Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-02
AS A MEMORIAL.
Hon. Ben I. Cables Fitting Tribute
to His Father.
LOVE AND LIBERALlTY BLElDED.
The Councii Invited TO the Ho ase or
the Donor and Presented With =
$4,000 Acquisition 70 the Water.
works tn Remembrance ofthe Orig
inal Builder, the Late r. l.. Ci bic.


father. II agreeable to your he norsble
body. it shall take this form, subj sct only
to the stipulation.
These words were spoken by Congress.
man-elect Ben T. Cable at his home on
Moline avenue last evening in tie pres
ence OF the city council of Rock Island,
whom he had gathered about him. The
speaker then proceeded to IN fold his
plan of providing filter at the Rock ISL
and waterworks in memory of his father.
the late P. l.. Cable, who had presented
the city with the original wnterworks
plant, The only reservation on the part
OF Mr.. Cable was that should tho city dis.
pose of the waterworks the filter must be
allowed to return to him. Mayor Nc
Conochie's reply was that the city would
no doubt be willing to bind itself that the
works should not be sold if Mr.. Cable
carried out his munifcent purpose.
In the history of Rock Island which
shall in the future be written. one
of its brightest pages will be that on
which will be recorded deed of Jan. I,
1891. more than generous act on the
part OF one of its citizens which not only
demonstrated the public spirit of that
citizen, but more than that it uttested his
affection aud consideration for The people.
and all the people of the city. which had
always been his home.
To state the case briefly. Rock Island
received a SIS, 900 New Years present
last evening, gift of such O. nature as
every nan, woman and child IN the city
may enjoy and in the blessings Of which
all our citizens may individually psrtici>
pate. 1t wss gift of q nature that will
give 10 our people more than riches,
more than handsome buildings, paved
streets, and beautiful parks, it will give
them more than comfort and luxury. it
will give them that which is The first aim
in the pursuit of all happines health.
During the storm yesterday. Congress
man Ben T. Cable drove quietly about
the city and called personally upon May
or McConochie and the members of the
council and invited them to call at his
residence on Moline avenue at s o'clock
in The evening. Not one of the munich
pal body had the least suspicion of Mr..
Cables Intentions in extending the invi
talon when the council gathered at his
elegant home at 8 o'clock ia acceptance
OF it The affair was entirely informal in
every way. and Dir, Cable, after welcom-
ing the council, stated that he desired
TO erect memorial to his father,
the late P. l. Cable, and
to supplement aud complete the
work slread done by him IN the erection
or a water works plant for the city. To
this end he decided il the city would
pass the necessary ordinsn ce, to put in a
filter such as would insure to all consum-
srs absolutely pure and VIII olesome water.
The presentation would he subject only
to one condition. aud that that should
as had been contemplated, the filter plant
should revert to the giver. The mayor
and alderman of course stated their
entire willingness to accept the liberal
proffer wholly on the terms of the doner
aEd expressed their high sense of appre-
citation of the generous deed.
81
dent of the o. Fl Jewell Filter company,
of New York and Chicago and inventor of
the Jewell process, the best and most sue.
cessful in existence. was present also by
Mr.. Cables invitation aud at his solicita-
ton explained the nature of the plant
Mir. Cable proposed to present TO the city.
1t would be, he said. a 8 .0O0. 900 gallon
gravity filter plant. consist of three al
tiers 12 fee in diameter by IA feet in
height. The plant would be provided
with all the latest improvements and the
pump and engine to operate the filters
be furnished direct from the Law
renee Machine company of Lawrence,
Mass. The entire plant would be erected
at cost to Mr.. Cable of $4,000,
on solid stone foundations and would
require new building to the north OF
the present water works building, which
would have demenson of 6s feet long.
by % feet in width AMI 10 feet in height.
10 giving brief description of the pro-
cess, Mr.. Jewell said the water Is elevated
into the tops of the filters through g
| f1ume which is above the filter tanks
After entering these tanks the water pas
ses downwards through a clear pure white
bed of crushed quartz, becoming thorough.
ly purified and then asses into large
! storage reservoir, from whence it is
pumped direct TO the mains by the city
pumps. These filters are washed with
purified water. which is accomplished BY
a connection direct With the city main,
where reverse current is set up in the
filters by the water passing upwards. A
sand agitator is then set in motion and
the entire quartz bed is stirred and washed
perfectly clean from all possible impuri-
ties. This cleansing operation is accom-.
plishei inside of twelve minutes. once In
twenty-four hoJrs. when the river is in
its worst condition. Ordinarily the Alt.
era will run from tv o to four days with
out disturbing.
The water, after passing through the
filtering procS-s is sasplutly clear. fright
andp1re, andfree Nmaitsuspeu
ded impuritiesl TIE cous.nhsr receives
the water. the yefor as pure and 1nsdulter.
ated as it is possible for sciene and
skill to make it.
That all our people will appreciate the
manner in which Mr.. Cable hh thus
blended his love for his father ind his
liberalty for the people of his hdhe, 1t is
unnecessary to say. His act ID but to
place the crowniD jewel in the fructure