The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-03

Dr.. William c. Woodward, the District
Health Officer. expects to go to New York
this afternoon in company with Senator
Mcmillan and Hon. Joseph W. Babcock,
Chairmen, respectively, of the Senate and
House Committees on the District of Co
lumbia. The purpose OF the trip is to OBJ
taia opinions OF experts concerning the fl
trat!ou Of water, and especially on the rel
atiye merits of the English and American
methods of tiltering. There are several
men OF national repute IL New York who
have given exhaustive study TO the queS
: ton Of water filtration on a large scale
with reference alike 10 the removal of silt
and Of disease germs.
As explained by Dr. Woodward in re
{ cent conversation with Times reporter
the District authorities are confronted
with a double proposition in the matter OF
establishing a filtration plant for the Dis
trict- n the first place the Potomac Va
ter IS fuli of impurities which make it ap-
pear muddy. These can be removed best,
he thought. by a system similar to the
OId-fashioned sand filter. The idea is to
strain out the earthly matters and to leave
. the water clear for drinking and domestic
J purposes The other phase of the Ques-
, tion Is to strain out the disease germs.
This also can be accomplished by the me-
chanlcal system or slow filtration process.
5 Il the consideration OF the subject so
far in The District two plans for filtration
have been suggested. One is the English
method sO-caIIed. which is a modification
I OF the sand filter the water being cleansed
/ BY the mechanical process, as it is called.
/ The other IS known as the American sys-
; ten. n which the filth of the water is
E prCciritaJed by the use of chemicals, prin-
+ cipaIly alum. and this is sometimes called
the rapid method Of filtration II is claim
. ed that each Ct these methods has its ad-
( yanjages. and the advocates are loud in
! the praise Of the system that they favor
: II IS said, however that while the Ameri-
can method has certain advantages in the
way Of rapidly the use Of alum in the
. water for the purpose Of taking out the
. impurities is Objectionable It is claimed
. that while little may he gained IN this
. way, even trace OF the alum left IN the
. water would be harmful. The American
/ method Is also cheaper but il is a matter
Of doubt whether the system has any ad
vantage over the English or mechanical
. method in the matter Of the removal Of
disease germs
It Is with a view TO settle these ques-
. tions that the opinions of disinterested
. experts IN New York is sought The tes-
timony given at the hearing Will be
used by the District Committees of Con
! gress in deciding the question of estab-
fishing a filtration plant within the Dis
trict-
/ In accordance with the terms of Jus
tice Barnard's decision relative TO the
authority Of the Commissioners TO grant
! permits for the stringing of overhead
wires in the District it has been or
dered that permits be issued upon all
the applications on file Of the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone Company
John SINNERS. who for TIE past six
months has been an inmate of St. Eliza
beths Asylum for the Insane, was today
sent in charge of an attendant 10 Mil
waukee- Wis II was learned sometime
ago that SINNERS was a resident of Wis
I cOnsjn and the Board of Charities took
his case in hand. Correspondence with
the State Board Of Control of Charitable
Institutions in Milwaukee resulted in the
perfectinG of arrangements to have the
patient sent to his own State TO be cared
for in one of the public institutions Of
/ Wisconsin
This step was taken in accordance with
the policy adopted by the Board Of Chari-
ties 10 send TO their home States insane
persons who have Become a charge upon
the District and who have been improper
Iy sent here. Thus far some ten OF twelve
I persons have been removed from the Dis
trict to asyIums in the several States
/ where It could be shown that they had
| bona fde residence in those States.
The Primary Sunday School Teachers
Union. has made arrangements TO meet
/ during the present year at the Lutheran
| Church, corner of Eleventh and II Streets
/ northwest. instead of at the Foundry
! Church as heretofore.
Gunner Walsh Detached.
J J Walsh. gunner at the naval maya
zine AZ Bellevue. a short distance below