The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-17

fresh from the Missouri at Omaha. and of
the same after it has passed through the
weirs.
The proposed application of the principle
at st. Louis will be on the same lines. The
six basins now in existence at the Chain of
Rocks are on the same level. Pumped up
from the river the water enters the basins
frcm a flume which parallels the west ends
of the six receptacles. 1t is taken out
through a gate at the east end of each
tiume. Under the new plan it will pass
through all the basins. Under the old ar
rangem"nt, it passes but one.
In rough, as the plans now are, an addi-
tional narrow supply basin will be butt at
the north side of the northernmost basin.
From this the water will fall into the first
settling tank.
The walls. of the six basins must be so
changed that each Is higher than the other.
The first three probably will be raised, the
first about two feet, the second one foot.
and the third six inches. The fourth, fifth
and sixth Will be lowered a trifie. The OBJ
ject Is to give a total fall from the first to
the sixth of between three and four feet.
The course that the water will take in
passing through the first, second. and pos
sibly the third basins. according to the
present intentions of the Water Commits
sioner, will differ from its course through
the others. From the first to the second
basins. the fall will be a thin sheet of water
extending along the entire length of the
basin. The same from the second to the
third.
ZIGZAG COURSE.
From the third to the fourth, the only
connection will be a narrow space at, say,
the western ends of the two tanks. From
the fourth to the fifth. the opening will be
at the eastern end. The object is to permit
of an even distribution Of the sediment in
the first two tanks, and to facilitate clean
Ing.
AS now operated. the water entering Mt
one end OF the tank, the bottom at that end
becomes laden in one spot with mounds of
sand and clay. BY far the largest amount
Of sediment will be deposited in the first two
basins. II 1t is deposited evenly, cleaning
will. be much simpler. The bottom will be
in the shape of a squat cone pointing down.
ward, the point OF which connects with a
sewer that runs cut into the river. Merely
opening connection with the sewer will al
low the water in the basin to rush out, and,
as It does so, the basin will be washed per-
fectly clean.
The zigzag course in the fourth, fifth and
sixth basins-and seventh and eighth when
sdded-will allow the water to travel far
Their and remain a longer time in the basins.
The farther it drifts and the longer it is
allowed to stand, the more completely will
II settle.
The cleaning, 1t is expected, must be done
frequently in the first and second basins.
In the third not 81 often, and in the fifth
and sixth not more than once a year.
The sketch above illustrates roughly the
manner in which the water will be treated.
The diagram shows the course the water
now takes and the course 1t will take when
the changes are made.
This plan, Mr.. Adkins stated. would be
effective except at such seasons of the year
as the water Is chemically strained. The
latetr condition occurs when the spring
thaw comes suddenly. If the ground is yet
hard with frost and the water runs Off in
its natural courses without seeping through