The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-12-04

"Duriug recent years there has been
A change of opinion as to the self-puri-
f;cation of river waters" says re-
port of the geological survey line
most rapid publication is found TO
take place in still water, and not IN
deep. as formerly neld. The issue be-
tween Chicago and st. Louis, ocea-
stoned by the opening of the chicago
drainage canal, through which the
sewage of Chicago is conducted to the
Mississippi river via Desplaines ami
Illinois rivers, is based upon the condi-
ton in the minds of the people OF ST..
Louis that there viii arts. effects det-
rimental to the water of the Missis-
sippi river at that city, The whole dis
mute centers, therefore, about the old
moot question as to how long DIS
tance is necessary for river to howln
order to purify itself.
1--WE know from chemical analysis
and physical examination that vary
ing degree of publication takes place
| in a river. In early days this was
thought to be due to aeration' and the
tumbling of water down mountain
sides became the basis for poetic typi-
fication of purity. The experiments
of the Massachusetts state board OF
health have shown that aeration has
little or no effect upon the condition
of organic matter in water--that is,
the organic matter is not assisted in
its oxidation by agitation in the air.
| II was also found that the highest de-
gree of activity in oxidation processes
is to be found in quiescent or stagnant
waters. 1t then became clear that
self-purifcatio in Il sluggish stream
is far more effective than in n swift
current, and that dams and other i'm
pediments have beneficial effect up
on the condition of water in river
channels"
"Promulgation Of the facts relating
to the self-puriication of waters
SAYS Prof leighton, who is the au-
thor of the report, lied to an entire
change in the ideas concerning the dis
tance necessary for stream purifica'
ton, and it is now understood that nj
hard and fast rules can be set for guild
ance in determining the purifying
power OF any water course. a roya
commission, appointed to inquire into
the conditions of England's rivers
reported to the English parliamen
in the early seventies, held that mt
stream in the United Kingdom was
sufficiently long to effect its own puri
fcation. The familiar and oft quoted
principle is that a stream purifies itsel
in 20 miles, but how this distance wa!
determined and who was responsible,
for it is matter of doubt; certain i
is that the statement is entirely wrong
1 III the aiority of cases. Pettenkof
fer. Nering, Stearns and others hav,
given formulae which are undoubtedl,
true for the rivers upon which thes
men worked. but which can in no wis,
- be accepted for rivers in general, ant
it remains for the investigator to de
termine by actual experiment the pri
-tfyiug power Of chstream wittwhicl
he has to deal"
The work of examination of the sur
face waters of the United States re
Gently inaugurated by the geological
surveyfn cooperation with the variou
college laboratories throughout
| country will be Us eful in Inc determir
alton of the self-purifying powers O
many of the interstate rivers. Thes
results will be highly beneficial to tn
municipalities and corporations whic
may be looking toward the establish
ment of sewerage systems and purif
cation works.