Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-04-03

ment is not meritorious before the
people have had opportunity to test it
| completed. And that citizen voices
the views of many others whose feel
ings have been aroused as they would
not otherwise by the systematic at
tempt on the part of those who have
been conducting the Unions cam
paign to do deliberate and outrage
Gus injustice to the greatest improve
ment and the greatest blessing ever
provided by a municipal executive
for the enjoyment and benefit of the
people of Rock Island.
How the System Operates.
This reservoir plant embraces
all of the latest approved principles
used in the treatment of water, and
when it is completed there will be no
superior municipal method of water
supply in America. The features
mbraced consist of the sedimenta-
tion, eration, filtration and storage of
water.
| The river water is received into the
pump wells through the intake pipes
from the channel of the river and
pumped directly to the settling basins
on the bluff The water first enters
into settling basin No l through the
supply pipe, which is projected above
the water level, thus ;eraiing the wa
ter as it flows over and descends into
the basin. 1t then flows from basin
No. l into basin No. 2 over n weir 15
feet in length. BY this process the
upper layer of water is skinned off
Of basin No. l, leaving the greater
part of the sediment in this basin.
The water is again ;crated in passing
over the weir to basin No. 2. In basin
No. 2 the sedimentation still continues
until the water passes through the
pipes into the sand filters.
| The sand filters are three in number
with a daily capacity of ). 800, 600 gal
Ions of filtered water. The water
passes through 4 bed of sand of four
whence it is CARR ed by drains through
regulating chambers to the storas G
reservoir From the reservoir the
city is supplied through a 2O-inch
main leading back to the distribution
system.
| BY this system the city is required
to pump the water but once, the ar
rangement of the settling basins, fill
tiers and reservoir being such that the
water, after having been pumped
into settling basin No. l, flows by
gravity to settling basin No. =, thence
| to the filters, thence to the reservoir,
and thence to the distribution system
and the consumer. BY the employ
| ment of this system of treating the
water and the pumping of the water
but once, the pumping machinery
rests one-third of the time and
effects a saving In fuel and labor
Appropriated at $500 per year. To
capitalize this amount basis of
| interest of per cent per annum will give n
capital OF $4,000, which amount is suffi-
cient to construct the settling basins. sand
| filters, reservoirs and all attending expense.
| except the mains leading to and from the
reservoir. 800.
The actual cost of this great plant,
that is the amount expended and the
estimate of the amount required to
complete the same, is SOL, sos. SO,
| which is divided as follows:
Paid out for clearing the land of tim
Der, the removal of stumps and the
Estimates allowed, which include he
10 per cent of same withheld until
completion of contract .......... 1851 81
Estimate of cost Iured to complete
the pant. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ll.Gl2i IL
TOTAL --.---. FOl-Sbo-oS
One other feature in connection
with this water improvement plant,
and which will refute the misappre-
hension that some people have that
their property is being taxed to
pay for this improvement, is that
the entire cost of the Improvement Is
and will be paid out of the income of the
| waterwOrks property. 1t matters not
whether the plant Is constructed or not.
1t cannot affect the taxes on the property
holders.
To afford sufficient funds to COM
plete the work, bonds or vouchers
were issued to the extent of $50, 900,
payable out of the waterworks re-
ceipts or rents, IN amounts of So, 600
per year. While it is true the cost of
the water Improvement plant is paid
for only by the water consumers, yet
it does not increase their rent, while
it provides them with pure and
wholesome water