Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-23


purities. and IL NAV then be separated.
bearing with it all It holds. And this may
be done easily, perfectly, and almost witn-
out expense.
II il worthy of note that this is highly
ferruginous clay. Miller's Chemistry Is q
standard authority. Germane TO tins subJect
we quote from the second volume ~
(clayJ exerts a very important purhVing
influence upon water jmpregnated WIN
organic and other substances which find
their way slowly through the soil. indecd
mere 1giiGfiOa Of Nich udir with fnely di-
yided clay is sufficient to remove, con-
siderable amount of organic ana saline
matter previously in solution"
sEIF-puRIFYISo POWER or wATER
The river water in its journey from
LynchburR is tumbled over successive
folls of granite rocks to the extent OF 635
feet, and the streams entering the rlver
this side of Lynchhurg proportioraily.
MIR. Babcock. celebrated engineer, IN
constructing the water-works at Little
Falls, Mass. has initiated this naturai ad-
vantage by making succession OF dams,
in order that the water may have the bene-
fit Of frequent agitation and enlarged ex-
posure to the air. Water thus exposed 10
the air will absorb 2l1 per cent. OF its own
volume of air. Air as we breathe ~ con-
talns Al per cent. of oxygen; dir that IS
absorbed by water contains more oxygen
"a per cent Natures greatest puriher Is
oxygen. Oxygen has many affinlties, and
Us affiu,ties are powerful. IL uDites with
organic impurities, and by, producing
molecular change reduces such impurities
10 simpler and an innocuous CONDITION.
And so science SAYS that river water has q
self purifying power.
FILTERED WATER.
The Richmond people are very anxious
TO be supplied al all times with clear water,
and the question OF bltering the river
water at the reservoir has been several
times subject Of newspaper discussion.
II is an axiom that water that VIII not
sediment cannot be filtered-that Is, with
out the assistance of chemicals. Ibis pc
culiaritv of James-rver water ls at the
bottom Of the problem. How may the
city furnish clear water? Several years
ago proposition was made. ana almost
accepted. to furnish the city with plan OF
filtration at a cost of $4,000 ms plan
involved the use of a chemical. sample
OF the water so cleared showed very de-
cidedly the presence of the reagent In
addition TO the absurditv of the scheme
the cost Of the chemical would have
doubled the present daily expense OF the
works.
ACTION on THE wATER-PIPTs.
Professor Dana says that iron rust df-
fused in water acts like stream OF oxygen
and thus IL acts TO hasten corroslon and
solution of lead pipe" Alum will act on
metals. Professor Graham says It's ac-
ton il decidedly acid and 1t dissolves
metals with evolution of hydrogen as
readily as free sulphuric acid. Very pure
water. such as rain water, will act on lead.
The town of Midway was supplied with
water brought from pools located IN gran
ite rock-rain water. A strange disease ap,
peared. which soon turned out TO he lead
pOison. the very pure water acting on the
lead service pipes poisoned people" Dr.
Cbrlstison. the celebrated writer on pol
sons. saws that water which contains less
than an eight-thousandth part OF salts IN
solution cannot be safely conducted IN lead
pines without certain precautions. NO
bodv i'm Richmond has been poisoned with
lead bv using the hydrant water and no.
body thinks that anybody ever VIII be, but
the possibility of such fearful malady
should be acknowledged.
CLAY COATING.
A coating of very fine clay has been
slowly and firmly deposited upon the IN
side of the city water-pipes. This ls most
valuable protection to the pipes against
chemical action and also against wear and
tear. IL bv sending filtered water through
these pipes this deposit be removed. the
lead will be exposed to chemical action
and lead-poison may be the result. AS 10
the iron pipes they will suffer mechanical
and chemical wear and tear; iron rust VIII
be difused IN the water and act ike oxy-
gen on the lead pipes, as Dana remarked;
The water also viii be ferruglnous. and
inky tea will appear at the breakfast ia lie
10 the disgust of the ladies and we Will
never hear the last OF il.
cIFAR THE WATER AT HOME.
The citizens of Richmond should let the
water ri the reservoir alone and clear 1t
after il is taken from the hydraut for
themselves in wood or stOneware vessels.
There is no other plan SO simple, so safe,
and so effective.
There are several modes of doing this,
such "a the Mediterranean filter-stone, the
Pasteur filter, and other strainers; but the
best and most effective and least expensive
is the addition of five grains of alum to q
gallon of the water-only hve grains.
WHAT RESULTS WHEN ALUM Is ADDED 70 THE
WATER.
I'm this process reaction occurs be
tween the carbonate OF lime IN the water
and the sulphate of alumina IN the alum;
Sulphate of lime is formed, carbOnic acid
is set free, and the alumina precipitates,
Much of the organic matter IN solution is
likewise directly precipitated IN comblna-
ton with the alumina III the form ~ hu-
mate. BY increasing the quantity OF alum
the result IL brought about more rapidly
but ii IS very questionable whether II
would be iudicious to use more than five
grains to the gallon. - COlOnd Hdj1l'n.)
This addition of alum Is not only harm
less, but to a certain extent ls guarantee
~h.nt, rata 10 ha
cause OF fever or bowel-complaint the pol
son - of organic origin, and. as Colonel
Hardin says. much of the organic matter
in solution is directly precipitated IN CON-
bipation with alumina as humate." just
here some remarks about alumni bread from
one of the most q stinguIshed chemists III
England are to the point. William Crooks,
+. X. s., editor of the Chemical Nelrs, says
Alum is added to -four and bread IN or.
der that flour. which otherwise would mol
make good bread, may be enabled 10 do
so. By treatment with trace of alum
flour of doubtful soundness is endowed with
soundness. For this purpose proportion OF
slurn ia required which does not exceed
twenty grains to q four-pound loaf. The
twenty grains of alum have been sensa-
tionally dealt with and the people and
professional persons who ought to know
better, have attributed tanning OF the
stomach and ruin OF the digestion 10 thess
twenty grains of alum i'll the four-pound
loaf. Nothing Is easier to show than
the unreasonableness of such notions.
Ii is useful to call to mind that of the
twenty grains Of alum half of it is water and
that there are only two and two tenths
grains of real alumina in twenty grains OF
alum" Then Ill five grains OF alum one
half is water and only about one hall
grain Of alumina is found in what Is left.
HEALTHY DRINK.
Citizens OF Richmond have had fifty
wears experience with James-river water
and know that it is healthy drink. In ad
dition we are TO be congratulated that II
has been thoroughly examined by suchablt
chemists, and that such complete anc
I favorable analysis has been furnished.
In the event of an epidemic of fever ol
bowel-complaint we have now a norma
I standard by which to compare the charac
/ ter Of the water. Should the water be a'
/ fault the simple act of boiling it before
/ use, or the addition Of a grain of perman
| eanate of potash, or any one OF dozeI
| plans that can be mentioned, will be effec
| tual in deprving it of all noxious qualities
4 ~ e. h.