Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-06-21
TRY EXPERIMENT
Of PURIfICATION
COMMISSION ENTERS INTO con-
TRACT WITH \. j. MMAHAN.
WILL Use ELECTRICITY
Claimed That FRO css Takes Saline sub
stances From Watcr-l1ntirc Plant
Cost About $4,000

with the view Of lettering the ely
water, the city commission yesterday
through J. II, Whcauoy the water
works commissioner. entered into an
agreement with A. j, McMahan Of
oklahoma City whereby the water
works department win give an electro
process for removing saline substances
from sewage trial at the water
works department,
Mr. McMahan has process with
which the city will experiment and
which may be a means to an end 70
Temoye the excessive quantity Of salt
from the city water.
For the sum Of one hundred dollars,
according to an agreement made in
contract with Commissioner Wheat
ley, McMahan will furnish the city Of
Tulsa with all Of the necessary ap-
paratus with which to make a test,
As the result of a conference in Ok
lahoma city with Mayor Martin and
o. H. Sands, superintendent Of the city
Waterworks department. Mr.. McMa-
han visited Tulsa yesterday and APP
peared before the city commissioner,
and afterwards entered into the con-
tract with the commissioner Of the
waterworks departments
At Oklahoma city and other places
in the United States, Mr. McMahan
has in operation plants which reduce
from 60 to 70 per cent of the salt
In sewage. Superintendent Sands
heard Of the process and with Mayor
Martin visited Oklahoma City and
made an inspection Of the manner Of
working Of the apparatus.
Although the result is doubtful, there
is a possibility Of the apparatus re-
moving a part OF the salt from the
Arkansas River water which is a
source Of supply for the city Of Tulsa.
The process is to treat the water by
n current Of electricity high in am
perage and low in voltage. A serl,s
of electrodes are placed in a trough,
and this peculiar form Of direct cur
rent Of electricity is passed betwe' /
item. Theaction Of the current Il
said to remove the saline substances.
For the city Of Tulsa, Mr.. McMahan
proposes to furnish a generator which
wil lproduce 100 ampercs Of electricity
with a voltage of az He will fur
nish n set of five electrodes with zach
made of thirteen castiron plates
mounted parallel. These are to be
placed in a trough fifteen feet long,
eighteen inches deep and a foot wide.
If the plan works successfully, a
plant which is calculated to handle
the entire water supply OF the city Of
Tulsa can be installed for about forty
thousand dollars.
This will be a cheap proposition II
it Is successful, as there is practical
ly no operating cost to the plant. The
money for the experiment will be well
spent, in the opinion Of the city Of
ficials, either way the plan works out
on Arkansas River water II sue
ressful, the city OF Tulsa will have ac-
qulred a knowledge which viii indeed
be valuable to the waterworks de-
partment.
II the plan is unsuccessful, another
and one Of the only few plausible
schemes for purifying the Arkansas
River water to a greater extent than
is now the case will have been proven
worthless.
Commissioner Wheatlcy states that
the present waterworks officials may
give the people an impression that
they are a bunch Of eXperimcntors
bVt it's all for the good of the people
of the city that these tests are being
made to seek a means to an end to
purify the water.