Note 5 — HUNTING A HOME IN BRAZIL.
Reading edition
This admirable disinfecting establishment was subsequently visited. The materials are pumped from the reservoir, which is below the level of the water, and subjected to the action of various articles, among which I recognized alum, lime and charcoal, after which a deposit of the solid portions is formed in receptacles of immense proportions.
The fluid being acted upon by these agents, and then filtered, is rendered so entirely free from impurities that we were informed the superintendent drank some of it on the occasion of a visit by the Emperor, to illustrate the perfection of the process of disinfection. Delicious draught, no doubt!
There is no unpleasant smell about the place, and the remaining solid matter is employed as a fertilizer, without any of the disagreeable concomitants of poudrette.
The building is an elegant stone structure, and the operations are conducted by steam, under the immediate control of the English contractors, who are known as the city improvement company.
The gentleman in charge stated that this was an entirely new process, and that it has not been introduced elsewhere.