Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-29
At The SEWAGE PLANT
Continued from Seventh Page,

ne is done with his days work the fluid
now In reasonably purified state, is
sent to one of the lower contact beds
where 1T filters thru another four feet of
cinders, all the time under attack from
the countless battalions of anti-septic
germs Thence 1t is discharged thru the
main carrier into rthe river So to so per
cent purified, and purer far than the
river water with which it will mingle
and will ameliorate. While the sewage
when discharged will not be absolutely
pure. it will be better than the water
supply Marshalltown drew from the riv-
err. or the Bunce. springs during the old
days of malaria and typhoid epidemics.
Between the upper and lower contact
beds and leading from the septic tanks
is the system. Of carriers or sewers
which handle the effluent during its
treatment These are arranged ingeni-
ously SO that any of the upper may be
emptied into any of the lower beds and
any high bed filled from the septic
tanks.
While an enormous amount of labor
has been performed and over $4,000 ex-
pended there remains much to be done
$40, 900 win be required besides the money
already spent. Were the concrete work
done, however. Superintendent Mack
says the plant could be at work inside
of month. Mr.. Wahlberg, who was in
charge of the concrete work stated to
members of the council that the septic
tanks might be done within week.
This will leave certain carriers beside
other work to be done in concrete and
the outlook is at present good for the
plant to be sufficiently finished for the
disposal of the city sewage within a
very short time. The contact tanks
lack cinders but sufficient number will
be filled at once to care for the city
sewage and when the glucose facory
starts cinders will be plenty and the
question of filing the other beds simpli-
fed The power house which will be To-
Gated at the southwest corner, has just
been started and according to Superin-
tendent Mack can be made ready within
two weeks from the time the material
is in hand. The main discharge from
the plant to the river is nearly finished.
the brick manholes we'll under way and
the work being pushed as rapidly as
possible with the force obtainable.
Bricklayers are lacking and almost i'm
possible to secure, which Is a cause of
vexatious delay
But it Will not be necessary to finish
the entire plant before it can be started.
Being designed for the needs of a city
sure to grow it has been constructed
with a view to the future and with the
glucose shut down the finished portion
of the plant will handle the present city
sewage with ease.
When one sees and realizes the pro-
digious amount of labor incident upon
the construction of the plant. the great
amount of labor that has already been
performed and by visit conceives the
scope of the plant and its future useful
ness he will be careful in criticism. The
working portion Of the plant covers five
and one eighth acres. The septic
tanks cover space roughly speaking
two city blocks in length and a.
width equal to State street; the con-
tact beds cover length of practlc-
ally four city blocks and one-eighth
block in width When one imagines
filling the beds with cinders to depth
of four feet, lining with cement and
concrete, the vast. yardage OF the septic
tanks. the laying of seventeen car loads
of drain tile, and the incident ditching,
the building of q power house. gate
houses, manholes and the thousand In
cidentals accompanying a work of this
nature 1t will occasion little surprise
that 1t has been somewhat delayed and
has cost above the estimate.
An ExDeAient.
Didn't you have trouble in getting -
INIT ~