Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1889-08-13
OUR WATER SUPPLY
Something About It's Healthfllness
and Purity.
SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITIES QUOTED


lever NoN ra2-nc n tafl, oi NhtaAe,
arl,.ne irem Impurities in tae drinking
water. and 81 the sensational state
ments recently published regarding the
soaree ~ ihe water supply az onr own
ty IlIEsEAN-H1Aln reporter
yesterday uten ewsd several oi the
members oi ths Board u publlc Works
as - the probability OF an epidemic
here. Those seen by the reporter
pooh-poohed the IDEA Of an ep.demc
here from that soun'e. and Conlennea
tle reports alluded - 49, large - lmag-
mary and Unreliable, and calculated "a
cause needless alarm. Freeman Cod
frey gave hs ideas al considerable
length.
"When il became a settled fact,
said he. "that toldhrook and Carrier
creeks must be abandoned a> source
Of water supply. TIC Board ot Public
Works ,,nt tor -four OF tho nest
hydraulic engineers "a the country 10
come here and examine the various
sources of supply. and report What. m
their opinion. was thc most practical
and convenient, and the one that
would furnish tile best quality Of
water. They came separately and
without discussing the matter among
/ themselves, and gave as Their first
/ choice Grand rycr. Chemical analysis
/ was made OI the water n the various
streams and lakes about tine city. and
| the result IN every Cl>c WAS IN favor 81
the river. Mr.. Cook, of Toledo the
one whose services were engaged Icy Tho
board 90 devise tho best means of
! iltcrlng and purifying the river water.
proposed the nltelng gallery plan ana
estimated the cost OF tie system at
! $500 900. The proposition WAS pree, ntcd
10 the citizens for vote and II was fe-
lcctcd by 50 decisive a vote that the
matter was never spoken Of AGAIN
Engineer Seekel then proposed sys-
tenn OF webs IN the place where the
Hydraulic Company IS now pumping.
and the experiment being Tried was
declared "A hzzle. Reed Lake WAS
tapped for temporary relief and finally
the RIVER had 10 bc resOrted 10. An
experimental tiltering chamber
Was constructed after plan
proposed by myself, of sufficient
/ capacity 10 filter a million gallons q
day. 50 successful has tnis proved
! that the board has now nearly COM
/ pleted an immense tilterlng chambef
/ 400x5O feet, completely Inclo>cd
! that the top of the filtcrng mai,rla
viii be two feet beneath the surface 90
/ the river at low water. In order L.
cleanse the filter tie Old settling BASIN.
which is thirty feet higher than the
! river, Is 10 be filed with water and con
nected by a large main with the in
| terror of the filter. Whenever the filter
becomes at all cloggcd the pumps
VIII bc stopped and the pressure
from the settling basin NIL.
+ be turned into tie filter. This
water Will force its way outward
through the hltering walls and wash
out whatever silt or sediment may
have collected and tho sediment Viii be
carried away by the current.
of the people who are 50 violently
prciudiced against the river would taxi
the trouble 10 study mp the water qucs-
! ton from q scientific standpoint, tn'
| would bo better satisfied with the pres
| ent state of affairs. Prof. ChandlfI.
the eminent chemist OF New York. has
! gwen the subject years of careful study,
and his statement, and opinions are
| cOrrObOrated by the leading scientist
OF the worlds The only objection a.
the river is that j receives fhe scwae.
OF Jackson, Iona and sever.
other towns, and Of that portion ~
the city lying above the pump Loge.
Continued experiment and aualN,
have demonstrated beyond a shadow
OF doubt that all sewage and decay
mo organic matter. when turned into q
running stream Of twenty times rs vol
umo, entirely disappears after flowing