Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-26
The Water Supply.

Ri ie.sc g d sss psps,s ss each
The Water supply.
DR.. Busey then took up another branch
OF the subject. namely. the publication of
the water supply and spoke Of the different
systems In use. such as aeration, agitation
| and precipitation, which resulted in cla1-
Tying the water, but that did not mean
necessarily pure water. He said that peo-
pie who had house filters often made a
mistake in this way, and consider that be-
| cause they are getting clear water that it
is also pure. He was Of the opinion that
the system of filtration, combined with
sedimentaton Is the one that gives the
best results. A number of lantern slides
showed the system of publication by means
of filter. which Is an immense bed Of
layers OF fine and coarse sand, gravel and
rock.
DR.. Busey spoke Of how infection is car
ried in the water and cited the case of
the city Of Schenectady, where typhoid
germs were carried down the Mohawk and
as the latter place drew the water sup
ply from the river. typhoid fever became
epidemic. He spoke Of the threatening
conditions above the Great Falls. where
that point and Cumberland, and where the
sewage matter went into the river In the
case of the town Of Plymouth he stated
that one case Of typhoid fever infected
population of LOO, and asked how many
cases would be required to pollute the wa
ter supply of this city. He added that as
long as The government does not or cannot
control the watershed of the Potomac so
long Will this city be in danger of polluted
water.
In conclusion DR.. Busey said that there
mad been some criI ,ism about the publicity
given to these facts as likely to injure the
SDrpadtnH oSf fla Ia,
was an unhealthy place. He believed, how
ever, that the best plan was to face the
1acts and by vigorous and prompt action
supply remedy, and he said that when
this city secured purified water system
ana perfected sewer system 1t would then
have the reputation of being a healthy
place.
DR.. kfnyOun's Observation.
Dr. kinyoun Of the marine hospital service
was then introduced, and made a thought
full address on the sanitary conditions ex-
listing here. He said that the prevalence Of
typhoid fever here was due to a polluted
water supply. Wells, he added. are always
dangerous. as it is impossible to protect
them. He also spoke of the danger Of
disease germs entering the river from the
sewage deposits, and spoke of the idea
that running water could purify itself. He
thought that that was not true in the
case Of the Potomac river from the Great
Fails down to the reservoir With a sys-
lem OF nitration and sedimentation 50 per
cent OF the present danger in the water
system could be done away with He said
that filtered supply of water could do
more than any one thing in improving the
health conditions. A sewer system. he
added. was only Of secondary consequence
Surgeon General sternberg.
A discussion of water from the stand
point OF a bacteriologist was then given
by DR.. Sternberg, surgeon general, u S. A.
He said that a glass Of water might con-
tain large number of bacilli but the re-
suits of taking such water into the sys-
tenn varied with the susceptibility of the
individual, and also the virulence of the
bacilli. Some persons could drink with inn
punity water that could be dangerous to
others.
The Eastern Branch Flats.
Some interesting statistics were present.
ed by Dr. w. w. Johnston, who addressed
himself entirely to the subject of the re-
clamation of the Eastern Branch flats. He
said that the same conditions prevailed in
that vicinity as was the case a few years
ago In the section of the city near the
Potomac flats. The reclamation of that
land had led to a marked decrease in the
number Of cases Of malar.al fever. He
gave figures showing large increase in The
cases OF malarial fever among the soldiers
at the Washington barracks, among the
men at the navy yard and at the Marine
barracks, and also at the Government Hos
pital for the Insane. He said that accord
Ing to DR.. Godding's statement they had
used 500 ounces Of quinine at the hospital
during the year 1895. as compared with
phat.c array of facts DR.. Johnston added
the assertion that Unless the Eastern
Branch flats were reclaimed Washington
could not lay claim to being a healthy
city.
Filtration Systems.
Capt. D. D. Gaillard. U. s. A., who is in
charge Of the aqueduct. spoke in an interest
Ing way OF the cost Of filtration systems
speaking especially Of what he called the
natural method and the mechanical. BY the
former method he said that about 1000 600
gallons OF water per acre could be filtered
which would require an area of about thirty
seven acres for filtration beds. The cost Of
both systems would be about the same
namely. about a million and a half dollars
for supply Of 15.OOO.OO0 gallons. The me-
chanical filter consists of boiler iron cases
containing moderately fine sand, through
which the water was worked, under a pres
sure. The cost of opera ton under the lat
ter system was very much greater, but this
the speaker thought, was probably offset by
the cost of the additional amount of land
needed for the other system.
Upon the conclusion Of this address, upon
motion Of DR.. A. p. Pardon, vote of thanks
was extended to those who had so ably and
thoroughly discussed the subject, and then,
after the adoption Of the resolutions given
above, the meeting adjourned.
Many Suits Against Landholders.
United States District Attorney johnson
has filed a suit at Denver, Col, against
the Union Pacific Railroad Company and
about 1000 persons holding lands under
titles obtained from that company, asking
for the cancellation Of patents to about
10000 acres. or the payment to the United
States Of $1,000. 600. The land comprises por-
Greedy, Fort Collins and Loveland, and
ranches in Weld, Boulder. Larimer, Jeffer-
son and Arapahoe counties. It is alleged
that the lands In question should have been
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