, 1880-03-07
Purity of Our Water-Supply,
To tia Editor of I1s f.hfencn T5rihurs


CHICAGO, March 6--Desirinx to correct ma n.
more erroneous Impressions, again ask spaea
In your paper. Certainly Prot. Delafoutains /.
entitled to au opinion, but neither arbitrary nor
to the disqualification OF the opinions Of o,hara
The Professor says: Animal life ID rapresen:ad
only by those exceedingly lively but harmless
crustaceauS, the cyclops. i most careful s,r-
vcy Of three different specimens failed to br1a,
under my gaze q single infusoria, whother
stalked tvorticella), tagelate (1nou.sl or cilsto
tpnrumccium}. etc. Nor was I more successful
in finding bacteria" Now, the importunee If
these assertions fs made apparent IN recslllng 10
man. who said, An fatth yer 'oner an it's oa7
thru OF thin fellers what sane me do 1t. an sufa
an I've ilcyen min who'll swear that uiyer Jil
It all. at ulf" say the importance Of the Pm
fessors assertion In reference to the presence At
animal life is thus nlldt uppa int. Jan. g. In Il
single microscopic field Vt 1t r. Michigan water,
drawn from My hrdrant. cuuated thirty-th
vortice'ln conyallaria. On the same date in aa-
other tield Of the same water counted clcyen
paramcci aurelia- Before and since that time
have repeatedly seen not only the5s specingl
forms Ut iufusoriul life, but have seen masy
specimens OF the a,lnoa dittiuens, the actno.
phrys sol, the vortlcella conva!laria. and
w. nlicrostouaA, the moua5 lens. the rotifer
vulaaFts and the four-horned rotifet tnetens
the litter tharial, l found i've specimens 10 QUO
field; these were found before the conduit was
completed These last tt1IariaJ arc more abu,-
danuy found ut the mouth OF the Twelfth street
scryntion extends.
Now, the above microscopic meuagerle (which
IS still on exhibition} surely AYERS that tho
animal life In our wuter-suppiy Is represented
by her species than those belonging to tia
crustncca.s, and that i1fusorfa. either stalkcL,
dageliAted Or ciitated. are'* found upona careful
sure surrey r. N reference TO the crusttcoans vii
state that at no time during tho present Tnt:t
have seen single specimen Ut oyclops qn1d-
rlcornls, although I um quite willing to believe
that they are present in tho luke water. It IN
exceedingly common thing to lind the dAphna
pulex OR the common warer-dea, as it also II tho
bosminn longirostris, or elephant water-aea,
both OF which belong to tho cfustucean family,
These, together with the c:clops, are m ,rs
abundantly found In our lake water in tue
spring of the yenr. being carried intD the iakc
by the surface drainage, particularly in the
lection of being accused dr ing the sprtnx"t
1871 VI writing sensational ~ article nPosa
cyclops, and remember distinctly the idicnla
to which was then subjcc,cu, and afterwards
now PrUf. Piper, who ut the time was d stranger
to me, came to my rescue. nnl how he too Tas
cried down. The condition Ut our water-snpply
then sEus no different frum it now Is. only ,hAt
even the contamination has recently beea mAde
more apparent by the Increasing quantities. OF
sewage, and by the use Of the Fullerton nvenua
1t is true that both Prof.-Pipcr and myself
have continued to examine the lake water tls'ua
time to time. Notwithstanding tho criticism,
and ever since Inst September we have
;;Si1 the ,,. water DULY The re- re-
effect oop these ta nn; mini a
:l1ne to time been ln,i'le known hns tncreasada .
ceiling OF uncestaiuty .ls to whether or no our
m water was being rendered impure
on. I'LL increasing deSiro that something shonld
20 done to speedily remedy 1t: Recentiy. as,-
lence or such nnturo hAS b2ea brought 10
,cnr upon tho facts appertuiuiug to tue 4ues-
n. evidence nj
t1lu Dy tuoSe very naughty Sens!hOnhtl5ts, et4-
lence so conclusive i'll Its nature that nov the
Municipal authorities are determined to cnf1ect
t. Hence all luminosity iii such Il thing ever
ccurred),, either Of u personal or geuenI
ature, should ut this time bs dropTt.
nd every one should feel thankful that h1la!ly
onething i'll this direction is really going to oe
Regarding tho presence OF bacteria. Twill say
aas, prior 10 the opening of the Fullerton w.
ue conduit, have no recollection of findlng
hcteF1n Ill the hydrant-wnter, although nass
onnu them ia the luke wuter when ttksn frvta
lo vicinity OF the sewers. Since the CONDUIT "
ut into operation hnve found innumerani,e
umbcrs OF them in the hydrant-water: espeeiht
Is this true OF tho water drawn day before
esterday. This life may bexin within the nlters
~ 10 l. may not bo present III tho water beloso
eseoa % ehs %bIch ht'ess at at ptassut a!,; 'nS an
1able to decide, hut which I bel'efs
light occur both in the water lefs ~ u
le hitter, and in the water which ts delivered Dy
- HAtA04% kA0 AAlSA Po5ltAOA " N'.
Agaiu. wish to say ono word more In reLgr.
zee to the Bridgeport pumping works iao .a
geography OF thtst section is such that the Il
|hlishmont of any pumping engines st ns tns
o:nt for the purpose Of removing the seNase
atM In my opiilion} be practically unimp;mi
nt. II one desired TO empty = pau OF ,3 ss3
ing pint cup 70 do it with, the task @p1'a sfa
ae'lu stood by ready to throw In 4uart III
'ery pint you took out, and ret the conditions
e similar between this and the Brdgeps9hss. Of
1mping scheme. To pump water out OF LIZ ~
'uth Branch into the canal, expecting THEREBY
materially reduce tho quantity OF sewage,
cpostcrous especially when during two ,.1.,n
the yeAr the scwnge is trying, together ,ai VII
Q water Ia the South Branch: to find rs isss.
flowing out into tho lake. any loss OF watssf
the South Brunch cnused by the agency ~
ese pumps located at this point will pc reaot
ide up by inflow from the West Branch "
9 Chicago River. In my opinion this scnemv, scsiIn1.
carried out, would prove to be another tnA.et s1
n avenue conduit, and with tho present "a
rtence I believe that one is enough;