The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-12-05
FARM SEWAGE
And the Protection of the Drinking wate.
Wells.

L
And the Protection of the Drinking Water
Wells.
The department of agriculture has
issued a bulletin, for free distribution.
entitfed Sewage Disposal on the Farm
ana Protection of Drinking Water by
iheobaid Smith, NJ. D., professor fr
Howard university. pathologist to the
massachusetts, state board of health.
IL discusses the disposal of night soil.
liquid sewage, kitchen and chamber
| Stops. and waste and garbage; all this
with special reference to the danger of
communicating drinking water and the
ways and proper methods of construct
ing wells to prevent the seeping of sur
race drainage into them. The construc-
ton OF the privy, cesspool, dry-earth
closets and vaults, and the advantage
OF irrigating some nearby meadows
with their contents are discussed. The
text is illustrated by eight cuts show .
ing-shallow barnyard well, portable
earth closet, earth closet and dry
catch, self-acting peat-dust closet. set
thing chamber and flush tank for irri.
cation, subsurface irrigation and gar
bage cremator.
Referring to the construction OF
wells, the bulletin gives some valua-
blesuggestions.
The well itself must be so construct.
cd, says the writer, that impurities can
not get into it from above or from the |
sldes- Ii water can soak into it after
passing through few feet of soil only.
it can not be regarded as secure from
poiiution- To prevent this, the well |
may be provided with water-tight |
wall built of hard-burned brick and |
cement down to the water level. The
outside surface of this wall should be
covered with thin layer of cement.
and clay pounded and puddled in
around 1t. Or, tile may be used to
line the well and the Joints made
water-tight with cement down to the
water level. Driven wells, /. e., wells
with iron tubing driven
into the ground, are, perhaps, the
safest where the quantity of water
needed is not large and where other
conditions are favorable.
These different devices are all de-
signed to keep water near the surface
d the soil from percolating into the
well. To keep impurities from enter
ng the well directly from the top con.
siderable care is necessary. Such inn.
'urities are likely to prove the most ,
dangerous because there is no earth
liter to hold them back and DESTROY
mem before they can reach the water.
adequate protection above NAV be
provided in several ways. The sideso
he tiled wells should project above
ne surface and be securely covered
With water-tight lid. The ordinary I
veil should also have its sides project
oove the surface and q water.tipbt
over OF heavy planks provided, which
mould not be disturbed excepting for
epairing or cleansing the well. Under
% circumstances should objects be let G
own into the well to cool A still bet
er method of protecting the water .
rom above is to have the lining wall t
the well end three feet below the
nr1ace OF the ground and to be topped
here with vaulted roof, closed in the
enter with removable iron or stone l
late. The top should be covered with !!
inches OF clay Y loan; above this a
lere should be layer OF sand, and S
!stiy pavement sloping away in all
irections
100 much care can not be bestowed q
pom the household well. 1t should be q
uarded Jealously, and all means APP 6
ied 10 put the water above any sus- p,
cson OF being impure. This is espe-
ally true in daiIies WHARF xvall xv,ta-
used in cleaning the milk cans, and
here steam and boiling water have a.
't yet found their way for this end. y
diluted wells in such houses not only W
danger the health of the inmates.
u that OF more or less numerous =.
,dy of city customers g. s.