The record-union., 1894-05-07
TIE TRUSTEES AND PURE WATER.
Professor Rising's Analysis Discussed
by Them.
A Dissertation on soapsuds = Citizens
and Housekeepers to Give the
Water Practical Tests.

The Board of City Trustees held spe-
ciai meeting Saturday night for the pur-
pose of considering the clear water ques-
ton and discussing the analysis OF lhe
water from the wells on the Williamson
place. east of the city. President LaWton
was absent. on account of illness.
Fred Z. Ray, who had been engaged by
Trustee Leonard of the Water Committee
to make an analysis Of the water and re-
port on it, was present; also, }. ii. Henry
and A. Abbott, as well as several other
citizens.
The clerk read the contract with A. IL.
Fish. which was entered into by the
former board.
]. II. Henry was asked if he had any
statements to make on the question, ana
stated that he did not know that he hau
anything to say on the subject. The water
had been analyzed by Professor Rising.
and the result of his analysis presented
to the board, and the matter was now III
their hands for decision.
Professor kising's report, which was
under discussion, contains this conclu-
sion:
"A careful consideration of all the facts
which have been able to collect. leads
me To the opinion that the water is, Ia all
respects, well adapted to the needs OF
your city, and can safely be introduced
as water supply"
In reply to a question as to whether he
looked upon the water presented Tor an
aiysis as good water, he replied: es,
we stand squarely upon the proposition
that it is good water, and that we can
supply a sufficient quantity TO the CITY,"
Trustee Tozer asked to what depth the
well from which it was taken was bored,
aud Mr.. Henry answered that it was
somewhere between l40 and 100 feet.
The question having been raised that
when the meeting was called for the
present time it was 70 be an executive
session, but that quite number OF out
siders were present, Trustee Bragg sald
that he could not see any objection TO the
gentlemen present remaining. The
board, as he understood the matter,
wanted all the information they could
get, and possibly there were some pres
ent who could furnish it TO them. lie
favored an open session. Mr.. Kay was
here and he thought the rest should be
allowed to remain. If the board wanted
a private talk over the matter then all
should retire.
Trustee Davis moved that Mr.. Ray
read his report
Mr.. Ray said he did not wish, for his
part, that the board should hold an eX-
ecutive session. There was considerable
feeling in the city over this matter, and
he thought there ought to be none.
A. Abbott said the question had been
asked as to the depth OF the wells. They
were of different depths. The one from
which the water was taken which had
been analysed was 149 feet.
The board decided to listen to the re-
port and whatever those present wished
TO say and then hold an executive session
atterward.
Ray then read his report. 1t agrees
within u fraction of a grain of the solid
matter found in the water on analysis
with that of Professor Rising the State
Analyst, but his deductions as to the
quality and fitness OF the water are dia-
metrically opposite.
He said he presented the matter from
his standpoint as a citizen. Professor
Rising, he said, states the number OF
grains of solid matter per gallon is Ii. %;
his own analysis showed l6.6S, and on
going over it carefully again he found it
seventeen grains. The simple statement
of the number Of grains. however, tells
nothing of the effects upon the water.
Hard water will not dissolve the salts
which cause thirst in a person, but soft
water does. He had examined q large
number of wells and knew something OF
reasons why we cannot get good water
at depth of 120 feet or over. At certain
depths we get mineral water. There is a
great pressure on water at depth of l20
feet, and disease germs cannot therefore
live at that depth. He had several
samples of water with which he had
mixed sufficient soap to make good
lather. The river water, filtered or un-
filtered, required thirty-two grains OF
soap. If soap produces a sort of curd on
the water, it shows there is magnesia in
it, and this is the worst substance, be-
cause it is insoluble.
The Clark we'll, which he was informed,
had not been lowered this year by pump
ing, took tour times as much soap as the
river water. The water from the Will
iamson well, which he had analyzed,
made pretty good lather, but took six
times as much soap as the river water.
The gas well at Fifth and q streets took
ten times as much. The reason was that
il contains more salt. He had evapor-
ated samples of each and found seventeen
grains of matter in that from the Will
hanson well. Some water deposits white
carbonates, some water crystals and
other water salt. 1t is lucky thing that
the river water contains slime and slick
ems as it imprisoEs many of the disease
germs in it.
He presented several graduates con-
tanning the amount of salts from differ
ent samples of water and asked the mem
bers OF the board to pick out what they
thought the best. Filtered river water,
he said, contained as low as two grains.
Water from the Williamson we'll on the
mounds is much softer than that from
the well which was under analysis. The
temperature of different wells on that
part of the plain and a short distance
away varies from so to GO, one well
ST orI fhar
mometer, and is nearly as pure and
SOFT under analysis as river water.
lie declined TO state where it was. Other
wells ranged from co. to 66o, and were
under different conditions.
The water question was not new tC
him, as 1t had been investigated for the
past ten or fifteen years, at which time
parties had stated that they believed
an underground stream ran beneath the
plain outside the city.
He had voted for and advocated clear
water and still wanted it. He was not al,
advocate OF hltering. It was a difficult
and costly thing. The material in the
water soon clogs the filter. 10 clear the
river water ia that way would, he
thought. be more expense than citizens
would care to meet
The best soap for washing is CASTLE
soap, made from soda and olive oil
which would take cake like the one he
showed Tor thirty gallons of water Aka
line substances are hard to get rid of and
this we'll water precipitates sulphate OF
zinc, while river water will not. Aka
line water produces stomach troubles
He could not use this water in his store
for medicines or chemicals. Hard water
will not dissolve these salts. while dis
titled water will dissolve almost any.
thing.
This water contains sixteen to seven.
teen grains of solid matter; so does the