Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-18
Chemist Reports Favorably on
Silver Bow Water.
SHOULD BE PALATABLE
Chemical Analysis Shows Impurities
to be of no C0nse-
Quence.

IL The water furnished from the Silver
Bow station of the Butte Water
IS pure. That is the purport of the re-
port of Charles F. Easton.. the chemist
employed by the city council to make a
thorough analysis of the water in Ques-
ton.
The Silver Bow station water has been
the subject of much discussion in the city
ounci because of the contention that the
wells partially supplying the station
drained the cemetery. For this reason it
was called graveyard water" Mr.. East
on's report was filed last night, and Is as
follows:
II have the honor to submit to YOU nv
report of the finding by chemical analysis
of the sample of water from a well about
a mile south of Butte on the opposite side
of Silver % creek, drawn out of said
well on Jan. 10, 1900, in the presence Of
three members of the board Of health Of
the city of Butte. The results Of the
analysis are expressed in parts per 100, 900.
Taste, agreeable, p%alatabqe; color. nor
NAL. colorless; appearance. perfectly
clear, crystal-llke; odOr, none when cold,
none when heated; reaction, neutral; sus-
pended matter. none; total solids, Il; loss
on Ignition, COS; organic matter, carbon,
O.06; nitrogen. 0.02; total, O.0S; mineral
matter, 11.92; ammonia, 4ree, traces; am
AAAOAIId 0lOOIlA1AAOlus WI, \TllOIlIlG, V.US, nj
trogen, as nitrates, traces; as nitrites,
none. Oxygen required to reduce organic
matter, O.0O6; sulphuric acid as sulphates,
3; copper, none; arsenic. none; iron, none;
lead, none; hydrogen sulphide, none; sui.
phuretted hydrOcarbon none
"Remarks-Through the low amount Of
nitrogen and chlorine is indicated that the
organic matter found in the sample of
water originates from decomposing vege-
table matter. If the chlorine and nitro
gen.were high the organic matter would
unquestionabiy come from animal origin,
for a large proportion of chlorine is evil
dence of contamination Of the water by
sewerage. TIL vegetable origin Of the
organic matter is a so confirmed by the
and especially aibuminoid ammonia,
quantity, always suggests pollution with
animal organic matter. Besides the
presence Of any sewage would be indicat-
ced by the presence of nitrates. Further
more, upon addition Of carbonate Of soda
to the water in testing for free ammonia,
a greenish tint was noticeable, which is,
according to Wauklyn and Chapman,
proof OF decomposing organic matter of
vegetable origin. Decaying wood is Of
ten the source of finding organic matter in
analysis of water.
The amountof chlorine as found in this
water is low and absolutely not conclu-
sive OF contamination. Water from deep
wells and springs may even contain a
much larger proportion Of it and yet be
healthful, as in filterng through rocks
n certain strata the water dissOlves and
takes M chlorides.
Under total solids is understood the
residue left after evaporating a measur-
ed quantity of water. and comprises the
organic and the inorganic matter of the
water. The quantity found in this SAM
pie is in all respecs normal, even below
the usual standard of permissible, pot
able water. The color of the total solids
is white.
This means the loss of weight after the
total solids have been exposed to a red
pei the volatile parts of the inorganic
matter. In the ignition no odor was no.
ticed from burning animal products.
1.-The residue left after the process Of ig-
milton constitutes the mineral matter. In