Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-03-19
NEED NEW BRIDGES
G. A. Gould Says Rock River
Spans are Not Worth
Repairing
FOB ELECTRIC srREEToA SERVICE
City Council Acts on Intake Well
Discovery and Hears Prof.
Smiths Report.

tendent of bridges of the c., K. l. 6
P. road, on the Milan bridges was
read at last evenings council meeting.
Mr.. Gould. in company with Mayor
McConechie, inspected the bridges
some weeks ago. AS stated at the
time, the first bridge north of the
toll gate was found too weak to bea1
electric cars, even with such ina
provements as could be made. The
north and south bridges were found
to be in need of repairs. and MIR.
Gould, while stating that they could
be placed in condition to support
electric traffic, said that the ex-
pense would be so great that he
deemed the erection of new bridges
advisable from the standpoint OF
economy.
A proposition from the Central
Union Telephone company for the in.
stalling of police and fire alarm sys-
TENS, to be later used exclusively for
the former, was referred to the fire
and light and health and police COM
mittees.
On a petition from the board OF
education a resolution was adopted
instructing the city clerk to place on
the official ballots for the spring elec-
election q proposition for bringing
the city under the new school law.
Condo mnstIon Ordered.
There was a long argument on the
question of widening Twenty-third
street south of Ninth avenue, which
ended by the adoption of resolution
offered by Aid. Fender with an amend
ment by Aid. Anderson, instructing
the city attorney to proceed with con-
domination proceedings with the ex-
press stipulation that the city would
not bind itself to pay for any of the
property condemned.
Report on Intake Well.
A report from Health Commissioner
Craig stating that the walls of the
intake we'll at the waterworks are de-
fective was read. The commissioner
said that water from the slough prob
ably finds ready access 10 the well, and
recommended the cutting off of the
supply of drinking water at the pub
lie schools. The mayor and chair
man of the waterworks committee
were empowered to take such action.
Prof. Smiths Analysis.
Prof. Smiths report on the analy-
sis of samples of city water was
read in part before the council
The entire report is very volum
inous and goes into the scientific
details of the tests made. The
chemical analysis showed an amount
of organic matter not necessa-
rily dangerous to health. OF course,
at the time the samples were collected
the water was in better condition than
at present. The meteorological tests,
however, showed bacilli TO be pres
eat in unusually large numbers. Prof.
Smith estimates the mum Der of organ
isms in a quantity of water equal to
about twenty drops at $4,000. SAM
Piles that had passed through the res
ervoir were found to be slightly bet
ter than those taken from the river or
the we'll at the intake pipe. Evidences
of the colon bacillus were found in all
the samples, and the professor advised
the boiling of river water for drinking
purposes. The mayor and chairman
of the waterworks committee were
empowered to employ Prof. Smith to
make comparative tests of water taken
from the river where each of the tri-
cities get their supplies.