The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-27
MAKES WATER TASTE BAD.
Prof. Leeds Discusses the Mysterious
AIgae Growth.

Dr. Albert r. Leeds. professor of chemis-
try of Stevens Institute of Technology,
Hoboken, n. j., read the second report OF
the committee appointed two years ago to
investigate the influence of ANNA. and veg
eta6le growths upon the taste and odcrs of
potable waters. In part the report was as
follows:
This committee has to report progress
along many important lines of inquiry since
the completion CT it's earlier reports. There
has been a widespread and growing interest
IL the subject. Thetontinuance of the work
has been regarded az so important that a
special committee has been appointed By the
association TO provide the necessary funds.
Such being the case, ii is eninently deslr-
able to bring prominently INTO view the kind
and magnitude of the problems involved.
and the scientific and practical difficulties
In the way OF their solution. 1t must be
WORKS i sre wv nteresie n ac OF
teal results, ard the practical questions
must be kept in view, there must be great
deal Of purely scientific work done also.
But the Immediate utility of this work Is
far from being evident. and water works
supeTlntendenis would naturally object to
services of biologist, a chemist al engi-
neer and draughtsnan, working labora-
tory and library ard one or more field as
sistants TO visi: affected water supplies and
serious matter 10 provide means for so large
an undertaking, IL is expedieHt TO consider
getting much of the work accomplished,
and leave 10 the committee the duty of fos-
tering ii BY such aid can be given with
out requiring large financial outlay
THE first consideration Is that the basis
of the work lies in the domain of pure
science. Many CT the phenomena connected
with the production of tastes and odors in
water have their origin in the life process
Of animals and plants that are still quite
unknown. To make this matter more clear
by an illustration, let US consider the pres
nj az IF EnOyvlPlrp Of on.
Our information concerning the Species
in the United States is mostly contained in
two books. They contain descriptions of
many hundred species of algae, which the
authors have named and classified In ac-
cordance with previous histories published
abroad The life histories of very few of
these plants are known TO degree in any
sense approaching completeness. AS far as
they are known they bring into prominence
the fact that the aigae are characterized
many stages of growth They do
not pass al once from s3ore TO the ma
tured plant. but may so through many cy-
cles of transformation. How long they re-
main In each stage depends upon the degree
Of light. temperature moisture. abundance
or scarcity Of food and many other possi-
BILE conditions. II Is not surprising, there
fore that many stages of the same plant
have been described as separate species of
widely different plants
THE JAMESTOWN CASE.
.In the year 1886 the water supply of
private water company. became so often
sive that the Mayor and citizens charged
the company with providing water filed
with dead and decayed fish, vegetable, and
even worse matters. The analysis showed
that the water was indeedver bad. but these
allegations were both false and malicious.
| Instead of the origin OF the trouble being
decayed foreign matters it was traced by
your reporter. who also made the analysis
| to algae spontaneously growing in the
| driven wells. sunk TO the depth of so or 100
| feet in sand, and which afforded most OF
| the supply. The Identification of these par
| ticuiar algae rs the 'cren3thrix' was su6-
seauently made by Mr.. Rafter and Confirmed
| by MIR. Vale. Subsequently your re-
| porter has found the crenothrix in similar
| wells IN many places. The wells driven In
| the sand along the coasts CT New Jersey
| usually contain iron. and this iron Is ass0-
| ciated with the development OF varities OF
! crenothrix. which are iron-secreting algae