Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-08
DEATH In THE BLUE.
The Monongahela River Purified by
Discharges From Mines
PRECIPITATING DISEASE GERMS.
Fish Dying in Quantities for Lack Of C1y-
gen in the Water.
A REMARKABLE CHEMICAL CHANGE

Captain 7. P. Roberts, the well-known
engineer and chemist, has been making an
examination of the waters of the Yough-
iogheny and Monongahela rivers He finds
that the water of the Monongahela has TN
dergone q remarkable change, and is no
longer full of mud and disease germs-in
fact. that the water Is as darkly blue as the
waters of the lakes In addition. he finds
that the absorption of the oxygen in the
water has resulted In the strangling Of
large number of fish. In talking Of the
matter yesterday, Mr.. Roberts said,
Dead and dying fish in great numbers were
to be seen in the sluggish current Of the
Monongahela river at Port Perry, ten miles
above this city, on Saturday, and many boys
and men were busily engaged in collecting
them ostensibly for cooking purposes. For
several summers past similar facts regard
ing the'wholesale destruction Of the fish In
the Youghiogheny and Monongahela rivers
have been observed. and the cause is TO be
attributed to the presence of an unusual
quantity of iron and sulphur finding its way
into the rivers from the coal mines and coal
washers located upon the Youghiogheny
river.
Deeply and Darky Blue.
Port Perry was remarkable. without any
perceptible rise over the marks OF the day
before, It changed early in the morning
from its usual slightly murky or muddy
tint to beautiful transparent indigo blue.
So clear, indeed, was the water that the bot
tom at six feet depth was discernible-or
four feet moro than the river at its usual
clearest condition. The Youghiogheny for
a number of miles above McKeesport, upon
an average width of 400 feet, is deeply
ponded up by back water from dam No. on
the Monongahela, and this pool in the
Yough has recently been of the most intense
blue, and made SO by the sulphuric acid and
iron waters from the mines accommodating in
quantity sufficient to coagulate or concen-
trate all the mud particles it had previously
held in suspension.
1t is we'll known that iron rust or iron
iron, will act precisely like alum in clarity
ing water, but just as to the particular COM
binatfon of these mine-water ingredients
which turn the water blue. am unpre.
pared to state. The water of the river at
such times Is perceptibly harder at Nc KEGS
port and more corrosive in its effects upon
steam boilers, but there is no reason to sup
pose that it is injurious to the health of
human beings. On the contrary, the proba-
bilities are the Qualification OF the riv ers in
this wholesome manner tor limited periods
may prove beneficial change to the con-
sumers of the water, for If fish life is gener-
ally destroyed other forms of life in the
microscopic orders may also be destroyed or
diminished, though on this score believe
animalcua in any of our rivers in mid
stream above the city limits.
Fishes Die of StransuIation.
The fish are destroyed by strangulation,
that is to say want OF air in the water. As
Prof. Phillips. of the Western University,
stated at meeting of the Engineers Society
several years ago, there is q fixed normal
quantity of oxygen held in solution in pure
Mater exposed to air. In 100 parts, or vol
umes, of air dissolved in water SO parts are
oxygen. the remainder nitrogen. Now it is
the combination of this oxygen in the water
with the sulphur from the mines which
makes the sulphurtc acid, Of course verv
much diluted acid, before referred to- The
oxygen being thus absorbed. Or converted
into a compound, leaves nothing for the
fish, and SO they could be seen coming to
the surface andsendeavoring to support life
by breathing spasmodically pure air, but as
fish must sift air from water through their
gills they cannot long support existence
in breathing air direct. 1t is probable that
fish suffocated in this manner and found
floating in the river are not wholesome food.
One large salmon 1 saw speared a few
minutes after its last struggle for life, which
struggle was plainly seen from the shore,
bled quite profusely from the spear thrust:
but the color Of the blood even then was
purple, SO that there can De no doubt that
during the hours preceding the t15h's death
its blood was partaking of an abnormal
change. All species of fish were to be seen
dead and dying-bass, catfish, suckers, ETC.,
excepting the gars, which were numerous
and to be seen hugging the shores, but very
languid in their movement. If fish had had
intelligence enough to 60 above the mouth
OF the Youghiogheny they would have been
all right.
An Unusual Gigantic Chemical Change.
The only cause which can be assigned for
these sudden inroads OF the death-dealing
blue waters from the Yough into the Monon-
gahela river are slight rises OF the Yougn
pushing out the blue water into the calm,
wide. deep pools Of the Monongahela. And
here again is q phenomena which I have
never heard spoken OF before. 1t is usual
for tributary streams. unless indeed they
are in violent flood, after uniting with the
main streams. to flow along one shore, and
where the tributary is simply muddy and
the main stream clear, distinct line OF de-
marcarion between the respective waters
is observable often for miles below
the point Of junction. But as it
was Saturday very short distance
below McKeesport the entire Monongahela,
nearly !, 900 feet wide, and Is feet deep, was
colored blue and at two miles down one side
of the river was~as blue as the other side.
This is remarkable instance of peculiar
and very rapid and even TRANSMISSION of q
foreign element through water. Indeed
probably not elsewhere in the country Is TO
be witnessed such gigantic chemical
changes as are to be seen from time TO time