Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-10-26
CUR WATER SUPPLY.
TContinued from Sixth Page.1
SURGEON GENERALS OFFICE,
N WASHINGTON. ID. C.. Sept. 26, 1884.

| bEAh Slh.--l nave EeCcifcu yOuio VI sne
10Th instant, invoicing two half gallon
specimens of the water supply Of the city of
Wheeling. West Virginia, and requesting
me to make an analysis Of the water and
report in such terms as may be authorized
by the results Of the analysis. The speci-
mems were received in good condition in
green glass bottles, securely corked One
was marked NO. |, Island Crib, the other
NO. ?, City Reservoir.
No |. This water was clear, trans
parent and free from color and odor A
slight sediment OF dark color, pulverulent
and somewhat granular, had collected in
The bottom OF the bottle This sediment
consisted of organic matter so dislntegrated
hat its origin could not be discovered;
several of the larger granules were COM
posed of the disintegrated matter
aggregated on small fragments
| OF cotton fibre 1t swarmed
with bacteria and bacilli, and showed
many minute protOplasmic masses and
some larger masses presenting amebold
movements. but contained none OF the
algae and infusoria which are so common
in waters that are in general use as potable
waters. Generally speaking, waters that
are free from. the actively -moving cillated
infusoria, and that present comparatively
dead microscopic field are waters that have
percolated through a very pure or very
impure soil. In other words: they are very
pure spring or very foul we'll waters. In
| the one case, the field presents silicious
PARTICLES, diatoms and the filaments of the
| confervoid genera; in the other, the micro
scoIic appearances are those mentioned as
observed in the sediment Of the specimen
under discussion.
Under laboratory treatment the water
was found to give residue constituting ~
parts in the 100000. Twenty Of these
parts were dissipated by heat, and consisted
| principally of the nitric acid of nitrates.
There was but little recent organic matter
IN the residue, scarcely enough when
igniled to darken the inorganic film with a
feeting coloration. In this respect, the
water residue was similar to that
of pure spring water; but
It differed from the latter in the strong nj.
trous fumes which we're evolved during the
application Of the heat. The presence Of
The nitric acid was also developed by Spren-
gels solution; but it was not considered
needful to determine its amount directly, as
he operations on the residue indicated that
two-thirdS of the 10 parts in every 100000
Of the water consisted of nitrates, and the
remainder OF chlordes, carbonates and sui
pilates.
The chlorine present amounted to l.9
parts in 100000 Of the water, which is equiv
alent to 81 parts of chloride of sodium.
This is not a large chlorine figure, consider
ed in connection with the nitrates present
and indicates that the organic matter whence
the latter are derived is not wholly, or, in
deed, chiefly, a sewage material although
sewage may be present in it.
The free ammonia in the water measured
| Oh part per 100000. This is a larger
quantity than is usual in percoIated waters
SHOWN to be of good quality, and indicates
with the strong trace of nitrous acid which
was found by CRIES. delicate test, that the
organic matter from which the nitrates are
! formed is not distant from the reservoir in
which the water is collected, or that the
, fltering material or soil through which
percolation is effected is itself of such an
impure character asto be incapable of ef'
fectually purifying the water in its transit.
A similarly small amount Of recent Or
garic matter is indicated by the quantity OF
Oxygen required 10 oNidize It, to wit; j. 10
parts per 100 600 of the water.
From the rapid manner in which the a.
5umirUid ammonia was eliminated in the
laboratory experiment, from the relatively
small proportion of carbon present, as H.
dicat,d by the small quantity of oxygen re-
quired, ard from the large amounts OF nj
trates and small amount Of carbonates in
the residue it is inferred that the small
quantity Of organic matter present in the
water and the very large quantity which has
beeu recently reduced to the organic form
Of nitric acid salt, are Of animal deriya-
lion. No undecomposed sewage is present
in the water, but the quantity of chlorine rem
ders it probable that decomposed sewage is
not absent.
IN the absence Of all knowledge Of the
surroundings or natural history OF this water,
the analyst cannot speak with decision on
its probable wholesomeness or unwhOlesome-
ness. The microscopic appearance Of
It's sediments are against it as well
rs The greater part OF the analytical
res, It's 1t is true that there is in the wa
ter only small quantity of unreduced Or
tanic matter, but there was much larger
quantity present in it a short time before it
reached the reservoir whence it was drawn.
This water, indeed appears to be an exam
pie Of the class which led the writer to gen.
eraIize as follows in his report on the waters
of memphis and other Southern municipal.
tiles annual Report National Board OF
| I,I n, L., Al h.. |
when we'll which is liable to an impure in.
Cow, as evidenced BY the co.existence Of
ui,rates and nitrites, furnishes a sample
viii, is free from albuminoids and from OK
idizable organic matter, the microscopic
characters may give direct assurance that
the water has not always been as pure a,
the sample submitted for ANALYSIS.
Although there is not much recent or
garic matter in the water submitted. thu
surroundings Of the reservoir from which
tie water was collected are evidently such
that at any time an increased inflow might
carry undecomposed organic matter into ii
As it is the last traces Of the organic mat
ter are in progress Of change. The nj
troCrn Of the nitrates in water may be Il
much ASSOCIATED from the organic mat
| ter which II ~ one time constituted, :
the chlorine OF the chlorides in tn .
water Of the ocean, but in this instance th =
nitrates are undoubtedly recent forms
zion, for the process of production is il
progress in the water, as submitted for ex
animation. Nitrates alone are viewed b.
most sanitary authorities as indicating
dangerous probabilities in water. Frank
land says that large quantities Of nitrates
convict water Of previous pollution by or.
ganic matters Of animal origin, and calls
them an indication of the previous sewage
contamination Of the water. Some, as
EknoE London condemn as dangerously
polluted waters which contain so small q
quantity of nitrates as 8 or 6 part Pc
100000, and Reuben Haines, of this coun-
Try has met with cases which sustain Dr.
Fin.'s position Without subscribing 10
the dangerous quantities of waters whch
contain 80 small . proportion Of nitrates,
the experience of the writer leads him to
believe that, excluding the presence Of ex-