The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-24
A GOOD FAIRY" MICROBE
sUPT. OF PARKS POWER WANTS To
INTRODUCE HIM OR HER HERE.
Has Solved the Sewage Problem i'm nm
English Municipality, 1t
Is Claimed.

There is one microbe which has escaped
the attention of DIR. j. n. Hurry, of the
| State Board of Health, but as it is proposed
| TO introduce ii in this country it is prob
able that before long the secretary of the
| Board of Health will be busy cultivating
the new species. Superintendent of Parks
Power has recently been studying the minute
chap. Contrary to the general rule, the
new microbe is not only not harmful, but
is great life-saver. 1t is one of the most
Industrious of the infinltesmal particles of
animal life and adapts itself readily to the
uses Of sanitarians It's chief work is in the
purifying of sewage, and in England. where
the little fellow developed and became known
to the scientific world, he is properly APP
preciated and performs wonders. The sys-
tenn which it is proposed to introduce into
/ this country will be copied after the plan of
| the Exeter England) experimental munich
pal sewage plant, which has been in sue
| cessful operation for two years, purifying
the foul sewage which comes from a town
of 5000 people and carrying 1t off into a
| river, clear and fit even to drink. Nothing
in the way Of chemicals or filters is employed
in changing the liquid from foul to clean,
all the work being done by the merry, but
voracious microbe.
The secret was discovered by sanitary
engineer, who learned that the most common
microbe which harmful to
mankind and infested the waters or streams
and lakes and thrived in sewage. While
studying this micfobe he discovered that
there was another microbe in existence,
whose chief duty seemed to be to prey on
the harmful microbe. Then the original
scheme developed in his mind to foster the
growth of the healthful microbe and utilize
ii in purifying the sewage of his city. After
long experiments he finally erected his
plant" and for two years the town Of
Exeter has had pure water and no sickness
from bad sewage.
All there is visible to the curious visitor
is "a mound covered with grass and shall
low concrete lake, neither being larger than
| the dining room of an ordinary house; yet
| the sewage from the city has passed through
| here for two years and has flowed into the
| river colorless and absolutely innocuous,
| without having received any mechanical or
chemical treatment wha tever. The grass-cov-
cred mound referred to is the re OF of an air.
tight and light-tight tank, into which the
crude sewage flows There ii remains a
number of hours. Conditions are highly
| favorable for the multiplication of the new
| bacteria, which not only kill the harmful
| bacteria, but also fatten on corruption, and
| so rapidly do they increase and SO voracious
| do they become that in a comparatively
| short time all the solid organic matter in
| the sewage is dissolved into liquid. A valve
| automatically opens and allows the contents
| Of the tank to escape into a little channel
which conveys ii to the concrete lake, the
| bed of which Is covered with small coke or
breeze" In the channel and the lake the
| good fairy microbes in turn die for light
| and air are fatal to them, and consequently
| by the time the stream from the tank has
| filtered through the coke dust ii has become
| clear and inoffensive. As a matter Of fact,
| ii is purer than the river into which ii
| emerges and fish may occasionally be seen
| filter. AS further evidence of the efficacy
| Of the system it is said that the effiuent
| has on more than one occasion, been drunk
| by human beings without any disagreeable
| result
| The whole process is carried on without
any attention whatever. The tank is divided
| into two parts. filling alternately. The filter
| lake is also divided, that each section may
| in turn have a period in which TO recover it
| self. The alterations, however, are entirely
| automatic, being controlled by an ingenious
piece of mechanism actuated by the flow OF
| the sewage itself. The whole scheme is so
simple it is claimed, that the inventor has
| had some difficulty in persuading some
| scientific men of its merits. The local gov
| eminent board has, however, after exhaus-
tive inquiry, sanctioned a loan for the treat
ment of the whole of the city sewage on
! the new principle so that the official mind
may be said to have been convinced.
The plan has been called to the atten-
| ton of several of the Indianapolis officials.
| and Park Superintendent Power. who made
| such questions study during the time he
| has been employed by the city and during
| the period he was in the service of the Mica
ragua Canal Company, warmly advocates
nlcr rs anfcfl1al 2 md economical.