Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-31
PURE WATER NEEDED.
A Subject of Particular Importance
to Dwellers on the Allegheny.
ANTWERP HAS THE VERY BEST.
Its Supply Not Only Sufficient, but the
Quality Also Excellent.
An INVESTIGATION WITH ANALYSES


lCoRRrsPoNpENcx or THE DIsPArcH.i
ST. MoRITz, ENGADISE, SwIrzER-
LAND, August 14-The subject of pure
water supply. always important, is OF q
peculiar significance now to those who
draw their supplies from the lower Aller
gheny river. Indeed, it is not putting it
too strongly-to affirm that Allegheny river
water anywhere below the large towns and
factories is not now or soon will not be ut
for family use. It becomes us to look the
matter squarely in the face, and not be sat-
isfied with any temporary makeshift to OBJ
tain pure or comparatively pure water
supply. We should be satisfied with moth
ing short of an assured supply OF absolutely
pure drinking water, which should continue
thus in quantity and quality for an in
definite period.
As member of the subcommittee on
pollution of streams and water supply OF our
State Board ofHealth, Il felt it my duty dur
ing an enforced absence this summer to
make this the subject of careful inquiry,
and particularly as might be OF some ser
vice to my native city (and Allegheny In
its present effort to secure wholesome drink
ing water.
SEVERAL KINDS COMPARED.
With this end in view, I have undertak-
en- careful inquiry into the water system
of several cities, and particularly the one
which has furnished such extraordinary re-
suits in Antwerp. The water which for
merly had been supplied to this city was
noted as thoroughly impure and unwhoie-
some, and very unpalatable as well. Inc
stream from which it is taken is filled with
all kinds of animal and vegetable NTH, SO
pure water could be evolved, concluded,
must be possessed of more than ordinary
merit.
This process proposed to investigate,
and in order to bring the results as quickly
and generally to the attention OF the people
as possible, have concluded to lay them
before your readers, reserving a careful an
alysis of the subject for report to the State
Board.
Our very able representative at Antwerp,
the American Consul. Colonel Stuart, whom
all Pittsburgers should know, made 1t very
easy for me to know the chief engineer and
and manager of the Antwerp Water De-
partment. Mr.. E. Devonshire, who lost no
time in giving me complete insight into
the methods by which Antwerp is supplied
by the purest water probably Of am city OF
large size in the world.
EASY AND PLEASANT.
An appointment was at once made to visit
lines, some ten miles from Antwerp, in COM
pany with Mr.. Devonshire and Prof. Ad.
Kemna, chemist of the company. In the
hands of these gentlemen the task was not
only an easy, but pleasant one. / might
mention parenthetically that I here had the
pleasure of meeting also Mr.. Samuel Tom
linson, Chemist of the Municipal Water
Department of Bombay, who had come on
the same errand as myself, showing how the
ends of the earth may come together on
matters of mutual interest
We first noted the narrow sluggish river,
Nethe, from which the supply is drawn, and
shuddered to think of drinking so vile look
ing a compound. The river was low, and
the banks offered to view q surface covered
with green slime. Now, following up the
cond uits, we came to the fltering apparatus,
and thence along to the reservoirs, noting
the changes as we went until finally we
were shown the beautifully clear limpid
water as delivered to the fortunate citizens
Of. Antwerp.
If all the cities of Europe were similarly
supplied I fear there would be less excuse
for the average American traveller who must
needs have recourse to the wines OF the
country for fear of the deleterious effects of
the drinking water.
PURIFICATIoN BY IRON.
Without attempting at this time de-
scription Of the apparatus and the details OF
the method, it may be said in general terms
that it is simply the method OF water purif-
cation by metallic iron, an idea by no means
new in ITSELF but which in this case has been
taken hold of by practical men in a practi-
cal way. Chemists and other scientific men
supplied the idea, but the practical en-
gi1eers of the company put their wits to
work, and, regardless OF cost brought the
machinery and other details of the process
to its present state of perfection. The essen
tial feature of the process is that water is
passed through revolving cylinder, which
contains quantity Of small pieces of met
allie iron, so that the iron is thrown in con-
tact with the water, instead of passing the
water through the iron as was formerly
done, a very important difference
An important advance in the use of iron
as apurifer was the "spongy iron, invented
some % years ago by Prof. Bischof, bat the
yery effectiveness of this material as filter
ing agent (as of most other good flters),
proved the greatest barrier to its use on a
large scale (or small one either for that
matter), because the pores soon became
filled and thus defeated the object OF its use
The renewal of this substance sufficiently
often was practically impossible, and SO
what promised to be
A ROYAL HIGHWAY
out of difficulty proved disappointment
The engineerg, however, were not to be
baffled, but consulted Sir Frederick Abel,
G. B., f. r. S., an authority upon the sub
;ect, who confirmed the use of iron as the
best and most harmless substance known
for fltering purposes, but suggested that by
some means the iron must be thrown in con-
tact with the water. The idea was seized
upon by Mr.. Anderson, the practical head
of the company, who constructs the filters,
and he soon had in operation the present
method by revolving cylinders.
It was Q mighty achievement, and the |
question as to how pure, wholesome and
paIatable water was to be obtained was at
last solved.
The chief points to be considered in con-
nection with this method are:
First-The water Is rendered absolutely
pure, and free of AL extraneous matters, germs
bacilli. ETC., ETC., by all means the most inn.
portant point.
Second-The process is exceedingly simnle
and the cost vf the plant and its subsequent
operation very small
Third-The means employed are perfectly
harmless. which is not the case with most Of
the effective Offering materials, especially the
chemical ones.