Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-11-24


The water problem in Durango is
not Joke but matter OF serious I'm.
port Anyone in the city might have
learned something OF the materials
Contained In Animas river water
which have to be dIgestei and filtered
by the human stomach by going down
to the plant of the Durango Light x
Power company whore the machine
known as the heater" was under the
nsnal process of cleaning this morn
ing This machine is large upright
cylindrical chamber provided with
series of rificd pr corrugated metal
shelves. over which the water used
In the boilers Of the plant pnsses In
process OF altering These shelves
catch much Of tho materials which "
IN desired to keep ont Of the boiler
nueH. bnt the finishing work is done
through bed OF straw or excelsior
packing material The water Ia heat
I'd with steam and steam blast
sprays the water as 4 enters the
heater. or It may be said, unravels
or dislniegraies the water that a bet
cr separation may occur
when II IA realized that the water
used In this plant comes from well
twenty Ave feet deep and Is first III
tered through one hundred feet OF
Gravel between the slate bottom OF the
wen and the river II must also be
realized that the waicr before IT
passes through tho heater Is superior
to that which the people use direct
IRON the city's reservoir pumped from
tho Animaa river
nui here are the chief points on in
iercsi relating 10 the question Of I'll.
tering the river water; One hundred
feoi OF gravel fails 10 eliminate much
of The coarscr materials which are
readily recover ed in large percentage
by tho heater. Samples OF the con
aealcd or reformed materials taken
from the heater this morning may be
seen at The Herald oiice. While the
min taillngs Of the AnlmaE river will
not pass through one hundred feet OF
gravel 90 they could they would
eventually cement and close the chan
uelp of passage FOR waier) the mater
ini may he readily reduced TO pulp
resembling In hnencss aud general mp
pearanco the tailings which are con
stantly changing IN color by their
contnct with tho various minerals In
solution. +, will be the mineral In
solution which cannot be eliminated
by any known process for Altering
water for domestic purposes.
The samples which may be seen at
The Herald office viii give only gen
oral Idea OF the character OF Animas
water ~ II comes from the city reser'
yoir II must be considered first that
thc water pumped from the light plant
well is relieved OF much OF It's impur
iileh by nlturing through gravel before
Il is received Ia the heater where so
much Of the pollutlng material
10 caught ono of these sam
pies will give general Idea
OF the matter which the heater fails
to eliminate. II is a highly baked and
hardened matter having the appear
ance OF sandstone which Is taken from
one OF the boiler fiues. aud this bears
tNlltIiN llNhN VIZ N'HA hAA'''Ah
can be done at great expense
than the city can afford TO pay on the
vast volume OF water required. still
leaves enough OF impurities for the
human stomach to contend with.
Filierug the Animns rlyer water Is
out OF the question. II cannot be done
successfully,
Nit Peters says he has had nnaly
scs made of the water from the well
used and that each shows the chief
element TO be sulphato OF lime. The
made by MIR. Peters
were to learn how best to prepare the
water for the boilers No analysis
has been made TO learn how beat to
prepare the water for the human sys
tenn. II would he interesting 10 learn
what the other more poisonous ele
meuts are which Durango people are
swallowing daily.