Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-20
ST ER|L HMG WAT Err
EIagF
snf1oy
Method Provided for the Pub
lie Schools.
CHEAP 4 AND SIMPLE
S<-
SUGGESTION OF THE USE OF FL
TIERS 1RsTEAD.
sS4JtB-
DR.. Woodward's Opinion Of the Prop
osition-Regarded as Cost
~ Substitute.
CHEAP AND SIMPLE


After trial of one day In boiling water
for the drinking supply Of the public schools
to destroy disease germs, with special ref
erence to those Of typhoid. the principals
and teachers interviewed today by a Star
reporter were not prepared to say whether
they regarded the process as success.
All were. however, hopeful of ultimate good
results from the use of boiled water.
The plants for preparing water for the
numerous school buildings, as seen In OPP
Grafton today at the Jefferson building, 6th
street and Virginia avenue southwest, are
of the most simple character and mex
pensive. For instance. at the Jefferson
building, with its population OF between SOO
and 800 school children of both sexes, the
outfit for boiling water consists OF one
double-burner gas heater and four ten-gal-
Ion tin wash boilers, the same as are USED
for home laundry purposes.
The janitor keeps one of the boilers on
the lighted heater almost constantly IN
school hours, and has the other three hlled
with boiled water in process OF coonng, 10
be served to the several school rooms on
demand of the teachers
TO prevent the pupils from INDUCING in
the raw Potomac water the supply TO the
drinking fountains IS shut of. the only now
ness and sanitary purposes. and this sup
ply is directly controlled by the teache g.
Each teacher sends to,the boiler. room 1or
the ration of cooked water for her or his
room as 1t is required for drinking pur-
poses. "a
At Jefferson Building.
A difficulty to be dealt with at the JEFF
-ferson building is the failure of the author
tiles to supply the building with ice. The
result is, according to the janiter, that boil
ed water, after having been in the tank
twenty-four hours after it had been taken
from the fire, had temperature of w de-
grees Fahrenheit while water fresh from
the hydrant had a temperature OF less than
- degrees.
The use of artesian well ice, or that made
from pure spring, water, for cooling the
boiled water would obviate this difficulty.
Supt. Isaac Fairbrother believes
Owing to the warmth of the so-called
typhoid-proof water, several OF the teach
ers and other officials of the Jefferson
School purchased ice, yesterday and today
The authorities of this building have not
heard of any refusaEs on the part of schoi-
ars to drink the, boiled water although
some of the eHz sb,ngy rsfaT to b It es
water and ''mterobe,, soup
The boiled water which was shown the
reporter had Clear, inviting appearance.
Superintendent Fairbrother said the puplis
of the cooked water, as they did CT the ra"
product. ,
District couldN prevent any possibility of
disease infection. in the water supply by
sinking deep artvsftr wells In the reserva-
lions about each of. the school buildings. or
in the mmedfatS Sicinities of the schools
Water Filters Suggested.
Parents and Others writing to The Star
have suggested the use Of water filters and
boiling in order. to- be sure of a supply of
pure drinking water. One Of these CORE
spondents, says: -,
1T does Seem that there is an easy solu-
ton of the vexed question. at least COM
mendable and practical way of providing
sufficient supply Of pure. alatable water
for all the schools. and that way Is through
the use of small filters, such as are sold in
several establishments in the city and IN
use in hundreds OF private houses through
out the District and by thousands of fami-
lies everywhere in the country.
According to testimony furnished as the
result of meteorological tests by eminent
professors there are filters made and sold
in this city that remove 80 per cent of all
disease germs from polluted and unclean
water. Would it not be well to place one
of these filters in each and every school
building, thus affording a good supply Of
several gallons per day of pure. wholesome
and palatable drinking water that the pu-
Surely it would be better to do so than to
have them compelled to drink fout insipid
boiled water or. go without any water all
day long.
IF Potomac water be rendered rea-
sonably pure by the use of large public
filtration plant as proposed and under con-
structfon, surely pure water Is obtainable
by the use of small house filters where
every drop used passes under pressure
through a porous stone which is admitted
to be second to none other in the world for
filtering and purifying purposes. A very
moderate expenditure will place one of
these filters in every school building in the
District. Why does not the health officer
and the school board see that these filters
are placed in the schools at once and thus
afford the children a supply Of good. pure
water, free from disease germs and all
other impurities? Delays are dangerous.
particularly in a matter of. this kind
DR.. Woodward's Views.
Health officer woodward stated this af-
ternoon that an appropriation had been
made for filters to be tried in the public
schools several years ago, and two filters
were tested. one at the Franklin building.
This one was found to be not germ-proof.
The process of fterng he said. is neces-
sariiy slow, and 1t is Necessary to clean the
filters every day, while in five to seven
days they must be taken apart and boiled
to remove any infectious matter and in the
interest of absolute cleanliness
Dr. Woodward. therefore regards the
filter as impracticabie for the purpose mem
toned. and besides. he says. it will be
costly substitute for the present process
that the water be boiled, even if previously
filtered.
He added that while the process of filter
ing, if properly performed will accomplish
the desired result, possible imperfecrions
in the filter musr be considered.