The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-12-02

the action OF several agencies Oxygen
causes the organic matter to break
down into simpler and harmless chemi
cal substances. Sedimentation re-
moves some of the matter Some of
the sedimented matter slowly breaks nm
into simpler chemical compounds Bac-
terra and low forms of vegetable and
animal life destroy the more harmful
clients of organic matter in water.
Fish. and in lesser measure. birds
make way with some of it. Sunlight
breaks up some of the harmful chemi-
cals Through the action of these
agencies stored water, which contained
typhoid bacill at the time of storing.
| after an interval of seven days to seven
weeks. Is free of them.
The one of these agencies which is
most responsible for converting the
foul offensive, putefactive process into
| the more pleasant fermentation with
hydrolysis. Is oxygen. Lake Michigan
water contains about ten parts of oxy-
gen per 100000. This is about twice
as much as polluted water needs to
keep from becoming offensive, and
about five times as much as 1t needs to
| support fish life. The percentage of
oxygen is high enough so that the wa
| ter is inoffensive from Lawrence ave-
| The oxygen at North avenue has
dropped to IL. From North avenue to
Lake street there is no oxygen. In
this stretch the tannery and gas works
waste covers the bottom of the river
and ticks up all of the oxygen not 9TH
wise consumed
As the stream flows south. nuisance
conditions develop at Bubbly creek.
| There 1t Is not SO much the sewage as
| 1t is the great volume of harmful trade
! waste filling up the stream, decreasing
its depth and using up the oxygen In
summer time the oxygen disappears
| from the water at Willow Springs, and
none is found until after the water has
boiled over the dam at Lockport The
| oxygen content increases in winter as
compared with summer.
The streams which empty into the
Illinois river are badly polluted In
them the oxygen content is low The
findings indicate that, had it not been
for the large amount OF oxygen and
clean water taken from the lake and
poured into the Illinois river, fish, even
carp, would have disappeared from the
main river for many miles below Mar
settles. Carp, lake perch, minnows and
sinners can live in water which is only
about half as good as the standard set
by the government for the drainage
canal.
| If the people who live along the
Kankakee. Fox and Desplaines rivers
would take heed of the lessons giver
by changes in their fish life, they
would correct certain practices which
are now killing off a great revenue
producer and which eventually viii
make necessary certain expensive pub
lie nv hair fv
presence or absence of fish constitute.
a rough means of judging the offens
iveness of water. Trout disappeai
from streams when they are still mic,
in appearance though their waters ar
not safe for drinking purposes. Bias
disappear when the streams are get
ting in bad shape.
According to the census of 1910, TIL
population in the sanitary district o
Chicago is only so per cent of the to
| tai population of the Illinois river wa
ter shed. 1t is. therefore. improper t
| charge all pollution of the Illinois t.
the sanitary district
1t is estimated that in 1922 there viii
be 100000 people irs~ Chicago, and Il
1880 there will be 100000. AS tn
population increases. the provision 70
| caring for its sewage must increase
| Either we must be allowed to flow NOR
| water or we must partially purify tn
!. sewage. For instance, If we could on
ly half purify the sewage, the presen
> flow of water would take care of tn
| sewage from 100000 people. If w
could get rid of the organic sludge O
| the bottom of the stream and make tn
manufacturers purify their trade vast
: and then one-third purify the sewag
q from human sources, the canal woui
{ make the sewage of 4.5oo. 600 people in
n offensive and the Desplaines and Hi
r nois rivers capable of supporting MS
- life.
!, Nowhere is desnity of populatio
great. We doubt If there IS an acr
on which thousand persons ilvi
!. There are forty acre tracts with 40
to the acre. There is much vacar
| acreage within the city limits Tn
y will not always be.
The sanitary district should purchas
, | the locations necessary for settling bs
sins to one-third purify and filters
three quarters purify. For lnstanc