Evening journal., 1905-09-22
CITY COUNCIL
TAKES NO ACTION
Discussed Water Filtration
and Legality of a Loan
for This Purpose
Mr., ROSS SUBMITS SOME FACTS

There was a lengthy conference on
the water question between the meme
bers OF City Council. the Water Com-
mission and the Board Of Health In
the Council chamber last night and the
subject of borrowing money for a new
filter system was thoroughly discussed.
While no action was taken il was ad-
mitted that those present learned
more about the situation as II exists in
Wilmington than they ever knew.
Those who took part in the confer
ence included the members OF Coun-
ell, Peter ]. Ford. Benjamin Il. Shaw.
lChief Engineer Theodore A. Leisen
land City Bacteriologist Albert Robin.
M. D., Of the Water Department; DR..
p. w Tomlinson. DR.. James A. Dra-
per, Jr., and Secretary w. /. Hamann
of the Board Of Health, and Mayor
Horace Wilson.
President Ford Of the Water Com
mission was first called upon and
briefly stated that the actions of the
board In regard to the water question
had been so misconstrued lately as to
give false impression Of the matter.
"The Water Board" said Mr.. Ford.
Invites the members Of Council as the
representatives Of the people, to make
la personal investigation Of the depart
ments actions and make any inquiries
they may feel disposed to-"
TYPHOID FEVER BROUGHT UP.
The discussion, as was expected.
shortly reached the question OF the re-
lationship Of water with the typhoid
fever germ. Mr.. Taylor said Council
could only appropriate money on some
extraordinary occasion and he wanted
figures concerning the prevalence OF
the disease in this city.
DR.. Draper said that since Januray /
of the present year 15S cases had been
reported. Last year there were 20
cases as far as he could learn thouPh
he thought the actual number must
have been larger. He did not think
Wilmington was In any danger OF an
lepidemic however.
Secretary Hamann Of the Health
Board said that six cases Of typhoid
had been reported yesterday and that
within a month 55 cases have been re-
ported.
Mr.. Taylor contended that the con-
dition was probably due TO the reason
that people were more liable to con-
, tract typhoid at the present season Of
the year than at any other time This
was admitted. He also held that many
Of the persons who had the disease
might have contracted II while on
their summer vacations
WOULD NOT HANDLE LOAN.
The question OF whether a bond issue
would be legal was then brought up
Mayor Wilson said that he had made
inquiries concerning the matter and
was told by several financiers that
they would not handle a loan issued
by Council.
Mr.. McCafferty thought it was nec-
essary to do something and was OF
the opinion that the only thing that
Council could do was TO get an .opin-
ion from the city solicitor on the le-
gality of such a loan.
Mr.. Taylor said he favored the fill
= tration of water. but it was a ques-
tion with him whether Council had the
= authority to borrow money for such
= purpose.
Bacteriologist Robin Of the Water
! Department said Wilmington's water
supply was bad, being diluted with
{ sewage from Chester county. a part
Of Delaware county. Pa. and other
, places containing particular germ,
] which is found in the Brandyw'ne and
p tht Auti Olllib ItotINplI every udNs
r He said the typhoid fever fatality
2 here is almost as high as in Philadel-
phia. The average mortality in ty-
( phoid fever here is so and this shows
about 500 cases a year. The condi-
tions are no worse than they have
been for ten years. The city is in
danger Of a typhoid fever epidemic
just as other cities have had
n The subject Of a bond issue was
again taken up, and the matter mar
rowed down to the point has the city
the right to borrow money for such
= a purpose? This was Mayor Wilson's
belief in the matter.
Dr. Robin said that $4,000 has been
. expended by property owners along
e the Delaware banks of the Brandywine
! to prevent the pollution OF that stream
and that everything possible had been
{ done to control the situation.
e DEFINES FILTRATION.
D Chief Engineer Leisen defined the
D difference between preliminary fl-
I ter and a temporary filtration sys-
e tenn. He said:
5 The preliminary filter IS not a tenn
porary filter as some suppose but a
s part of the regular filter system and
: viii remove about so to 20 per cent.
( Of the impurities. The object OF this
J, filter is to send the water to the other
. filters in a better condition than it
@ would otherwise be. If nothing could
y be done except to construct prelim-
mary filter q step forward would be
made. The expense Of this would be
+ from $4,000 to $4,000. The engineer
held that the mains and pumps We're
necessary in connection with the filter
and it would be impracticable TO build
; a filter without proper reservoir.
Or. Robin said the preliminary filter
would not wholly remove the typhoid
fever germs though it might The OBJ
e lject Of a preliminary filter is to re-
S move mud and take the place Of a
l. huge sedimentation basin.
T Mr.. Ross asked IL there was not a
y simpler and more economical method
: of purifying The water than by
= preliminary filter. He said the city
e of st. Louis used sulphate Of iron and
lime at a cost of 1910 million gall
B, lions to remove mud and purify its
!, water, and the officials of that city re-
: port that 99.5 per cent OF the bacteria
! is removed.
II Mr.. Leisen said that water in St