The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-08
TANK WATER AND FILTRATION.
II You Live in an Apartment, Read an<
Profit by This Story.

u You Live In an Apartment, Read and
Profit by This story.
An experience in an apartment house
in this city few weeks ago served for
en- excellent text for the lecture of an
expert sanitarian on the filtration Of
water.
Lack of force in the Croton main
during the day necessitates tank on
the roof, and pumping once day, a
not uncommon necessity in many por-
tions of our city. The big round box
like structures seen SO often on the
roofs of flats, IS one flies by on the eie-
waited train, are taese objectiona bic
features Of our water system.
The apar tment bnuse in question has
one of these affairs, and one of the
long-suffering tenants determined to
find out why every short while the
water ran muddy, and unfit to use.
Investigation revealed the tank to
have no outlet TO the sewer, only the
overflow pipe at the top. 1t was thus
smpossible to clean the tank, except
through the service pipes. OF course.
this was never done, and the oldest in
habitant In the house, could not say
when there had ever been long period
of freedom from the muddy water.
The tank was found to have a layer
of many inches of mud at the bottom,
accommodations and sediment of years
standing. A plumber put in a connec-
fion with the waste service in the
house., and a stop-coek, and now the
tank IS cleaned out once week But
and here comes in one of those evil
dences of human stupidity and igno-
rancc-the janitor was seen one day to
use the same broom with which he
sweeps the cellar and street for clean
ing out the tank Imagination needs
no aid to figure what might or might
not be on that broom. from tuber-
culosis bacilli to every, other microbe
found in dust
Here was greater problem to solve
than that of the plumbers part of the
difficulty. To educate the janitor was
the one remedy. Could one have chos-
en- a more difficult task? A new broom
and lecture administered OCCASION
ally served, with the watchful eye of
the disguised tenant, to keep off a
repetition of the old broom service, but
human nature clings to a habit, and
tue new broom was soon as full Of
street dirt as the old one. Finally only
flushing was urged, and that remains
the method.
To make sure of safety, boiling til.
water is resorted 10, and should be the
invariable practice of every house de-
pendent upon tank. Filtering water
is a very uncertain method 1t must
be done so slowly that not only by
mere oozing through very deep sand
bed or an almost impervious stone. can
there be a surety of the infnitesiDasl
plants being kept back.
Filters consisting of sand. animal
charcoal, wire cloth, filter paper, etc,
do not afford protection against any
unhealthy qualities which there may
be in the water. They clarity q turbid
pble to squeeze through in large num-
bers II a household filter is scientific.
ally planned and intelligently man.
aged, and positive assurance is given
of its correct action these household
filters may be a wise precaution, but
"a great danger lies in the domestic
filter" says Prof. Lancaster. who has
made searching Investigations and
careful experiment. by reason of the
fltering material being used over and
over again, thus, unless it is properly
sterilized, becoming regular field for
germ propagation, and. passing into
the water, making il worse than it was
before
Filters Of whatever kind need 90 be
handled with intelligent care, and
should not be left 20 ignorant servants
TO clean Sterilizing the fiiteriny ma
terial should be done every time il Is
clea aed--N. Y. Times