The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-05
GEN. Greens,s Rsnort.


Gen. Greene's Report.
MKpms, Tenn, December l, 1886.
Ts the Water Committee;
GHsrLEHHs-By resolution Of the com
mittee passed April 3, 1885, the considera-
ton Of those pats Of the report which the
writer had the homer 70 submit February q,
1885 (Hes pages n, 28, ~, 40, II, ~, As and
40, relating 10 South II IN Lake as a source
Of publis water supply and the Hyatt method
Of hltratien, was adjourned for Their in;
Vestigatiob, 10 be conducted with the d
and counsel o. such men Of exact science
whose recon men dati0ns would stand for
Trustworthy opinions, free. from local inhu-
enoes, interests and Vrejudicee. This 70.
port, therefore, is founded on the opin ions
Of theeIperts employed, ~ d is intended 10
propent the question for the nal determine
tion Of the ommittee.
The inquiry into the sanitary question in
yolVed in the proposed plans for tho use Of
Bouth Horn Lake was conducted nv DR..
Charles Smart, Surgeon and Major United
States Army, An experienced sanitary anal
yst, recognised as one Of the foremost au-
thorities on public water supplies 10 their
relation to public health. Primarily, his
Investigations Don eerned the water Of the
Lake, bat since II is only by takinga mean
Of many experiments under identical orr
oumstauses that results exactly consistent
the waters Of the Mississippi and WolfriyerS
and the Pass, Rs we'll as Of tho Lake. The
analyses Of these waters we're begun April
Sd and eontnu d at intervals to October eth,
1855, as shown in the synopsis 70 DR.. Smarl'S
him in 1879 and 1850 for the National Board
Of Health. The samples for examination
were collected under direction Of the writer,
Capt. Jas. IL. Oleary, Chief Of Fire, Depart:
the steam tugs Of Msssrs. brown 4 Jones In
charge OF Mr.. Robert A. spOedl, which were
Voluntarily placed at bis service by thor
owners.
DR.. snart,srop9rt, which is now submitted
70 the COMMITTEES tAppendix Al presents an
exhaustive evieW OF the subject, and, aside
from ig praelicAl value to Memphis, ia .
ussful and In portant contribution to the 1t.
ersturs OF sanitary science. The PROPOSAL
river by the Pass into the lake Is condemnsd.
II 10 shawn q At the water of the, river, above
abe mouth OF Wolf river and the Pass,
10 generally loaded With organic mat
tsI; that the inaoE into The
wksn iks river water hes a high degree OF
impurity; and that, notwithstab ding puri-
flying changes would take place In Its passage
and tho water DO diluted BY the better water
in the Lake derived from the water shed. the
sewage inhSw involves so much danger to
the Publie health that any suggestion for the
usssot the river water should meet with an
earnest protest Nor Is tho plan for exclud-
nE the tiy;s wStS. from s tho Lake snyrelying
approved. Its thought probable that tho
waters from Tho local drainpge area are
"much superior In quality To that Of the Mis-
SisSippi river, an that in progress Of time,
subject TO overflow, an excsIieni
water supply might DO obtained from
these sources; but il Ia feared that
the extensive changes IN the character Of the
bottom Lands that would attend aud follow
the attemJ ted reclamation would develop
malarisl influences that would pervads tho
the waters OF the lake for q cQntin ued period.
and neeessipts thorough filtration for
In view Of these opinions II was thought
iAexpedient to invest Gate this branch Of the
subject farther, and examinations of the
wAter OF Wolf river, near whore It's creased
by the Louisville and Nashville railway,
about forty'hye miles lrockoned, by Its sinuOs-
ilios) above its mouth, were entered on for
determining its quality and condition whom
filtered by the Hyatt method. eul
The results 0bteined from these oxamiAa-
tons ere 10 eIhiDitCS u The O. analysis mum
Since the main Inquiry at this point was
for resolving the utility and efficiency Of 1.-THE
Hyatt Alter Tor clearing the wator when In
collected September 10, 1885, directly after a
beating and heavy rainfall Of several Gays
duration, when the liver was swollen and
allied with dftftwpod, and the water, moro
NuInlu InhH " nNu UNOu O0heTNeu IN many
years, This sample was sent by Capt.
