The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-16
How The Quarantine Ofhcer Learns
Of The Coming Of Vessels.
EXPERIMENTS IN FILTRATION
VIII Be Completed Today--Commission
Will Meet Next Week to Consider Re-
sults-Natural Filter Said to DO as
Good Work as the MechsnicaL

u
Is very seldom called to quarantine mat
ters. IL is only when vessel arrives
from port where some Contagious dis
ease is epidemic that allusion is made TO
the quarantine station. This happens on
rare occasions only, and the interest tenn
porarily excited soon subsidies.
There Is not much danger of an infected
vessel escaping the watchful quarantine
officer, Mr.. John Adamson. In fact. as
an official OF the health department
said this morning Mr.. Adamson
knows just when every vessel
will arrive before 1t Is within
twenty miles OF the city. BY far the
larger number OF vessels bound to Provi-
dence come up the west passage and
when they are sighted tf South Ferry
they are Immediately reported by tele-
pt one to this city.
Ii the vessel happens to be from an in
fected port Mr.. Adams goes down to
lower quarantine, below Sabins point,
aud intercepts her there. She is held un-
til the health officer makes an
examination to determine whether
she shall be allowed to proceed or be
detained. Very few vessels have been
held &C quarantine Of late years.
Filtration Experiments.
City Engineer Shedd was very much
amused this morning over the announce
ment in a local newspaper tnat 1t
had been decided to adops the
Morrisoa-Allen system of mechanical fl
tration. The commission he said has
not held meeting for three months, SO
he could hardly see how without meet
ing 1t could come to decision.
progress for several months will be COM
pleted today, and as soon as the pumping
engine matter Is finally settled the COM
mission will meet for the purpose of con-
sidering the results aud deciding which
system shall be adopted.
The mechanical filters have as far as is
known done excellent work. but the
same results it Is under
by the sand filter which has been con-
plan. The advantages of the nat
ural filter is that its cost
will be small as compared with that of
the mechanical filter. while no alum will
be used, which Is necessity in the me-
chauical process.
The fact that the resolution directs the
seems to indicate that the
natural filter will not stand
much snow, but that is a question
which will be discussed and settled when
the commission meets next week.
No Drills Yet.
The month Of October is approaching,
but the policemen have not yet begun
drilling preparatory to their an
nual parade, 1t is expected, how
ever, that as soon as Chief Child returns.
which will be early next week, the blue
coats will be given their usual training
in marching evolutions.
There are some people who do not
think the parades do any good and possi-
bly, some OF the policemen will have no
serious objection il they are given
up. However, there is another
side and In the opinion of the police
officials it is the stronger one. These
parsdes they say, besides familiar
izing the men with military move
ments also exercise n con-
siderable influence over the lawbreakine
classes. The show Of force, it is claimed.
often has rs salutary an effect as the
actual exercise of it. From present indi-
cations the annual police parade is not
hkelyto bs given up for some years TO come.
Notes About tho Hall
The common council will meet next
Monday evening.
The settlement OF some questions re-
lating to boilers has led to delay in the
signing Of the contract for the new pump.
ing engine.
Candidates for positions on the fire
commission continue to multiply and
there will be a very pretty fight when the
time for choosing them comes.