Evening journal., 1905-10-20
CITY COUNCIL
DISCUSSES WATER
(contlnued from Flrst Page.l
NJ PresIdent and Membera Of cIty

the city. we should do our utmost to
secure an .dequate supply of pure
water at the minimum cost. This sub
ject is Of vital concern TO all our peo-
pie and should command our most
thoughtful consideration.
The two systems for clarifying
water under consideration are mechan-
ical, and slow sand filtration and we
should here ascertain the results OF
each as reported by the principal cit
les using these respective methods.
As briefly as I can, I present extracts
from the annual report of the Health
J Department of the city of St Louis. for
the fiscal year ending April IL, 1905.
"The city is to be complimented and
congratulated upon the splendid work
that has been done in clarifying the
water supply. Without disparagement
10 any other department 1t may be
properly and truthfully stated that the
achievement Of the Water Commission
er during the past year in providing
the city with a bountiful supply of
water that is not only agreeable to eye
and palate. but vastly improved from
both a chemical and bacteriological
standpoint stands alone. 1t was done
so effectively that frequent examina-
tions by the city chemist and city bac-
.teriologist tend TO indicate that under
the present system of publication al
most SO per cent. of all organic and in
organic substances detrimental to
health are removed between the Gate
Chamber at the Chain of Rocks and
the tap of the householder This inn
provement OF the quality Of the water
supply cannot but have a beneficial ef-
feet upon the health Of the people Of
the city, and is therefore particularly
gratifying TO the officials Of the Health
Department.
'The Water Department Of this city
has long been seeking a cheap and of-
hcient means Of Purifying the city's
water supply. The Water Department
is now using a method which is mex
lpensive and surprisingly efficient. 1t
consists of the use Of coagulant Cfer-
Irous sulphate and lime) i'm conjunc-
ton with a system of settling basins
land six weirs.
3 "The report of the city bacteriologist
shows that the removal Of bacteria
q goes hand in hand with the removal Of
u suspended solids.
"A cumulative meteorological an
alysis made March 2s, 1904. shows
10000 colonies at the intake tower
and 937 at the laboratory tap. or a re-
moval Of 99.5 per cent. between the two
points"
Mineral analyses Of the ST. Louis
water, raw and treated made by Pro-
fessor Edward Keiser Of Washington
University, March %. 1905. show sus-
pended solid matter In the raw water
iI26S parts per million, and in the
treated water, none
&C. O., ..rf fI.
ST. Louis water as germs cannot live
in water with the suspended solid
matter removed.
This report also shows 63 parts pei
million Of lime i'm the raw water and
31.6 parts i'm the treated water. or
reduction of one-half. The lime remain.
ing I'm the treated water is only abou
one-fortieth OF the strength of the av.
erage lime water given TO infants. The
report states further:
1T is also certain that the perma-
nent hardness of the water is not ma
I, 'terially increased by the addition OF
- the coagulants. But the temporary
d hardness is markedly decreased In re-
suit Of the precipitation of calcium bi-
carbonate by the lime in the coagu.
lant"
l also give extract from indianapolis
he water report for the year 1904 by tn,
IN Joint commission composed Of Georgl
e. w. Fuller. Of New York: DR.. Charle
re r. Ferguson, OF indianapolis. and b. J
in r.. Joup, city civil engineer OF Indiana
Us polls who undertook joint investlga
Ne tion to determine the quality Of tn
re water being delivered TO the consu
= mer:
a. There were reported during tn
%. year 1904 S76 cases of typhoid feve
sl and there were 148 deaths from thi
% cause. We consider the water suppl
'y responsible for the large number q
cases in this city, At various tim,l
the public has been advised to boil IN
ON water from the public supply to b
5o used for drinking purposes. If this ha
been generally practiced we are conf
Ia dent that many cases of typhoid feve
would have been prevented"
DIR. r. Victor Keene city sanitaria
- and secretary Of the Indianapoli
Board Of Health, reports an increase
1.-THE mortality from typhoid fever Z
from 2.3 per cent in 1901 to 4.6 pt
cent. in 1904, an increase of 100 pc
cent. with sand filtration i'm use durin
the latter part of 1904.
From the foregoing reports You wi
observe that the st. Louis mechanics
filtration after two years Of actual sci
vice IS eminently satisfactory. whi
the slow sand filtration method
comparatively new. untried and largl
Ily experimental, The largest and mo
modern hotels Of the day have adopt,
the mechanical method Of purifyr
drinking water
Reference has been made to repor
Of some smaller gold fish" dying at Il
government exhibit al the Worlds Fa
at ST. Louis. but I have seen no refe
ence made 10 the fact that the "go
brick" sand filtration promoters ha'
been completely driven out Of busine
I'm ST. Louis since the completion
their mechanical filter.
The city of New Orleans after e.
pending upwards Of 100000 in e
perimentation and after having exam
ined all systems Of water purificatil
has recently adopted the ST. Lou
system.
wish briefly 10 refer 10 the fgur
given I'm the Water Commission reno
to this Council relative TO the respecti
costs OF mechanical and slow sand 4
tration. From the engineer in char
OF the st. Louis system I have tod
the following items of cost per milli
gallons: Labor. 81 cents; power.
cents: switching. 4 cents; lime. l.
cents; iron. 1.07 cents interest and d
probation. cent; or a total Of 81