Cleary 70 tho writer in New York, one part
(which was filtered ny the hyatt method.
Equal parts Of the natural and filtered water
we're then sVnt to DR.. Smart, at Washing toh,
ties that are new exhibited to the COMMITTEES,
which were con back 10 Memphis.
The Uttered water, "a Will he noticed, 10
clear and pelluc,d; the natural water mud
dy and repulsiVe to the sight, The test was
crucial. The natural water contained il6
parts OF se,id matter in 100000, Of which
the filtration removed n grains 20
each gallon-cr 1900 pounds TO- 1850 900
sI,.v ,I al to Se T nndsrs,nod bo S,so'
that the water would be pumped for tho pub
lilo supply VIII, IL In this anomalous condition
M this experim,nt was employed only 20
test the efficiency OF the Hyatt process Sf
"Fron those sEamInatiOns." says Dr..
Smart, lit appears that tho water Of Wolf
river, though extremely unsightly In lie tur-
bid state, ~ an excellent water whom its sus-
pended matters have been removed IL con
tains only about eight grains Of dissolved
saline substanoes per gallon, and the organ
10 ammonia distilled from II falls within the
arbitrary limits Of wholssomeness adopted
II filtration be ehtctgd and clear water fur
nished that clear water will be Of q satisfac-
tory quality fer all the purposes Of a munio-
ipal supply. This was. demonstrated not
only BY The present 9n9ly,os, hut By several
accomplish III, altratlon, 50 far as the de
mRnds Of quantity are concerned, the writer
(Dr. SmarD rs confident that tho filtered
water, II clear, will be of n satisfactory puri-
". . And, besides removing tho sus-
pended matter and yielding clear water for
domestic and manufacturing purposes, the
hltrhtio may DO confidently ext ected %
free the wSisT from s suspicion q @alsri
eSTISSslR bsatsr than lS S%S s,s st5Sn.S ar:
source ofsuppl, because the area drained
by them may be N ore effectively suardcd
against dangerous oontaminations. An OF
hcient Buptryis on IL the only known pre-
ventive of the invasion OF typhoid By the
water supply. With such care exercised ever
the Tadicles and course Of tho Wolf river,
aod the subsequent filtration OF tho water "a
pTopote6, . pure and healthful supply may
be obtained Tor the city Of Memphis.
FILTRATION BY THE HYATT METHOD.
The filter plantpropossd By the Newark
lFilttrinE Con pany for clearing the water OF
Wolf river, described in the report Of Feb
iuary %, 1885. has since that date been re-
sSS DHS 20 % III SIinE s SsiS water
tion Of the works and method in this insla 90
Wes trp tod 70 Cant. 7. W. Symons, Of the
Corps OF Eng noers Of the United States
army, By Major General John Newton, Chief
Of Engir Gers, in pursuance Of resolution
Of the United safe Senate Webruary q, lSA6
-ET. Doe No. l5D 1he r eommtndatf ION
was for a plant capable Of hlterine 40 coo, go
Ralltns per twenty four hours, aud il IL be-
lieyed that an appropriation for carr ying out
the plan will be made by Congress during
lie approaching session. similar WORKS are
now in suooeksiul operation in 6Omervillo
and Brunswick, N. j.. Charleston, W. Va I;
Belleviile, H.. etc., and others are being
erected IN othtr cities.
The writer's own exsmirations and OBJ
serVatiene Of he plan, extending over a
period Of hileen msnths, had 4 tisltd him
81 is efficiency yet nneo there had been no
experience for TRIMMING It's adaptabllity
% Ihs nsss 60. q q, M,SmR,ls 10 rs9alred fur