New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-14
A GIGANTIC FILTER.
THE CITY OF DAVENPORT MAKES a DE-
pARTURE IN PURIFYING ITS
WATER SUPPLY.
Fran The Chicago Times-Herald.

From The Chicago Times-Herald-
Mn ia-caet the costllest and best fter plant IN
,ba world mas Just been competed dt "a IN u, ,',
tie VIZ t,rarticai men whose experience has Wiu'
49, cninions worthy Of Iespecllui a,tsh,i,'' .'
that this piay s Vyestern cities The cost OF me
plant is 81 .20oo The zen 40 uoivit ba,e cnacy
contain the immediate water SNiP''
oi The Mississipp River is the source from ~ni'H
~ 49, slIpnly originally comes. Inc We d.
d d-e From point in the bed OF the rlVoi h,a.
the channel down into tunnel ana dfapce rhro,ien
w ,,rnnol IN sweeps 10 the pump wells ana the''
into the hlters. nere j. no GaeT cs g Tor The
Mini In the river from which water Is ss1Ire" u
mile ana ', .ni@h the Davenport sewers enter the
river H this same point the Mlsslsslppl Hi3 -
r,ren, Of about i've miles an hour ana dashes
80 the POck island Rapids giving. II conip-'I
9eration oxidation and diluti0n al OF "hlCn '''"
10 H. Sir plant is in Itself most marvellous sign;
Fan ~ the hitter shells is gi2 ioet IN dlihete' anu
., ieTs iio Strength The water company has so iAI
Iufit about thirty seven mics OF mains INTO "".'
ne pi, the TACT that there are ten filter shells
so delicate is the CONSTRUCTION itol M gitrs ca
standpoint OF the entire plant that me MIS- az
~ sdd eifh.r one al "A time in their entirety a.
circumstances may make II adyisanIe. rs s. az nro,
cation Of the effort that nj ueeh Iue ~ ,,rScng
MS nlanf with every possible means OF purtt. =
bout fbree-guartors full OF white sand. amounting
70 about thirty carloads for all the hlttrs -,.
-, 49, The pecuar nature OF this sand is that
ssch grain is Of almost equal texture and peris
al
parture The ordinary sand that + used for htrf'i
nnrnoses is porous. and. therefore does not IN a..
rresrscts answer the requirements This. however Is
The first time that city OF any size has 20 nteTe1 Us
water supply -. ,.,. o,,, \ m
,,icrohes Sometimes they are 80 lnnnlteslmaliy
..,,au mai only a magnifyinr-rlass OF exceeding
nnuer will detect them. n there were no sand IN nc
gI,ars that was absolutely imperyiOus 10 the attacks
~ no microbes these lttle seeds Of death wOud
~ ,e likely 10 find lodgmeni in the pores OF the
81 Ther. they would die and rot. and in a snort
49, the sand would become a fruitful. source or
sss,sc m her than plant 10 purify water rms IS
~, J,,rn Island sand is used In Davenport
.he rivers In the country. barring the chicago
~ nad been considered maximum test Tor
-. 10 nI.nf no better selection could have been
ra han the Mississippi River. While the bed Of
~ ri,e Is composed 10 great extent or consant "
i,tn~ sand there at all times pronounced sedl-
49, n the water which gives il that peculiar y'!-
,,isb color which has made II famous as the only
III r,ter In America that hardly cmbes water az
III with the exception that II IS liquid IN form AZ
az. seasons of the year II glass be filled with
VississnnI River water and allowed 10 stand Tor a
@ - IL win he found that almost one-fourth
~ ,he rIoss from the bottom up. viii contain liquid
ui Thaf is why 1t Is often said that the persons
~ drink unnfered Mississippi River water absorn
VIZ -anL q airt every forfy-epht hours
"a Inc task OF the big alter pant al Davenport u
no lIght one. and the amount Of dirt ana apuriles
,bs are removed from the 1900 gallons the filters
contain is naturally tremendous In quantity Espe-
caiy does this fact prove impressive when Is con-