The times., 1897-07-11

ply > III viz A'AAAS' - -
number of fpnominentc citizens and scientists
and a move for proper filtration arrange
ments is being talked Of. Mr.. George Ii.
Coryen, a civil engineer of much expert
ence, was seen recently by a Times re-
porter and interviewed upon the subject
Mr. Coryen was employed for several years
On the Washington aqueduct tunnel, and
since then has devoted much time to the
consideration OF how our present supply
could he improved. In the course OF his
remarks he said:
The most important question to be con-
siaered as to the health of cities and
towns ane their sanitary condition should
be the securing of an ample supply of
healthful drinking water and thorough
sewerage system. The water supply should
not only be adequate to the wants of the
cities and. towns, but, as a safeguard to
health, it should be made as nearly pure
and healthfuI as possible by filtration.
There is a class OF persons who claim
fore using from the reservoir for drinking
purposes. No engineer OF experience or
competent sanitary ofncer can assert With
out fear OF contradiction that stream of
water viii purify itself within any given
distance.
For example, we will take the Potomac
River Its head waters are forty miles
or more from Cumberland, Nd, and IT
flows more than five hundred miles into
Chesapeake Bay, draining the eastern
slope of the Allegheny Mountains. On
tlie upper Potomac there are a number of
small towns and villages which discharge
their storm and waste water, together
with their sewer drainage, into the river.
In addition TO this accumulation OF iIn-
healthrul matter which tile river gathers
In its course to the bay, there is a canal
that runs along its banks from Cumberland
TO Georgetown, d distance of nearly Two
hundred miles. which contributes its vast
amount of filth to the river through its
waste wiers, probably mere than from any
Other source. This canal is collector
of impurities from its source TO its mouth,
and daily pours its deadly germs OF disease
into the water supply of Washington.
Notwithstanding this condition of af-
fairs, no remedy has as yetbeen successfully
adapted 10 entirely relieve the people Of
this evil ] have never yet seen or heard
OF an intelligent reason being given why
this condition should not be remedied ard
the city surpiied with pure, heaithfGl
watar In MAY, 1856, Capt T. W. Sy-
uRnnds one cf the ahlest engineers of the
Army. made report upon purif wing the
water supply of the city of Washington
under a resolution OF the United states
Senate. After extensive inquiry AMI much
study upon the subject Capt. Syranpds
SAYS tnat he is led to the conclusion that
tht water supply of Washington will !'e
greatly Improved by filtration and aera-
tion, and that it is advisable and prac-
ticaI to do it. During the spring and
summer of 1885 the condition of The i'm
pune Potomac water was widei" discussed
through the press of this and other cities.
The many analyses made by the most
learned chemists OF the country estab-
lished the fact that the water of the
Potomac. as received intothe reservoirs and
Distributed to consumers, was not salts
factorns as healthful drinking water
This subject was referred TO q Committee
OF the Medical Society Of Washington
In its report states:
Many of the complaints made against
the w&ter supply might be stopped by
proper filtration and aeration OF the
water on a complete scale by the au
thorities' '
The free discussion of this matter at
that time through the press by scientists
and the consumers of water in Washing
in,
of perfect pure water supply There are
no sanitary improvements within the in-
yentivc genius OF man that should rank
higher in the estimation of the people of
cities than a pure water supply.
The National Board Of Health in 1SS1-S2
analyzec great number OF waters which
supplies other cities and tow ms. The
chemical analysis OF the Potomac water as
given by this board shows that it con-
tains a considerable amount OF organic
matter. and is claSsed as '-Elec.ium purity, -
Biolngically. it is classed az doubtful ~
tits an established fact that diseases are
communicated by live organisms in water,
which makes the process Of filtration Of
the greatest Importance Doctors Koch, of
Berlin, Frankland and Bishop, of England,
have mace many experiments upon the
subject OF germ culture in water, 30 de-
ternine how these microbe organisms can
be eliminated In the following ways
First BY Filtration through different
mediums.
secondly-By agitation with solid par
ticles
ThirdlyBy chemical precipitation.
Fourhly-By natural agencies
The Journal OF the Society of Chemical
Industry, December, 1885. contains q re-
port from DR.. Frankiand In regards the
filtration OF water He says:
1T is possible by proper filtration TO
entirely deprive water of its germ life.
After complete deprivation of its germ
life, if water is exposed to the ordinary
influences of air and contact with biolo-
gically unclean material used for its star
age and conveyance, its germ life is being
rapidly reintroduced and multiplied Most
filtratiRg materials lose certain portion
OF their efficiency with continued use.
IN some cases if the water is filtered
through materials which have been IN
use for months the germ life has been
gTeatlY increased by the operation This
was the case with animal charcoal Some
materials which exert but an Insignificant
chemical action are completely successful
I'm purifying water from biological point
OF view This is the case with powdered
coke and charcoal"
Prof Smith, of the United States De
partment of Agriculture, made some in
teresting experiments by the gelatne plate
culture OF Potomac water, and found i
jmpregnated with microbe organisms mucl
more than it should be, and more thai