Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-05-03
GAZETTE.
TUEsDAN, I-aY 3, 1886.

more ctlcctualIy to drain the Old mil pond DC
tween the Town and the river. Some per-
sons seem to be ofopinion thatthis mi'i Pono
hadno agency in producinstic unusual SICK
ness of last seasou; because, say they, the
water was let off carly in the season. But
the water itself is no: the cause OF sickness
in mill ponds. Fer the ncighborhood OF
old mill ponds in the sandhllls supplied WIN
pure spring water, and having but little MIX
ture Of vegetable and other foreign matter
is as healthy as other situations. Whereas
it is proved by universal experience that
collections of s:agnant water, in which there
is much vegetable ratter in dccay'ns
state always gives rise to sickness IN warm
climates in the summer season. 1t is not
then The water, but the decayng vegetable
matter in 4 state of moisture that is the
cause Of sickness, and the moro abundant
and concentrated this matter (othcr things
being equaD the scvcrer the sickness. l1ehce
il is that if mill dam breaks, or the water
of the pond is let of in any other way du-
ring the summer, and thus the accumulation
ofmoist aud decaying vegetable matter at
the bottom ofthe pond is exposed to the heat
of the sun, sickness among those who re-
side near it IS always the consequence and
is seyerer too than that caused by the MI
asm rising from the water In the pond.
This is so well understood that no one OF
any observation ever thinks OF draining
pool OF stagnent water in the summer sea-
son with yicwof preventing sickness.
Let those who doubt that this pond was
really the cause ofthe unusual sickness OF
last summer, account for it in anyother way.
The sickness commenced and was most Sc
we're in situations most exposed to thep pond.
Some persons ascribed it to the prevalence
Of Eastcrly winds blowing across the river
70 the town. But there is very little bottom
lard on the river here; and Of this little near.
" all is under cultivation and was generally,
throughout the summer, as dry as upland.
Plantations on the same side ofthc river
with the town, both above and below were
visited with no unusual sickness, and there
surely is no more cause Of sickness on the !.
river opposite tathc town than upon and
opposite to these plantations. The mass
Of decaying timber piled up, some years
since, below the lanyard to raise Front
street may not be very favorable to health.
But that 1t was not a principal cause of the
sickness Of last season as proved by the lo-
cality of the first and severcst cases.
Now what wasEthe State of our mill pond
last summer? The water was let off to be
sure. But how was it done? BY merely
hoisting the gates, while the foundation Of
the mill was so high as to retain all the mud
which had accumulated in the bottom OF the
pond since the mill was erected, with Just
water enough to keep it constantly iii that
state OF moisture most favorable to the gen.
Grafton and escape of the miasn,, which is
the cause of bilious fever. The mud com.
posed Of decayed vegetable and animal
matter washed down from the tan yard and
all parts of the town was of various depths
up TO twelve inches and of sufficient conss-
tence barely to sustain walking cane when
stuck into it. Most if not all persons admit
that if the water had been suffered to remain
in the pond till midsummer and then drawn
off, this would have been sufficient cause Of
sickness. But the condition Of the pond, so
far as it favored the generation Of disease,
was throughout the season, very nearly
what it would have been only for fev days,
if the water had been drawn off after the |
sickly season set in, and the pond had then |
been properly drained.
This urill pond is still in the same state in
which it was last summer, except that the
rains ofthe winter and spring have washed
down some sand which has mixed in with
and partly covers the mud. But it is still
sufficiently exposed and sufficiently moist to
be the cause ofmuch sickness, and perhaps
many deaths this summer, unless something
be done to improve its condition.
And what ought to be done? The dam
ought to be Cut, and ditch oughtto be cut
hrol1rh the nond at ZeaSk three feet deem. |