The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-03-19
(Sunnarized

the well known scientific principles
of water publication. Mr.. Dawson
again called attention at this point
that water could not be properly puri-
fed without being aerated, treated by
cCagulant and allowed to settle be-
fore forcing through the filters and
that the plans submitted by Mr..
Erickson consisted of nothing but an
attempt at coagulation by treating the
water during the short time that 1t
! took to travel from the pump to the
| filters which was about one hour and
ten minutes and that all water engi-
neers were agreed that the minimum
under best conditions was six hours,
and that no sedimentation and aer-
alton could be had under the Erick-
sen plan.
He then detailed the acceptance Of
the Erickson bid over his protest and
the installation of the filters. He
pointed out that when the bids were
received from the Erickson plan it
was found that the Ajax Power Co.,
OF Oklahoma City had bid $9,075.94,
The Grear Filter Mfg. Co., of Pitts
burg, Pa, 10000 and Geo. Erickson
$10,437. He pointed out the fact that
the Erickson bid was not the low bid
| by $1,S61.06 but that Notwithstanding
this fact the contract was awarded to
Mr.. Erickson upon the motion of Bur
nit and that the filters had been in
stalled at loss to the city upon the
bids submitted Of s1,36106.
He then took up and discussed the
question as to the efficiency of this
plant as shown by the present condi-
tions of the water. He stated that for
| the past month samples of the water
mitted to State Chemist Prof De Bar,
and that the reports had been re-
ceived from him with reference to the
various samples submitted, but that
he had recently requested of Prof. De
Bar a statement as to whether from
his examinations of water sent and
efficiency of 81 per cent was shown.
| this percentage being that guaranteed
by Mr.. Erecksen under his bid and
that if the water did not show 81 per
cent then to state what per cent it did
show, also to state whether from the
analysis made the filtration plant
was of any practicable value to the
city.
Under date of March II. 1911, Prof.
De Bar replied as follows:
Norman, Okla, March II. 1911.
Dear Sir: | have this to say that
you can look at my reports and figure
out for yoruself whether your filter
is yielding the results that your con-
tract calls for or not. AS | remember
at no time has there been as high as
so per cent of the efficiency required
to bring the efficiency to 81 per cent.
| could not tell you what is required
tn make your filter good. | have not
seen your filter nor even the plans.
| could not tell whether they would
ever be of any use or not without
| seeing the filters. / know that the
results are not satisfactory from the
water that you have sent us. Farther
than this, [ can not say under the cir
cumstances. | have no information
outside of the water that we have ex.
amined.
Very truly yours,
EDWIN ID. BAR"
Mr.. Dawson then proceeded to ex-
hibit to the audience as it now comes
from the filter, after having been
treated with sulphate of copper, which
disclosed the fact that vegetable mat
ter still remained in the water. al
though it had been through the filter
and subjected to a makeshift attempt
at coagulation under the Erickson
plan.
Rejection Of Dawson Plan Cost the
City $4,000 Annually,
While discussing the inefficiency of
the Erickson filters. now being used,
and the unsatisfactory result, Mr..
Dawson pointed out the fact that the
insurance rate in this city had been
increased so that the citizenship of
the city were paying $4,000 more
this year for insurance than hereto
fore. He stated that the fire chief
having heard that his department was
blamed for this increase in fire insur-
ance had written to Mr. c. T. ingalls,,
the official rate maker for the fire in
surance company doing business in
the state OF Oklahoma. to ascertain
II this was the truth, and Mr.. ingalls,
in reply to Chief Slaughter's letter
had stated that the only reason for
fire insurance rate in this to the
amount of $500 annually was due