L. impure rain water rendered
yet more impure by disaolvln1 organic products
rom ionl inst p be cise ,r water
pure by dipsolvln9 organic products from an
unolean cistarn.
THE ONLY oHaANIdALLy PURE WATER
which y found IL nature appears on the sur
tap pubterranean currents may b. regarded as
artificial springs. These waters have left their
turbidity behind them In the, infetstlces OF the
permeable straia through which they have per-
colAted. They are perfectly clear. aud. 30 far
as organic matter 10 concerned, they are per
feetly pure. They may not be wholesome
waters for drinking. ne In their subterrapean
course they may have encountered soluble
rtats ana n1y ehsss1a WIN H. sqs
mnved.
Of the organic matter is the atmospheric. gas
oxygen. which IL condensed Ia the pores of ths
soil Ii follows that, Ii the psrgOtating water
the air will become used 10 and The soil lose IT.
purifying power. But natures process Of fl
tration IL an Intermittent one. The rain falls.
and eeRses. the water parcOlatpH through the
soil. and leaves II to be re- charged with air for
the mex percola'ion.
.aa s sSe whe e aso
result WAS stated aH being satisfactory to the
eye: but It was satisfactory to tho eye only.
Chemical tents showed the immunity In The one
70 be- O. gni III the other AZ. Eftlcisnt filtration
should have given In each instance. 1. . or .
might have, been considered! as satisfactory.
failure In these Instances In obvious. The
sand stone is small compared with the volume
Of water whi.ha has 90 pass through It, aud the
pas4age III the water-current IL continuous.
The stone is water logged. and dissolved or.
Eenlc matter passes through II UNCHANGED.
ciaes II powerfully destructive influence over
organic matter In water.
ANIMAL CHARCOAL Is WE'LL KNOWN Az A puRI-
F1ER
and deodorlzar Itcondenses lnrge volume of
further power u causing the air which 10 dis
solved IN the water, to partlcp pate In the attack
uron tho organic matter. Waters with an I'm.
~ the purity Of natural springs BY passing
through d stratum Of this substance It ia used
~. oil the patent filters. graduated caked.
othar subs'an to increase Its powers or give
!ndlviduality. to the filter. These are more or
less oHst'y but there L. no reason Why every
draw from bis cistern water supply pure ae
that from the SPRINGS Of nature. Charcoal is
cheap and ne fittings can 20 aimple and
Ignorance Of Tie filtration virtnes Of the char
coal is one which can be easily overcome.
purify because II a clesr-wil require more
~ water supply must BE- deai VIII b on on general
principles. Viewing
THE QUESTION or WATER SUPPLY IN This aIry
from my standpoint ~ analyat. / would strong
" urge tho necessity for. filtration. There are
OF pnrincation for them 10 be- held IA trust
worthy. The charcoal litter should be recog-
nlz Y as q formal part OF tho oistern, SO that
without filter than they would Of putting ono
up without a I'D Or indeed without bottom,
es IT. Tss ~" Vii b dH,ss 4 f" s.
ally
Charcoal. when ID constGpt use loses its power
Of purifying. The torn Of It's efficiency has not
been determined: but after u time usually
~ inert ss q Inass Of English sandstone. It
has then to be replaced BY new stock. or
burned. 10 renew it, virtues. Experiments
fplneas. No. doubt. much wifi depend on the
character Of the water which has to be purified:
but the average ctatern GHn easily be found In
this city. The weight OF the charcoal would
have to be noted, and record kept OF the vol
une OF water which Ia trans United through 1t.
while. ut monthly Intervals. samples of the cis-
tern aud filtered waters should be submitted for
chemical examination. BY these means the
progress of deterioration could be watched
and definite rules given concerning tho man-
ageDent Of the tllter.
have no doubt the National Board OF Health
would 60 operate In such M Investigation by
the examination Of the sam
pies periodically submitted.
In conclusion. would respectfully recon-
mend these matters TO tho consideration OF
your association Ms being Of much Importance
70 the sanitary interests Of the city IA view Of
causes. which are assuredy influenced by the
contents or your ctsternS,