The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-07-06
Smith System Natural Slow Sand Filtration
AN OPEN LETTER
To the Citizens of Wheeling:

10 tne CitzenS OF wheeling:
Thursday next, July 9th, between the hours
OF one and seven O'Clock p. M. preferential
election will be held for the purpose of finally
determining the Fitratoni question for this city.
inaSmuch as the future progress, growth and
prosperity, and the health of upwards of ffty
thousand people, and those following, largely de-
ponds upon the proper solution of this question
the election next Thursday resolves itself into
the most important one ever held in Wheeling.
You are called upon to determine by your
Vote Wnether you want: chemical-mechanical
plant, which requires staff of highly paid chem
ISIS whose duties are to change from day TO day.
or from hour TO hour, the amount of chemicals
such as alum, chloride of lime, etc. necessarily
required to clarity and purify the water. or
whether you desire the installation of the Smith
Natural Slow Sand System, which does not re-
qulre chemists or chemicals of any Character
system involving the principles of Nature. and
IN which only pure, clean, washed sand and
gravel are used
nose principles are old as Time itself II
can truly be said that Natures method. such as
sunshine, sand and gravel offers the real basic
soiHuoh Oh pure water supply. Regardless of
what some engineers may say with reference to
drugs, any chemist in the city of Wheeling will
vouch for the accuracy of the statement that
cnemlcalS, such as alum, once put into solution.
remain in solution and will be consumed in everv
glaSSfui or water drank by the people of Wheel
ing. Alum makes the temporary hardness of the
water permanent and any physician in this CITY
will further attest to the fact that water saturated
with such powerful astringent as alum is in
FURIOUS to the human system and oftentines
brings on diseases
Parkersburg, West Virginia, boasts of hav
ing the most efficient the cheapest most eco-
nomical and pureSt water supply in the United
o'd'eS, where rlver is used as base of supply.
.,,. ne smith system was adopted in that city
only after the city officials and Water Works
Commission, composed of many of the leading
business men and bankers of Parkersburg. had
expended approximately SIS 900 in the employ
ment OF expert engineers in the study and in
VeSugatlon OF the various systems of pure water
supply.
Time and again, the engineers employed.
among whom were some of the most noted and
expert hydraulic engineers of this Country rec
commended Observation-Disclosures publication. vet
Inc people, the ultimate consumers, not only re-
pudiated their findings but absolutely refused 70
install any plant which required the constant
daily use of drugs for publication.
Finally, Samuel M. Gray, noted hydraulic
expert and engineer of Providence R. l. was
called into consultation by the Water Works
Commission, and the Smith system was en-
dorsed, approved by and the plant was construct
ca under his direct supervision. Mr.. Gray is
the engineer appointed by the President of the
United States for his expert knowledge of water
supply Tor the purpose of cleaning up Havana,
Cuba
1t is needless to say that the Parkershurg
plant, which bears my name, has met every de-
mand made upon it, and is without doubt or
question, the cheapest and most economically
operated filtration plant in America, barring
none
In their report to the Water Works Com
mission of Parkersburg, Messrs, Fueres and
Fuller Of New York, in recommending a four
mlllon-gaIon supply to be produced nv the me-
chanIcal system, estimated the cost Of operation
10 ParkerShWg at $4,000 per year No doubt
thlN estimate was conservative.
] guaranteed the city of Parkersburg that
me smith system would supply four million gal
Ions at cost not to exceed 10000 per year.
MeSSrS FuerteS and Fuller estimated the cost of
production by the mechanical process at sf644
per million gallons Ny estimate was $500 per
million gallons
After my system was installed and in oper-
auon almost two years it cost the city Of Parkers
hurg the sum Of S7,326SS for the wear begin
nIng June, 1912, and ending with Nav fof5.
costing that city but S5.74 per million gallons.
The saving to the city Of Parkersburg du-.
ing the past three years between the estimate Of