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plan, Mr. Long issued an invitation to all the large concerns engaged in the 

 filtration of water on an extensive scale to establish experimental plants at the 

 pumping station. The terms of the arrangement were as follows: 



Each company entering the competition to establish its own plant and operate 

 it with its own representatives in charge ; the Water Company to provide tem- 

 porary buildings for the housing of these plants, the necessary steam power, and 

 the unfiltered water to be used in the experiments. The entire operation of the 

 plants to be under the supervision and control of a competent staff of engineers 

 and scientific experts in the employ of the Water Company, who were to have 

 access at all times to the several plants, keep accurate records of metre readings, 

 both of filtered and unfiltered water, to take samples at any time and at any 

 stage, to examine the chemicals used as to quality and quantity, and to note the 

 expense of the power required for operating the machinery. 



Four companies entered the competitive test, namely: (1) The O. H. Jewell 

 Filter Co., of Chicago, presenting the Jewell Filter; (21 The Cumberland Manu- 

 facturing Co., of Boston, presenting the Warren Filter; (o) The Western Filter 

 Co., of St. Louis, presenting two filters, the Western Gravity and the Western 

 Pressure; (4) The John T. Harris Magneto-Electric Purifying Co., of New 

 York, presenting a process based on electrolysis. 



These filters are doubtless well known to those interested in water examina- 

 tion, as they are extensively advertised, and time will not be taken to consider the 

 details of their operation. 



Work began October 1, 1895, with a laboratory force of three, including Mr. 

 George W. Fuller, Chief Chemist and Bacteriologist, in charge; Mr. E. S. Wes- 

 ton, Chemist, and Mr. C. L. Parmelee, Engineer. This force was gradually 

 increased until, at the close of the period of work, there had been added to those 

 already mentioned Mr. J. W. Ellms, Chemist; Mr. G. A. Johnson, Clerk; Mr. 

 H. C. Stevens and Mr. R. E. Bakenhus, Engineers ; Mr. Hibbert Hill, Bacteriol- 

 ogist, and myself. I can not refrain from expressing at this time my high appre- 

 ciation of the enthusiasm and untiring energy, the skill and scientific value, of 

 the experts named. The volume of work was enormous, and during the month 

 of July, when I had the privilege of ranking as one of the force in the bacterial 

 laboratory, our chemical thermometers frequently ranged (expressed in Fahren- 

 heit degrees) 98 to 100. The excessive heat had no effect upon the work. Every 

 man seemed infested by the work bacillus, and spread contagion throughout the 

 whole plant. During July, not counting specie work, which constantly went on, 

 over fifteen hundred bacterial samples were plated and counted ; in many cases, 

 recounted the second time. The chemists were equally busy. 



