The Washington herald., 1913-07-27
PROBE OF NATIONS WATER SUPPLY COMPLETED

in which the rain water was caught and
held for use, and tracts of land some
times as large as 5000 acres in extent
were used for the purpose of water stor-
age in Assyria- OF course. this system
supposes the use Of conduits Of some
description, which carried the water
from the source to these supply ware
houses. In Persia, water was conveyed
for incredible distances in plain, open
canals, or bitches. and subterranean
tunnels to the large cities. The Pools
OF Solomon, however, near Jerusalem.
were fitted with hard earthen tile con-
duits, which have withstood the wear Of
centuries in an almost perfect state Of
preservation. Today, with the intimate
knowledge which man has with matter,
these methods. though good In them
selves. have been widely improved upon.
and our water, instead Of being sub
jected to pollution on its way to the
city, is freed from it by the use Of large
covered cement conduit tubes.
First Ancient Mention.
'-The first mention Of any attempt in
antiquity to improve the character of
the water supply occurs in literature of
the ancient Chinese, in . medical paper
written in that tongue about two thou
sand years before Christ. This manu-
script states that water collected in res
ervoirs and treated with alum may be
freed from sediment and thus be made
more pleasant and healthful to drink.
Later manuscripts state that this treat
ment was in common use, and include
long treatises upon the benefits OF the
mere storage Of water. which. they
claimed, was in itself good means Of
producing sedimentation. Experiments
of times hava nr0yen the wis.,
dom Of both these conclusions, for II Is
a fact that storage in open reservoirs
from three to six days will. as rule.
cause 50 to IS per cent Of the impurities
suspended and held in the water to sink
to the bottom of the basin. Another. but
more doubtful practice Of the Chinese
and others Of the ancients, was to store
water in copper cisterns In order to keep
1t pure and sweet.
''The next step toward advancement in
water works came in Roman and Greek
times, and certainly this period shows
the greatest steps in antiquity toward
a higher civilization. Under these two
enterprising and educated nations the
more ancient methods employed by their
predecessors wree set aside They could
scarcely have improved upon the reser-
voirs of the Assyrians, at least In size.
but in the matter Of conduits there was
HuCh room IOr DeltcfIShI Ah0 oau
earthen works and baked tile gave way
to great stone aqueducts and lead pipe
conduits. which were strung along mile
after mile to carry water to the baths
and reservoirs Of the cultivated Greek
and Roman. But they were not confined
to the cities Of Rome and Greece alone.
Wherever Roman arms. and tongue ex-
tended, there also was Roman custom IN
stilled. and consequently these great
aqueducts are to be found throughout the
provinces in Germany, Spain and France.
In Rome and in France they can be seen
70 this day In . well-preserved state.
Fine Distribution system.
'Here the distribution system was
brought to . high state of perfection.
The water from the aGueducts was nrst
of all passed into large cisterns. and
from these It ran through lead pipes to
smaller cisterns, and on to the baths.
the fountains. the various public build
ings, and to the houses OF private con-
sumers who could afford to have els
terms installed. This latter class Of