The morning times., 1896-02-26
PURE WATER THE PANAc[A
Board of Trade Committed to 9
PRACTICAL Position.
HEALTH THE PRIME ISSUE
The business Men and Doctors of
Washington Discuss It's Best Sani-
tation Policy-System of Filters
andCost tConsidered-Gr Greater Wash
ington Schemes Reieguted to Rear

'If filtered water could be supplied
to all parts of the city even under the same
conditions as now exist, 1 would be pre-
pared TO say that Washington would show
such remarkabled decrease in the mortality
! from water borne diseases, that its in
| fluence would be far greater in aIIayinl
| the evil than any OF the proposed plans
for greater Washington
This statement was made by DR.. Knyoun
at special meeting of tse board OF trade
held last evening at the Builders Exchange
and evoked general applause.
The meeting WIS attended very numer-
ously, severalladics being in the gathering
ana exhibiting much interest in tue pro
ceedings. 1t was called to consider the
health and sanitary condition OF the city
| OF Washington and although President
Woodward called the meeting to order, he
resigned the chamanship very properly e
DIR. Busey, the chairman of the committee
of public health.
The occasion was a very remarkable
and instructive one, as il confined itself to
an cminently practical subject ana one
| capable OF practical demonstration as to
| the statements made by the speakers II
may fairly be inferred that the sentiment
or opinion reached by the board was
| literally that stated In the extract from
! the remarks OF DR. KinyOun quoted above.
| The object of all the speakers was in fact
TO show that the prime necessity OF thc
times was pure water in sufficient Guanti-
| ties.
HE BLAMED THE FLATS.
One of the speakers, however Dr.. Johns
ton, said that Washington would never
be free from malariaI diseases until the
| flats OF AnaCostia river had tcenrecIaimed,
arguing from tie good erect on the city
of the reclamation OF the Potomac flats.
| The plan for pure water which COM
niepdcd Itself to the meeting was the sand
filters and standardization by tie natural
| process. Il was shown by Capt. Gaillard.
Z S. i j.. that the cost OF Il system for Wash
ingtOn would he about $1,500,000. This
would include thcpurcbase OF about twenty
five acres of Iand0n The basis oftbe present
| supply, or afQut thirty-scven acres for a
| future supply Of At6Gt $4,000 coo gallons.
! Capt. Gallard explained the two methods
Of natural and Mechanical filtration, the
area Of sand il the'rormcr being large, in
! tF.a latter snian.' fbc cost in either case
! and method be said:
Mechanical filters consist Of 3 TO 6 feet
! or moderately fine sand inclosed in boiler
iron cases of from 5 to 20 feet diameter,
worked under pressure corresponding Ia
a head of from 10 feet to 10 feet, and
| fiItering at rate OF from to 800 coo coo
| gallons per acre per "a hours, or about
| 100 times as fast as in the case of natural
! filtration. Alum Is generally used as a
| coagulent. Loss Of head requires pump
| ing to higher level. When filth accumulatcs
on the surface fillered water is sent ur
from below, washing the sand and a Ito wing
| impurities to pass out through a waste
| pipe.
EFFICIENCY OF FILTERS
"As to efficiency: In number Of cases
| it has been stated that filters of this class
| have proved very efficient in the removal
| both of bacteria and discoloration, yet
on the other hand In letter dated March
! 9, 1892 from the State board of health
| to the water board of Lawrence, Mass.
they state that no mechanical filter ex,
amincd by them removed enough bacteria
to warrant the board in recommending the
! city to adopt it.
10 " 'OSV' tNNiuSt'S I Va 'hS iaLu' "H4Nl
! item is greater in the case of natural fill
tration, the cost OF constructing filters
of equal capacity, as determined from The
data available, is about the same in bott
cases, but the cost OF operation is con
! siderably less in the case of natural filtra
ton, being in the ratio OF 112 to III
The speeches were made by the physician
experts, the principal address having beer
made b. DR.. Busey. There were many maps
of illustration, the one of special interest
being that which exhibited a statement
as to 436 cases OF typhoid fever and theil
causes as investigated by DR.. Kobe r.
| This table is given below and is self-explan.
atory: