Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-30
MarshalItown to Be Patterned
Alter in Building OF Sewage
Plants.
State Board OF Control Looking
Into the Matter for Iowa
Institutions.
Soldiers Home Will Probably
Be Cared for by City's New
Plant.

Other cities of Iowa are just awaken
fronted by Marshalltown, and which
will confront other places sooner or la
ter. This IS in regard to sewage dis
posal and the pollution of the streams
of the state by their use as sewers.
Marshalltown has taken the lead in
this respect and has constructed al
great expense a disposal plant, altho 1t
is not yet in operation. Now other
cities and towns of the state are taking
UP the question, as is the board OF con-
/ troll and the latter is preparing to erect
similar plants, only smaller, for various
state institutions. This city promises
to become the Mecca of Iowa officials
seeking information regarding sewage
disposal A press dispatch from Des
Moines in regard to the awakening on
this subject says:
Des Moines, April 2S.-Sewage dis
posal plants for the state institutions
are now assured. 1t is true that the
Legislature did not make sufficient ap-
propriations to build plants at all the
| institutions within the next two years,
but it Is coming. The board of con-
| troll is having plans made for plants at
| two of the institutions now-the or
phans' home at Davenport and the
insane hospital at Mount Pleasant.
Mr.. Charles Francis, the civil engineer
of the state board of health, is making
the plans. He is an expert on sewage
disposal matters. He has long been
| far in advance of the health author
titles of the state, to say nothing OIL
the local authorities, who seem to think
that the principal thing to do with
sewage is to get it out of sight and
| If possible dump it into the river which
will sweep it down past some other
city's water supply. II possible. This
| is the favorite method of sewage dis
posal. Not only are plants going in
at Mount Pleasant and the Davenport
institutions, but the board of control
lis planning on others. The city of
Marshalltown has erected such plant
on it's own hook and the Soldiers
Home doubtless will be supplied soon.
The institution at Cherokee is very de-
fective in this particular. While 1T is
said to be one of the four finest insane
hospitals in the world-not in this
country alone, but in the whole world
the board has planed to take the sew
age across country and empty it into a
creek.
Reference was made several months
ago to the fact that DR.. Francis had
written a strong article for the BIZ
ennial report of the state board OF
health on the subject Of sewage dis
posal. 1t was about this time that
the city of Davenport notified the state
board of control that 1t must cease
dumping sewage into Duck creek.
This notice has led to the disposal
plant in course Of construction at the
Davenport Institution. Now the city
of Davenport has troubles of her own
An axle manufacturing company has
located at Gilbertson, town about
three miles north of Davenport on the
Mississippi 1t will employ about 1000
people and about 700 families are ex-
pected to locate around the factories.
These people are planning water
works plant of their own, constructed
north of Gilbertson, and they plan the
construction of sewers to empty into
the Mississippi below their town but
Immediately above the Davenport
water works plant and its supply.
This brings home to Davenport peo-
pie the fallacy of the scheme of dump
ing into the river below town; for
there usually Is town above the one
that has sewers which may begin to
build sewers of it's own. In fact, sew
eral cities of the state are complain
ing about this situation now. Ottum
wa is protesting against taking water
I,o NTnfn ri1 ynr h
sevral large cities above her using the
river for sewer.
The only solution, says DR.. Francis,
is to biuld sewage disposal plants.
They are cheaply built, maintained at
a minimum cost, productive OF some
fertiliZing elements, and an effective
method of disposing of the sewage OF
a city, however large. without pollut-
ing the waters that some other city
may be compelled to use for a drink
ing water supply.
II regard the disposal of sewage as
important a question" said DR.. Fran
els, I" as the disposition of smallpox
and the care of fever germs, Il must
look into this question, said ply
cisian the other day. He might as
talk of looking into the
questions affecting surgery. Some day
the federal authorities will say to the |
cities Cease dumping your sewage
into the rivers of the state and poll
luting them Then the cities will |
look about for the purchase of land
which will cost vast amounts then, but |
which may now be easily acquired fol |
this purpose.
-
Davis Painkiller could have held pub
lie confidence for so years unless it |
really did cure dlarrhoea, cholera NOR
bus and all similar troubles so common
and so dangerous in hot weather?
All About Spirit and okoboj Lalees.
A descriptive and illustrative booklet
Of Spirit and Okoboji lakes in north
western Iowa, located along the line of
the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & North
ern Ry, will be sent free on application
to the undersigned. This book also
the game laws of Minnesota