Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-03-09
THE WATER QUESTION
Prof. Smith, of BeIoit College,
Heard at a Meeting Held
for Its Discussion.
GIVES RESULT OF TESTS MADE
The Rock Island Filter System
Termed an Ideal One.-
Local Conditions.

of Rock Islands water supply and
whose preliminary report was pub
lished in THE ARGUS early in the
week, came to Davenport yesterday
to determine the proper amount of
alum to be used at the present time
in that city's filter plant, and upon
the invitation of George G. Albee, of
the high school. who has been associ-
ated with him in the tests of Rock
Islands water, and Health Commits
sioner G. G. Craig, Jr., consented
to attend meeting here in the even
ing for the purpose of discussing the
various phases of the situation.
This meeting, which was attended
by Mayor McConochie ard members
of the waterworks committee, physi-
clans, high school instructors and
members of the press, was held at
the Office of DR.. g. G. Craig, Sr. The
discussion was informal, Prof. Smith
going into nearly every detail of
local conditions from scientific
standpoint and imparting much. valu-
able information. He al,o answered
many questions that had been vexing
individual members of the company.
River Water Condition Bad.
The professor is familiar with the
general conditions of Mississippi river
water, being regularly employed as
analyst by Davenport and other cities
along the stream. He stated that
during the pat winter experiments
had shown an unusual amount of
sewage present in the water at differ
r,la hn Of he
unable to explain.
The presence of sewage, he said, is
not a certain indication that Ebert's
bacillus. or the typhoid fever germ, is
present. In fact. the typhoid fever
microbe has never been positively
identified in water. When traces of
sewage are found, however, it is
shown that typhoid germs may exist,
and it is also known that they do not
exist where sewage is not present.
The colon bacillus, which the typhoid
microbe accompanies, and which con-
st;tutes the sole trace of sewage, is an
organism bred and developed in count
less millions in the alimentary canal
of every human being. Thus the OPP
eratiou of contagion from typhoid fe-
yer is simply that of transferring these
germs from the alimentary canal of
one person to that of another.
With regard to the tests of water
made for this city,. Prof. Smith was
certain of the presence of the colon
bacillus in samples taken from the
river, from the we'll at the waterworks
and from two hydrants in the city
Its absence in the other samples was
not taken as certain indication
that the entire water supply is not
polluted. 1t goes to show that the
germs are not so numerous after the
water passes through the filter plant,
even in it's present clogged condition,
that their discovery is largely a ques-
is necessary to determine the condi-
ton of water in the various stages of
filtration with any degree of certainty.
Intake Pipe Probably Intact.
While the analysis so far has not
shown any particular difference be-
tween the water in the river and in
the we'll at the waterworks, and there
fore furnishes no indication that the
intake pipe is broken, Prof. Smith
thinks it advisable to examine the
same. This can be easily done by
scattering salt along the line of the
pipe aud making a series of tests for
the presence, of salt in the water in
the well.
The filter system belonging to this
city, in Prof. Smiths opinion, is the
ideal one. While it will not remove
all the colon bacilli from water, if
given plenty of time to operate. it
will take out about 80 per cent. In
many cities this system has reduced
the death rate from typhoid fever
to one-third or as low as one-tenth
of what it formerly was. The process
by which these microbes are removed.
contrary to the general opinion, is not
a straining, but biological process.
The sand through which the water
passes becomes filled with a network
of what is called nitrifying ferment,
which feeds upon the colon bacilli. 1t
is very essential that the sand shall
not be disturbed in cleaning, for this
process is most active near the sur
face and the breaking up of the fer
ment is dangerous. 1t is also abso-
lutely fatal to the system to pump
directly into the mains or to pass
water from the settling basin into the
clear water basin, for this virtually
undoes all the good done by the filter.
Sand Not Breeding Place.
Prof. Smith considers the idea that
the sand has become a breeding place
for the colon bacillus to be absolutely
fallacious. The germ does not -FOUR
ish anywhere but in the alimentary
canal of an animal or under special
conditions where there is ample heat.
In fact the germs slowly die when
thrown out in cold water. That the
sand has retained germs that were in
it when taken from the river is less
reasonable than the first presump-
ton, the professor thinks. for the
handling and drying TO which it was
subjected when placed in the bsslbn !
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