Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-03-01
MEDILL is HONORED.
Continued from Third pace.

l
| Father of Waters. The water is sup
piled 10 a large well by means of two
cast iron intake pipes of 30 and 80
! inches in diameter, respectively, eX-
| tending to the channel of the river, a
distance OF :, $50 feet from the pump
| ing station.
| The water in then pumped into
four Anticipated mechanical filters
which barely more than strain it, af-
| ter which it is discharged into the
| pump we'll From there the water is
| pumped directly into the mains by
| two pumping engines, one of 3, 600 600
and one of 1000, 600 gallons capacity
in II hours. The contemplated i'm
| provements OF our water supply and
| now in course of construction en-
brace Il publication plant, consisting
of settling basins and sand filter beds,
storage reservoir and the reinforce
ment of the distribution mains. The
plans for these improvements were
prepared by, and the supervision of
! the construction has been intrusted to.
Jacob \. Harmon, civil engineer. OF
| Peoria.
The settling basins, filters and res
ervoir are situate on the bluff imme-
diately in the rear of the city. the
| flow line of the reservoir is at an ele
walton of 135 feet above the business
portion of the city. The portion of
the city upon the bluff is supplied by
an independent system, pumping from
the mains in the valley portion of the
city to a stand pipe on the bluff. I'm
der the new arrangement the water
will be pumped from the pumping
station through n l6-inch main To the
setting basins. There are two set
thing basins contemplated by the
plans, with a capacity of 100000
gallons each, numbered one and two
respectively.
The water is pumped into basin
No. l through the supply pipe, which
is projected above the water level,
thus rrating the water as it flows over
and descepds into the basin. The
water flows from basin No. l into
basin No. ? over a weir % feet in
length. BY this process the upper
LAYER of water is skinned of of basin
No. /, leaving the greater part of the
sediment in this basin. The water is
again :rratcd in passing over the weir
TO basin No. ,. In basin No. the
sedimentation still continues until the
water passes through the pipes into
the filters. The sand filters are four
in number, with n combined area of
$40 acres and a uaily capacity of
4, 900. 900 gallons of filtered water.
Through the Sand Beds.
The water passes through the sand
bed of the filters, whence it is carried
by the drains through regulating
chambers to the storage reservoir.
From the reservoir the city is sup
piled through 20-inch main leading
back to the distribution system.
BY this system we are required to
pump the water but once, the arrange
ment of the settling basin, filters and
reservoir being such that the water,
after having been pumped into set
thing basin No. /, flows by gravity to
settling basin No ,, thence to the
filters, thence to the reservoir, and
thence to the distribution system and
the consumer.
The inlet and the outlet pipes of
the settling basins are so arranged
that whenever il becomes necessary to
cleanse either basin it can be cut
out of commission and cleaned and
the other basin continued in use with
out interruption of the service. The
sediment gathered in the basins will
be flushed out into the sewer and car
ried back into the river.
The filters are so constructed and !
arranged that each one is entirely in |
dependent of the others, having their |
own controlling devices forre@u ating |
and measuring the inflow and outflow
of water. This provision makes it |
practicable to cleanse any one filter |
while the others are in commission, |
and also to increase or diminish the |
rate of filtration of any filter with |
out interferin" with the operation of
the others. The settling basins, filters |
and reservoir are constructed part in |
excavation and part in bankment. |
The settling basins and reservoir have |
slOping sides, and the inner slopes and |
bottoms are paved with Portland &C.
ment concrete. The outer slopes are |
cut true to line and sOdded. Upon |
the tops of the banks are graveled |
walks.
The filter sides are stone masonry |
walls. The bottoms are paved with |
concrete. Upon the bottoms are laid |
the lateral drains, which are 6-inch |
sewer pipe with open joints in parallel
lines II feet apart. These connect
with the main drains leading to the
reservoir.
'.One foot of gravel is placed on the
bottom in layers, the lower one of
coarse and the upper of fine grade, so
that the top layer of gravel will sup
port the four foot layer of sand placed
upon it. The filters were construct
ed with vertical masonry walls
so rs to reduce the area and in case it
should become necessary to roof the
filters the construction would be much
more simple and less expensive.
Water Examined.
Before entering upon the construc-
ton of this publication plant we pros
ecuted our investigation in part by