The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-09-17
Tallahassee Awake,
She's Not ASlesp.
She HaS One Of The Most Compile
And Effective Sewerage SYS
tens d The Country.

The True Democrat Is sometimes
amused by the reference in the State
newspapers 20 eSleepy TaIlahassso, p
when in fact in most things Il Is fully
alive, and In other things far ahead Of
the most progressive towns IN the State
The local papers Of St Augustine,
the Oldest town IN the United States,
and the home Of Henry M. Flagler the
great railroad magnate. and place 81
much greater population than Tallahas-
see, have been devoting much OF their
space recently toward an effort 10 e.
cure q sewerage system, her people
having suddenly aroused themselves %
les necessity.
This paper can assert without sue
eessful contradiction that IN the disposal
OF It's sewerage, the Capital City Of
Florida Is In the front rank Of the most
progressive cities Of this country, and
L Is only necessary for any reasons
bic man 70 see the operation OF the sye.
tenn to become convinced Of Il, and we
invite q committee OF St. Augustine
citizens to come over and learn seme-
thing 20 their advantage, FOR the diap0-
sIti0n Of city sewerage, WITHOUT the
contamination Of the atmosphere and
surrounding streams has been one Of
the problems Of the age,
This city eifectually solved the prob
lem In 1904, by the adoption Of the
Miller-Adams Triple Alternating Siphen
process, and that our readers might -
fully apprised Of is operations we have
this week visited the septic tanks, In
company with Mr.. w. w. Perkins. the
efficient sewerage engineer, who, l0g
the past four years, has had charge 81
the aystem which, after 3 few months.
IN making adjustments, have simply
been perfect in their operations.
Being automatic but little attentiOn %
necessary, and the system b amazingly
simple and durable.
The sewage from the mains aecu-
mulato into large catch basin, Whero
Il Is retained until minute animal q az
reduce the sold contents into liquid. -
then runs into q septic tank, where fur
Their reduction OF fermentation takes
place, and thence into what II known no
the dosing tank. When this has q toH
dose, which In the tank inspected,
amounted 10 "a inches Of liquid, Il y
discharged through three ausOmatie ana
alternating siph0ns on 20 bed Of coke
sufficiently large 20 take the entire con-
tents Of the dosing tank, the distribu-
ti0u-being through q system OF troughs
covering the top Of each bed Several
beds are arranged 20 that they can b
alte nitely q. Cd and aired.
The distribution Il 80 perfect that e.
most every drop Of the liquid Is drawn
through the purifying substance, and into
the time siph0n tank, through which It
Is discharged into a near by stream.
Mr.. Perkins procured q bottle 81 VA
ter from city hydrant, and another
from the dischanRlng NAN, and Bo per,
feet was the system 81 publication th1l
neither the eye nor the olfactoEio1
could detect 3 difference.
We had been permitted &c look Into
the catch basin. II was q toiling nf
OF black and putrld nth; contalnlHs
eltete matter. paper, rag. and even
everything 10 liquid. and 90 purihos & -
20 render it again palakables without l1e
use Of q single chemical. So aetonnoIo4
Was the revelation that We were scarce
" able % comprehend e.
One Of the most astoniahi5f thinFa -
connection with the process & that hf
little odOr 10 emitted. This comes fran
the dosing tank, and 10 not extremely
offensive, being ammonia. Sulphur an1
nitric gassos These tanks are ran a
but half their capacity, the city hagInR
wisely provided q system for double IS
present population.
This Il certainly the most effective
method ever employed Tor the disposI-
ton Of city sewerage.