Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-03-12

fayorab Die seasons it yellded an ice
crop OF about 10000 tons, valuable
consideration. That aristocrat among
fishes, the shad, was abundant and
lannon's and many family lived in
comfort from the proceeds of it's catch
Land in that vicinity was worth from
$3.50 to $3.50 per acre for farming pur-
poses and when subdivided into lots
brought a much higher figure.
But | have recently been Informed
that all this has been fearfully chang
ed. That at present with a volume
of sewage discharging into the beauti-g
full Passaic greater than the least
flow of the river the following CON,
ditions have been brought about:
1st, three water supply intakes
have been abandoned and the sup
plies substituted for them will cost
when developed to their full extent
nearly $2O,OOO,OOO. End, the shad
fisheries have been entirely destroyed
and only one hardy inedible fish will
live in the stream. Sd, that the wat
or is Objectionable even tor manufac-
turing PURPOSES, 18th, there is little,
if any, market for the land immedi-
ately along the banks of the river,
because the country is practically
uninhabitable because of the odors
which arise from the accumulation Of
sewerage. 9th, while realty has been
enormously depreciating along the
banks of this receptacle for sewerage
many localities in northern New Jer-
Sc which do not in any wise equal
that in the vicinity of the Passiac,
have during the last few years in
creased in value enormously. 4r
The foregoing examples are of
magnitude to which western districts
may take some years to attain but
they are introduced as fair samples
of general principles and as some
reason for the scare that has recently
possessed the public authorities in
the United States as to the proper
disposal of semi-liquid filth.
The septic tank and it's accessories
are not new. Some of the European
cities have been experimenting for
many years with this form of treat
ment. Manchester was the first large
city in England to adopt septic tanks
with bacteria beds. Many smaller
inland towns in England employ the
system. Treatment of London sew
erage with septic tanks and contact
beds is successful. Permit me to
summarize from the fourth annual
report of DR.. Cloves, the experiment.
alist on behalf of the city of London,
to this effect: That the liquids con
sequent from the offerings of the
gross matter, settled in the septic
tanks through contact beds of coke
does not undergo offensive putrefac-7
ton at all, even in London sum mer;
heat, and can never become offensive
while it satisfactorily supports the
respiration IF fish. And that the use
of chemicals is quite unnecessary un-
der any circumstances when the
method of septic tanks with contact
beds is adopted. I
The arrangement of septic tank
systems differ, and every other place
forms, in some details, problem by
itself. Permit me to outline the fol-,
lowing idea: The crude sewerage
first enters a retention we'll where the
grease and other matter is retained.
This well, being dark and practi-
cally air tight, is small septic tank
where are bred species of bacteria
through whose agency thu animal
and vegetable matter is disintegrated.
After passing through this we'll the
sewerage passes into one compart-
ment of the septic tank proper
through submerged pipes. &c as not
to disturb the surface of the sewer
age, which is a larger receptae lie, say
seven feet deep. air tight and dark,
being the best condition for the
breeding of certain bacteria to which
are due certain chemi cal changes in
the substance and condition of the
mass.
AS the sewerage enters the tank
the solids gradually fall to the bot
tom, covered with millions of bacter
ia. These or their products attack
the the solid matter at the bottom of
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