The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-02-25

rious intakes. Excursion boats, carry
ing thousands of passengers, ply back
and forth through the water, each
dumping it's waste matter into the wat
ers. Sewage without restriction has
been allowed to flow freely into the
lake at various points along the shores,
SO that the waters of Lake Michigan
are and will be polluted indefinitely.
Intake Extension No Remedy.
Therefore the extension of intakes
into the lake will give only partial re-
lief. Our experiments and investiga-
tions have proven that the water at a
point two miles out opposite our in
take is much worse than that but one
mile out This is caused by water
currents produced by the Calumet riv-
er and by the government dredge
dumpings.
The only thing left for us to do is
to take the water as we find 1t and
render it pure by publication methods
The publication of the water supply of
city is no more in the experimental
stage. The little city of Valparaiso
with less than 10000 inhabitants, Sc
cures its water supply from a little
lake which is little more than a duck
pond, yet this water is rendered al
most perfect at a very moderate ex-
pense
Successful In other Cities.
The city of McKees -. Rocks, Pa,
pumps its water from a muddy stream
so turbid that scarcely any animal life
can live in it's waters. Yet this water
is purified with lime as a coagulant
and filtered through sand is delivered
pure and sparkling to the inhabitants of
the city. The cities of Pittsburg and
Washington, with their massive purifi-
cation plants have demonstrated that
large cities as we'll as small cities
can successfully and economically
maintain and operate water purifica-
ytion plants The water of Lake Michi-
gan is practically free from vegetable
matter and is naturally soft. so that
as q rule the only treatment neces-i
sary is one of sand ffltration. Chemical
purifiers would seldom be necessary.
We found visiting the authorities
at Washington last May that little re-
lief can be hoped for from that source
More united efforts is necessary
Appeal to War Department..
Let such bodies as this gathering
here today. made up of representatives
of four state Indiana, Illinois, Wiscon-
mand. stamp our foot little harder
in emphasis in making that demand
and result must come.
Delay is dangerous Our death rate.
due to typhoid fever and kindred dis
eases, show that we are paying a terri
bic penalty for our neglect"
FROM Chicago DIR. Weis left direct
~ for Indianapolis, where the Indiana
sanitary and Water Supply associa-
ton was in session today.
Work on Remedies Now
Other speakers at the Chicago meet
ing yesterday urged the erection of
large pumping plants along the shores
of Lake Michigan to supply several
cities instead of but one and the cree
ton of similar plants for sewage treat
ment and disposal or the extension of
the drainage canal so sewage could be
| entirely diverted from the lake
The meeting was attended by about
fifty representing thirty-five cities
in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wis
consin and the United States govern
ment- The government was represent
ed by eight army officers, present by
| order of Secretary of War Dickinson.
Announcement was made that during
the past year work of the association
| had been confined to Investigation OF
the water supply along the Illinois and
Indiana lines, results showing it to be
contaminated at every point, and that
during the coming year the work
would be directed toward securing rem
edies.