The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-06-02

case OF cholera would have developed
tnere; nut no such system Is yet perfect
The nearest approach TO perfection there
l. thus stated BY Ar. ksummei: ''Ths
number Of germs In the filtered
'sr icc in H1Surs S.It s..,sooo,a = 0n'y % %hI; !:
the number OF microbes in the
raw water Is 1900. At the Altoona intake
eight miles below the sewerage outlets,
the germs number 1900. At the sewer
outlets these germs numbered more then
20,o0o In the same amount OF water. The
uttered water at Altoona has from ~ TO d
by this showing at Hamburg 93 per
cent. OF the germs were taken out of the
water by filtration, for Hamburg at once
constructed q filtration plant sim.
liar to that at Altona, and
the cholera scourge. came not again
incaiculable benefits OF filtration. In an
address delivered by DIR. Charles ".
Chaplin, before the Rhode Island Medical
Society, June, 1893, on the publication OF
the public water supplies, these results at
AltoDa and Hamburg are mentioned.
The necessities and the met hods OF fl
tration are also discussed by this labori-
GUS and learned scholar, In all their vari-
Gus forms, in the light OF modern science.
DIR. Chapin's Report.
DIR. Chaplin considers in much detail the
modern methods OF filtration, with no
prejudice for either, but, under the
circumstances which now surround us,
profoundly in favor of the adoption
OF some such method. He shows
the old opinions, which held TO tho
now exploded, and that such natural pro-
cesses can no longer be relied upon TO
render that water pure which has been
polluted by excrementious matter, and
made safe for drinking. This Pawtuxet
river has been used for quarter OF
q century by every mill upon the stream
TO wash out the privy vaults attached TO
the mill, and In many cases, TO the
tenements belonging TO the mill.
There has been for years thrown into IL.
q mass OF human excrement gathered from
not less than ten thousand and possibly
fifteen thousand people; and the stream
which In its natural condition is of abso-
inspector terms It, into "a bed OF
poison" Certain it must be, that
that the, earth along the banks and the
rocks in the bed OF the river must be
either satur,ted with or encrusted by
these substancesi 1t does not come within
The nature OF the possible that
all this matter has been washed from the
stream, or entirely drank by the people
OF Providence. Some of il must still be
there. Thus the conditions are admir-
able for the production and multiplica-
tion OF microbes. Never were conditions
more favorable. Few people have
increase yIbe Of these inanitesimal iaPea cPea
alton. Nothing In nature is known equal
to II. An hour or two will reproduce
millions of them. III microbes were
mint drops the running of such a fac
tory, would be a miser's millennium.
knowing all these things. DIR: Chaplin
considered the various methods now
known to men, by which polluted waters
could be made less dangerous, or possibly
safe. These are, 1st, storage; I'd, mra-
tion; Cd, sedimentation, and 4th and last,
II Is no purpose of THE NEWS to put
words into the mouth of DIR. Chaplin,
but II ventures the opinion that the
duce no unfiltered river water into a
city. To practical mind, like that of
Or. Chapin's, all the notions, or theories
of men vanish into thin air, when
thrown up against such mass
Of fact as has been demonstrated at
Altoona, at Hamburg, at Lowell, at
Lawrence, at Berlin, at Philadelphia and
now here at our own Providence, to all Of
which DIR. Chaplin makes reference. To
hold to old exploded theories in the face
,f such facts, is nothing less than down
right insanity.
DIR. Chaplin tells of a commission which
vas appointed early in the last year to
examine all forms OF filtration, find
hat which was best, compare it
With all others and make report
ipon the same. Upon the work of this
and the action OF the city
government under it, will surely depend
he health, aud in many cases the very
ives OF our people.
Let wisdom prevail, but let it prevail
without any unnecessary delay.