The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-25
THE BI n FIT OF
A FILTER PLANT.
Good Results Derived from the Ven
ture of a Bay State City,
IT BROUGHT BETTET HEALTH.
Brain Fatigue in School Work tn
Evil Effects of Poor Systcm-Pcr-
iods of InlcctiOn--NOtcs on Hy-
Sicnc, by Sanitas.

In the notes Of December ith on Health
and Hygiene. appeared am excerpt with
the above heading, with "a promise to give
history OF Lawrence Massachusetts,
and it's filter plant. The whole makes
most instructive and interesting reading.
Lawrence is a New England nanufac-
turing city, situated upon the Merrimac
river. with a population of 5000 a dam
just above the city holds back the water
OF the river the water power thus con-
trolled is distributed 10 the large mills
lining the river for nearly mile on the
north bank. and for half that distance on
the south bank. This water power has
been the great factor in building up the
city, and It's development began in the
year 1915.
Up TO 1870 the water of the city used
ior all domestic purposes was obtained
from ordinary shallow wells. I'm this
year, hOWeyc-, "a public water supply
system was constructed, and the water
pumped t0 the reservoir and distributed
90 the citizens was taken from the river
no 20 point about one mile above the city
Nine miles zap the river from this intake
Of the new city IFS tho city of Lowell
at that time having Il population about
the same as tnar of Lawrence to-day,
but now containing 5000 people The
sewage Of Lowell was then. and is now
discharged into the river and above
Lowell are other cities and towns also
dlscharglng their sewage into the river
ana It's tributaries. The water supplied
ID the city of Lawrence by this system
was from the beginning, badly polluted.
DuL was evidently purcr than the aver
age well water previously used. ms shown
by considerable decrease in the death
rate OF lhe city Following iis introduction.
DEAIH-RATE INCREASED
Gradually, however. typhoid fever be-
c1mo more and more prevalent. and
finally the 1eath-rate iu the city from
this disease became the highest I'm the
state being about thre. times as great
per 1000 inhabitants as IN the average
city Of the State. Lowell. also taking
MS water supply from the river. had "A
death-ratc from this disease nearly equal
10 Lawrence. During August. September
and October. tho months when typhoid
Fever was most prevalent in other cities.
Lowell and Lawrence were affected about
tAc same leerre as the other cities. but
ins,aed Of decreasing I'm the following
months. The number OF cases rapidly in
creased in Lowell and Lawrence. and for
year after year. the height of the cpl
demic being generally reached in Law
renee in january Of each year, while il
Lowell 10 was q month earlier
Thus in l|l. there were % cases Of
typhoid fever 30 Lawrence In January:
, .1 February. ana 10 in March. The
average number OF cases in August, Sep
TENDER and October OF that year was o.
In 1892 there were 5ut cases IN Janu-
ary, there being, hoU yer, 81 ia the pre-
vious month 81 in Fe3rulry IS in March
and p IN April. In August. September
and October the average number was o
per month.
in 1888 there Were seyenty-twO cases IN
january tWCut--tlrec IN February, and
eight in March, while the average num-
Der Of cases 90 august. September and
October was six per month.
II was well recognized by this time
that the cause of tlese epidemlcs OF ~
phoid fever durlng the months Of the
year when other cities of The STATE were
comparatively free from this disease. was
the polluted water supply. and the CUES
zion of g. now supply began To DE aei- !
fated Ir the meantime. Investigations
In regard TO the publication, Of Merrl- !
mac river water 10y sand filtration had |
been carried on at the Lawrence Expert |
ncnt Station of the State Board of J
Health. and had resulted so satisiacto- !
rily that. as early as 1891, the city was J
advised 10 construct sand filter LARGE :
enough 10 filter its entire water supply; !
md in 1892 the city government made an |
preparation for beginning its con- {
truction Under the direction Of the !
State Board of Health. This filter was |
designed by Mr. Hiram r. Mills, MEM !
Der Of the State Board Of Health, and us |
construction has been doscrii cd by him |
ion an article published I'm the report OF |
he Board for 1873. II Is an uncovered |
lltor with one bed 2.J acres in area, only |
partially underdrained. and with under /
drains and depths OF sand so arranged |
haf the water 20 reach these under |
trains. must pass through FIVE feet OF
and. II is built by the side Of the river, |
md its surfac. Is two fe le'Ow low W te' J
i'm the river and can thus be flooded by /
ravity to depth N two feet. The I'M
lerdrains and sand are placed directly |
upon q mud bottom
IL was known NJ the time OF construc-
lion of this filter. that IT could be i'm
proved upon hy the expenditure or more /
money. but. as stated by Mr.. Mills in his |
article published In 1894, considerations
II economy and the immense advantages
II such n filter with the probability Of
his or rome. with an unbolieving public.
the State Board Of Health 10 /
advise the city 10 immediately construct
such a filter"
As stated in the previous article. before
he introduction Of filtered water. the
Ioath rate OF Lawrence from typhoid
fever was 1886 per loon. while during |,
he three years and ten months following |
The construction Of the plant, 1t has been