Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-21
Report of Committee Considered by
Board of Trade.
FILTRATION OF WATER THROUGH SAND
Commentator of Process and Re-
clamation of Anacostia Flats Urged.
OTHER SUBJECTS DISCUSSED

The board of trade met at Masonic Tenn
pie last evening and considered the report
OF the committee on public health and a
portion of the report of the committee on
taxation and assessment. A part of the lat
ter report, together with that on commerce
and manufactures, will be passed on at an
other session of the board as there was
not time 20 dispose of all the business for
which the meeting was called.
The report Of the committee on public
health dealt chiefly with the subject Of
water filtration, and was favorable to what
Is known as the slow sand filtration or En-
glish system rs the most desirable to be es-
tablished in this city, ard the board APP
proved the report and authorized the COM
mittee to advocate its recommendation be-
fore the committees of Congress which are
to consider the matter. The portion of the
report of the committee on taxation and
assessment which recommended the pay
ment of taxes twice d year instead of once
was also approved, and that committee was
Instructed to urge before the Commission
ers and upon the District committee of Con-
gress the wish of the board to have that
plan followed in the future.
The meeting was called to order by Nh
JOnn JOY Edison, the president, and Mr..
George II. Harries read the minutes of the
last meeting.
Report on Public Health.
DR.. W. w. Johnston, chairman of the
committee on public health, then presented
his annual report. 1t referred to the num-
Der OF deaths during the last fiscal year,
which was 1888, as compared with 6,02G
during the previous year, and stated that
1t is the large death rate among colored
people that helps to give the prevailing I'M
favorable idea of the clty's health, and I'M
til the life Of this class of population is
made more obedient to sanitary laws the
same result will be shown every year. The
number Of deaths from typhoid fever was
221, as compared with 1863 in 1889. This
increase was explained partly by the in
crease in the population and party by the
general spread of the disease in the Allan
tic cities. In all there were about 5UO cases
of typhoid fever. At the present time the
city is we'll severed and, with two eXcep-
lions, Is IN better sanitary condition than
heretofore.
The report then dwelt at length upon the
necessity of water filtration as means of
reducing the mortality from typhoid fever.
1t showed that where the method OF filter
Ing by sand and gravel beds had been intro
duced N Europe the scourge of typhoid had
been greatly lessened. Dr. Johnston exhibited
a chart showing the very low per cent OF
typhoid fever that exists where the slow
sand filter has been introduced in Europe.
whereas In cities of this country supplied
with the mechanical system there is a
higher rate of deaths from that cause.
Wherever comparison. of the two meth
DDS had been made the result was favor
able to the slow sand natural filtration.
A table prepared by DIR. Kober showed that
while sand filtration accomplished a reduc-
ton of 7S.5 per cent in the deaths from ty-
phoid, the mechanical filters actually pro-
duced an increase OF 2043 per cent after
their introduction. But, according to the
experiments made by Colonel Mi Ter, the
mechanical filter was shown capable of CIV
ing satisfactory results when properly man.
aged in Iedu ing the numb r Of bac era and
in clarifying the water. In the opinion of
the committee it should not be adopted
without fuller investigation as to its
practical working on large scale.
Prevalence of Malaria.
The report referred TO the prevalence of
malaria. and said such diseases are most
numerous on the two sides of the Anacostia
river. While the section Of the county adj
Joining the Anacostia contains only 37s per
cent of the total population of the District
there occurred 2O4G per cent of the total
deaths from malarial fever During July.
August and September of the present year,
according to reports from 1873 physicians,
there had been $3.50 eases of malarial Dis
ease. The location Of such large proper
ton of these cases Of malaria near The
Anacostia show that stream to be the source
Of the disease. The report strongly urged
the improvement of the Anacosta fats.
The dangers from an impure or adulter
a!ed milk supply were also pointed out.
During the year thirty-three cases of scar
let fever were traced to infected milk from
one dairy. The laws are not yet stringent
enough to compel an absolute obedience to
sanitary requirements the dairy farms.
At the conclusion of the reading of Dr.
Johnston's report Col Miller, in charge of
the aqueduct, and who has reported to
Congress in favor of the mechanical or
American system of filtration, was re-
quested to speak on the subject of filtra-
tfOn He defended the system nf fill
ton he had recommended to Congress, but
said as he was to speak further on that
system before a committee of Congress he
did not propose "to have his fire drawn in
advance" He said there was not gener-
ally a proper understanding of these two
systems of filtration, the fact being that
they were both sand filters, one being a
slow and the other a more rapid filter
In seasons of great turbidity, he said, the
slow sand filter would not remove the tur-
bidity. and he was satisfied that if filter
ing plant should fail to give clear water
the people would pronounce 1t failure,
no matter If 1t did remove the bacteria
While he had reported in favor of the me-
the board that should they persuade Con-
gress to adopt the slow sand filter that
would be constructed just as we'll and hon
estly as the other system.
A Natural Process.
DR.. Kober then spoke in favor of the slow
sand filter. He regarded 1t as the natural
process of filtering water, and he also OBJ
jected to the use Of alum, as Is required
In the mechanical filter. Alum was looked
upon as Injurious in baking powder and
even If used in small quantities in the
filtering of water he thought 1t was gtIes-
tionable, and he didn't wish to see the
people of this city experimental on. He
judged the superiority of the slow sand