The Washington times., 1905-08-21

At the minimum rate of 900 gal
Ions Of water every forty-eight hours.
the city of Washington viii come into
the use Of its filtration plant, and if
the statements Of experts are true the
number of cases Of typhoid fever will
show a gradual and corresponding de-
| crease with each addition Of filtered
water.
This morning at o'clock the water
from filter bed No. l, Of the filtration
plant, was turned into the distributing
mains cf the District. and Commission
| er Macfarland was notified by the War
Department of the fact. Mr.. Macfar-
| land expressed his qualification over the
actual beginning OF this great improve
ment of the citys water supply.
New Bed Added Every Day.
In view of the assurances of the War
| Department Mr. Macfar1and expects
the other filter beds to be connected
with the District distribution right
along at the rate of at least one every
| other day until the number necessary
TO handle the amount of the present
consumption Of water is complete. he
was informed today that during the six
days since the water was let into filter
beds Nos. l and 3, the process Of test
ing and otherwise preparing the re-
rnainder Of the twenty-One beds which
have been supplied with sand was De
ing carried on, so that there might De
no undue delay in carrying out the
promises of the War department 10
hasten as rapidly as possible the use
of the filtration plant.
Each filter bed has minimum ca
pacfty of !, ,900,0 900 gallons per day.
The tWenty-one filter beds when all are
in service will filter 63.000,000 gallons
ryh is
Consumption Of the District
Reserve Series.
Eight other filter beds are IN course
OF construction. However. il is regarded
as necessary to reserve several in order
to rest and clean those in active service
from time to time. so that the entire
twenty-nine will never be in use at the
! same time By increasing the flow from
an average Of 100000 to 100000 or
D 900 900 gallons day. any unusual In
crease in consumption can be handled.
This, however would wear the inter
beds more. and would require their rest
and reinforcement at shorter inter-
walls.
1t is hoped that by January l the en-
tire filtration plant will be IN complete
working order, but from now on the
water-takers will be getting the benefit
Of the water supply TO the extent Of at
least 100000 gallons a day, as each
filter bed is connected up with LIIe LIS
tTict distribution service.
Worked Perfectly.
Acting superintendent Garland. of the
District Water Department, informed
Commissioner Macfarland today that
the arrangements made for taking over
the water from the filtration plant and
distributing it through the mains work
ed perfectly this morning, and there
would be no hitch in the process. :
Boil the water" is still the advice.
which the District authorities give.
While the danger IS reduced bY the be-
ginning OF the operation Of the hltra=
ton plant, and by every filter bed that
is hereafter connected up with the Dis
trict service, II will be necessary to boil
the water to insure safety. Commits
sioner MacfaTland said today that It
might not be generally known that the
boiled water, which seems so hat as TO
be unpalatable 10 many people, could
be aerated in very simple fashion by
pouring Ii back and forth from one re-
ceptacle to another.
Fever Retreating.
AS though in fear of the now powerful
battle-array of the Health Department,