The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-06

bers OF the committee OF the City Council
on city engineers department, are un-
douttedly poos ssed Of convictions asto
a natural filter plant;
His Honor Mayor McGUINNEss, Aid'r-
man ROBERT b. LITTLE, Councilman
WILLIAM BLAKELY OF Ward 4, JOSEPH
ID. GRINNrLL of Ward 5, JAMES F. FREE
NAN ., Ward 8.
A Telegram reporter and NEWS re-
porter also have convictions.
The conviction, doubtless, is that a
natural filter bed with no covering TO
protect it from the snow and freezing OF
winter is a thing of annually burdensome
expense, even IL its efficiency is not 50 re-
duced in winter time as to seriously
threaten the securing OF the object, pure
water, for which a filter in constructed.
These gentlemen visited the city OF
Lawrence, Mass, on Tuesday, whers is
established n OF the two natural filter
plants of any consequences in this country.
According to our observant and veracious
reporter they found the lovely filter bed
covered with ice which a gang of men
was cutting and carting away to clear the
beds for service. They learned, as our
reporter was further informed, that the
annual expense Of keeping the bed in fit
condition TO perform the important duty
for which 1t was built Is a serious burden
to the tax of Lawrence. They,
doubtless, already knew that to properly
cover the bed would cost about twice as
much as the whole filter plant cost.
Here in this city an effort is being
made to secure an appropriation OF a
couple OF hundred thousand dollars to
establish a natural filter plant. The
effort was made before and 1t failed. The
promoters hope to succeed with the new
Council. No attempt is made to show that
natural filtration has any advantages over
mechanical filtration for the securing OF
the chief object, purifying the Pawtuxet
water, but the promoters make their argu-
ment On the ground of greater economy
of construction and they have the efron-
terry 10 put in an estimate for an uncov-
cred filter bed and to argue that no COW
ering will be needed. If they admit
the necessity OF a cover the estimate must
needs figure more than twice that for
the establishing of a mechanical filtra-
tion plant.
The weather conditions OF this week
gave the gentlemen who visited Lawrence
OH Tuesday most favorable opportunity
to learn of the serious disadvantages of
an uncovered filter bed. We take it that
they have returned horne with a good les
son well learned to the effect that to es-
tablish a natural filter plant and not to
cover the filter would be folly for the city
Of Providence. That so far as such a
plant being economical it would be a
source Of grlevous annua expense and
that to cover the beds would swell the
first cost far beyond what a mechanical
system would cost the city complete, and
capable of doing the work required for
many years.
In the interests Of the people, who re-
quire a filter plant that shall filter, and
Of the taxpayers, who demand that the
cost of construction shall be as low as is
consistent with an efficient service, it is
to be hoped that the natural filter pro-
motors will quit their folly, and that the
Council shall reconsider favorably the
building Of a plant of the kind that q
previous Council, that Of 1894, voted by a
large majority TO proyide for the CITY.