The Washington times., 1905-08-25
FILTRATION PLANT
WILL BE AMPLE
District Officials Are Not
Alarmed.
NO ANSWER TO EMMONS
Macfarland and Woodward, Trusting to
Efficacy Of Filtered Water Against
Fever, Are Silent.
NO ANSWER TO EMM0NS

night. in which he declared that the
filtration plant would be practically
useless in stopping typhoid fever epi-
denies in the District of Columbia, has
attracted considerable attention in local
medical circles
Dr. Emmons has taken a position
which he defends almost by himself.
There are a number of physicians in
this city, who are of the opinion that
the filtration plant will not have any
material effect upon the spreading of
typhoid germs. but they base their de-
ductions upon the theory that the
germ is circulated through many other
means besides water
At the District building today neither
Commissioner Macfarland nor DR..
Woodward would make any reply to
DR.. Emmons' criticisms of the filtration
plant. In his speech last night DR.. En-
mons asserted that not until the hltra-
tion plant has been in service for some
months can any results at all be looked
Tor, thereby HatIy contradicting the
statements of District officials who have
said that the danger would be decreased
with the addition of every filter bed.
When the War Department announced
a few weeks ago that the filtration plant
would be put 10 use by one filter bed
both DR.. Woodward and Commissioned
MacfaFland Went on record as saying
that every time a filter bed is put in
: service the danger from disease germs Is
reduced at the rate of at least 5000 0O0
gallons per day
Another Filter Bed.
Commissioner Macfarland informed
The Times reporter at the District
building today that another filter bed
was placed in operation this morning
making four beds now in use. Eleven
million gallons of filtered water is now
going into the mains. and Commissioner
Macfarland said today that the danger
from typhoid fever and other germs
was reduced about One-sixth, 100000
gallons being about One-SiXth of the
daily consumption.
It was stated that the facts seem TO
be overlooked in discussions of the ca
pacity of the filter beds that il had been
Z officially declared by engineer officers
3 connected with the filtration plant that
the filter beds could be run at 4,009,000
gallons per day, and even at a higher
rate, although they would then have to
be cleaned more frequently, and would
wear out sooner, 50 that the sand would
nave TO be. replaced.
The Commissioners have not as yet
received copy of the last annual re-
port of the Washington aqueduct. so
that the latest official informa tion at the
District building Is ia the published re
port of the statements made by Col
Smith II. Leach. in charge of the Wash
ington aqueduct. before the House Dis
trict OF Columbia subcommittee on ap-
propriat1ons on December L last. -
Leach's Statement.
From this il appears that Colonel
Leach stated that fifteen filter beds
working al high rate" We're then es-
timated to supply the present need
On page 19l he is quoted as saying: The
present consumption is a little over Co.
G6o.o00 gallons, and fifteen beds doing
4.0e0 600 apiece. Will supply the present
needs.
When asked by Chairman McCIeary:
How many beds are there 10 be-"
Colonel Leach answered.
i Wenty-nlne altogether. They are to
be worked normally at a lower rate
s because il IS considered that we viii
get better supply and the beds Will
last lOCger ana DO better work at a
lower rate. They can be worked at a
higher rate, and, OF course. the water.
even though II is not as pure as we ex-
pecI Il 10 be ultimately Will be better
Than now. because anything will be an
Improvement on present conditions
II IS pointed cut that even if tour OF
The IWenty-nine beds should be kent in
reserve aad only twenty-five beds used
they would, at the mlnimuaa rate of
3,OJJ,G COO gallons a day, filter Il, 100 600
gallons a day, and at the /, ,000, ,O0J-galio
rate would filter 100. 600, 600 gallons a day
30 iIldt on the nSureS given by the ex-
pertS there is 30 fear that the filtr:i-
ton plant Will not filter the present con
sumption.
long
record as desiring legislation by Con
gFess and the States IL protect the Po-
toInac Wate! shed, brought the matter
10 the attention of Congress al the last
session again, and will doubtless do so
al the coming session.
Cause Of Typhoid.
When the Medico-LegaI Society met
at 225 Marshall Place last night, it
was expected that there would be some
interesting speeches on the water sup
ply OF the District of Columbia The
subject for discussion was proposed
legistaucn Tor securing better sanitary
conditions on the Potomac water shea.
DIR. ETnmoEs IS secretary of the society.
and an address by him on the useless
ness of the filtration plant follows:
Typhoid fever is almost wholly due TO
the use OF polluted drinking water. and
the disease In the city is more prevalent
now shat even before. The belief that
lhe new hIJEalon plant VIII be OF aid
IN the Immediate future or will praCti-
cally do away with this and kindred dis
eases ultimately here, is not well found
ed.
'As for the present. It is ridiculous TO
imagine that any abatement Of typhoid
mas come apoat as yet through the small
quantity OK water recently turned into
the mains Any well-informed person
knows better than that. IF any abate-
Tnent of typhoid fever can be hoped for
until the entire fItering system is in
operation and has been kept In opera
tiOn for a considerable period, il does
many months only a small amount of
water here can be delivered 10 the con-
sumers filtered, and such proportions
viii be mixed with polluted water from
the river
Filtration Plants Capacity.
In reference TO the capacity of the
filtration plant. DR. Emmons said:
The filtration plant. whenever com
pIeted. viii have q maximum capacity Of
"a, 600. .eG9 gallons in tWenty-four hours,
and 1t is not al all probable that this
maximum can ever be reached because
several of the filter beds must IN turn
be laid out OF service in order that they
may be scTaped and cIeansed. and the
full maximum cannot be maintained ia
any one filter for any great length Of
time.
The amount to be filtered must al
ways depend upon the weather and other
conditions. It is. therefore, doubtful if
an average of Is, 10000 gallons can be
maintained each tWenty-fOur hours"
DR.. Emmons discussed the recent re
port OF General Hoxle on water waste,
and declared that little permanent hope
could be placed in the filtration plant.
IT. t41ls- f.. ira fgr g