Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-09-13
LATEST WATER TEST.
An Attack on the Reservoir Sys-
tenn That is Wholly Un.
called For.
AS TO GERMS IN FILTER BED
Facts Show That They Could
Not Propagate Under Such
Conditions.
AS TO GERMS IN FILTER BED

best interests of the city, but it does
not contend that hasty judgment
should not prevail and operate to create
a sentiment against anything when
once established before it has been
given thorough trial under favora-
BILE circumstances. This applies at
present particularly to the city's res
ervoir system which seems Just now
in a position to come in for an indefi-
mite amount of more or less unjust
blame in connection with the probable
presence of typhoid fever germs in
the water supply.
To begin with, the present system
was installed as the best obtainable
when properly arranged and operat-
ed. Similar filter plants are in use
over the civilized world, and where
they are not overtaxed, especially in
the thickly populated parts, the saw
ing of human life they effect is be-
yond estimate. They apply the only
practical natural method for the rid
dance of water from filth and infec-
ton. This of itself is sufficient to
gi, g US cause before we attack the
principles upon which the system is
based.
Are Apt to EFT.
Conceding that most, If not all, of
the typhoid that has made it's appear
snce in Rock Island lately is trace
able to the water as the only common
source, and that therefore the supply
is infected, the fact remains that,
even at this late day, scientific men
are very apt to err in attempting to
discover the presence of the specific
germs, let alone their relative guam
titles. AS has been previously stated.
the contention is made that
typhoid germ has never been seen
by the eye of man, even with the
most powerful microscope, nor de-
tected by any chemical reaction. The
effect upon the human system is all
there is to 60 by, together with the
fact that its manifestatio frequently
accompany the presence of the colon
bacillus and are never present in the
latter's absence. The colon bacillus is
native to the alimentary canal of ami
mails and the history of it's career is
that of journeyings from the alimen-
tary canal of one animal to that of
another. 1t does not flourish extern
sively under other conditions except
in rare cases where there is much
heat and animal matter, and in river
water or sand, especially where it is
Exposed to the action Of the sun and
the air, it dies off rapidly. Hence the
impossibility of any breeding place
tor the propagation of the bacteria
that is known to accompany typhoid
being established in a sand filter at
the reservoir. Further, the very
heterogeneous matter in the sand that
Health Commissioner DeSilva believes
is favorable to the breeding of the
deadly germs is most fatal to them
and that which is cultivated here and
elsewhere for their destruction.
Found In Sewage.
Sewage is almost the only source
through which the colon bacillus is
introduced into river water, and the
idea that this germ is found in the
channel of the Mississippi at the foot
of long rapids and so far below large
cities in sufficient numbers to be found
regularly by analysis in ordinary
samples is almost ridiculous. II the
source of contamination cannot be
found closer to home then the case is
most remarkable. II the samples of
water recently analysed at the Colum-
bia laboratories in Chicago at the in
stance of the city health authorities
contained the colon bacillus. as the
test showed, there are many things
that might have tended to destroy
these in one and increased the num-
Der in another sample, not to mention
the variety of conditions under which
the different samples may have been
gathered. At any rate not one nor
even two tests should suffice to be
taken as having solved the whole
affair.
Raw Water For Consumption.
In justice to the reservoir it should
be said that for a great part of the
summer raw water was pumped into
the mains on various occasions and
during the entire season the capacity
of the plant, which is little over o.
900, 900 gallons daily, was stretched
to from three to four millions. A
good portion of the time, too, one or
other of the filter basins has been out
of use during the cleaning process,
still further limiting the capacity.
This has given every opportunity for
the dangerous bacteria that the water
appears to contain to get into the
storage basins and into the mains.
And here it Is in place to say that the
condition OF the latter basin might
be made the subject of inspection.
As there is no way OF draining 1t
there is no means of knowing what
sort of filth may lie hidden in its
depths.
Don't wait until you become chron-
icaIlv constinated but take DeWittis