Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-04-01
ing plants arc rarely Objectionable

i VHoh'AVu VAy Sou, WHiSu 10 tho w
kind. Living animals in water al
!. rarely Objectionable. ] speak now
pond or. creek water and IL is impo
sible to get water that does not col
tain living animals, but they are gel
orally harmless. 81 Parasitic worn
have been introduced into tho bod
by drinking we'll water, and it is est
mated that one,sixth of all tho death
fin Iceland are due to this cause
During the march Of the sFrenchs sol
| diers in Algiers, four hundred case
of sickness were caused by the drinl,
ing Of small leeches, which were al
certained to bo in the water. 49,
Color in water, from peaty matter
such as is often seen in lakos, river
and creeks, is not Objectionable. Th
organic matter which is dangcrou
in water is sewage. No matter hoy
clean water may appear to be, If |
Icontains even filtered sewage, it
highly Objectionable, and many an,
frigbtfully fatal diseases are traced {,
this great source Of impurity. Ty
phoid fever has again and again beer
produced by this cause. Cholera, al
though it has no origin in polluted
water, is often greatly intensified by
water tainted with cholcraic ercreta
Wells must always, in towns like
ours, be viewed with suspicion. Ev.
cry well is liable TO be contaminated
Nearly every house in tho borough
has well and a cesspool, or, in the
absence of the latter, what is still
worse, a gutter or top-drain, rceking
with filth, and privy. The usual
size of lots being sixty by ono hun
dred to two hundred feet, in many
instances one Of these lots containing
two, three or four tenement houses,
and it is absolutely impossible to place
the well so far from the ccsspool or
privy as to escape the danger of con.
tamination.
Besides, well water is stagnant, and
not subject to movement that can
bring 1t in contact with tho mir for
publication. This objection cannot
apply to river or pond water, because
nature has provided means for the
publication of these. She supplies a
soavengcr for the atmosphere by sup.
plying ozone to destroy the eflluvia
that finds its way there, and similar
remedy is given to get rid of tho ef.
fete matter in streams. These pos.
sess within themselves the power of
publication. The matter in them is
so oxidized that IL becomes harmless,
and hence the great difference between
well water and river, creek or pond
water. fi-l
This article, Mr.. Editor, is not writ
Ten to alarm any one, nor to display
any Harrington to the intelligent mind
i offers nothing new or novel. l.
state it as plain common sense, and
rs such urge its candid consideration
ipon all who value their health and
Tho well-bcing of the community. III
you would guard the health and lives
II our people, appeal TO them to. re-
7erse their mistaken verdict on q
question, which, if much longer ne
,loctcd, may, and doubtless will, re-
ult in serious consequences. The
coming summer may be one of great
LANCER. Unlike the usual winter, for
many years, tho ground has not been
purified by frost, and hence, like
Iirty sponge, holds its contaminating
illh, ready when the spring rains
ome to percolate it into our wells
( we could havo had few feet of
round purified as frost only can pu-
lily it, we would at least not have to
ndure dirt from the beginning.
Respectfully yours,
Il. j. BOYER.