New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-14
LETHEAN SUMMER REST.

INFORMATION FROM THE PRoPRIEToRs-THE Elk
PKRIENCEs OF THE SUMMER RELATED BY THE
GUESTS.
Sickness, resulting from the poisoning OF
water air by contamination Of sewage or similar
has damaged the reputation OF several water
ing places. AZ Mt Desert at Rchfeld Springs, aud at
other Summer resorts in past seasons there has been
trouble Of this kind, which, for time at least has
ruined the Summer prosperity OF these places recent
and deporabe instance Of this sort OF misfortune has
seen at the Gregory House Lake Mahopac. This
pleasant inland resort has justly been favorite
with well-to-do people in New-YOrk and Brook
lyn. and the Gregory House, which has
been considered the most fashionable hotel,
has usually had an abundant patronage IL Is "wneu,
together with great OF other real estate about
the lake, by the Lake Mahopac Land Company, by
which it was purchased some years ago from DR..
Gregory Last the hotel leased by Mr. Ram
say this year the Company concluded to on,
and hired s. E. Crtenden to manage it, The house was
opened with aarge number of rooms engaged the 10th
Of June In few days guests began to come In rapidly
and by the 4h Of July there than 800 people
the house. In the early part Of July large number
Of guests attacked with sickness of which there
had been some instances at the close of June 1t
form Of choeramorbus very In some com
plicated with symptoms OF typhoid type. and very
troublesome TO all AS the health OF the guests at all
the other hotels was good usual there was no
prevalence OF this disease 10 that section Of the State
and as the attack severe in some cases, 1t
was inferred that the must be local.
The food scrutinized the in which
prepared inspected. but without finding any
for disease in either. The guests had suspicion OF the
water, and although according to medical testimony
contaminated water would have been the cause most
likely Of all to produce the kind OF illness with which
people in the hotel suffering. it some time
before the trouble traced that It's source.
well cistern concealed under the kitchen was found
1t had been used for supplying the house with
water under O former ownership but had since
been covered up and neglected. It was In filthy
state and there to suppose that at certain
times the vile poisonous water reached and Infected
the supply from the lake which used in tile hotel
Means taken to prevent injury from this source IN
future but great deal Of damage had already been
The seeds OF death had been taken into the bodies
of least guests, while several others were suf-
ferng the anguish Of long and painful Illness from the
effects Of which some have not yet recovered Many
more have had Summer Of weakness, frequent attacks
Of Illness abundance Of anxiety. pain and trouble in
stead of season OF and pleasure II Is reported
that persons employed in the house were also SO
affected by the poisoned water as TO lose their lives
The officers of the Company which owns the hotel
property, aud the physician who staying at the
hotel during the prevalence OF the trouble refuse to
make any statement Of the facts explanation OF
them for publication. The explanations given for pri-
vate information by of the most prominent members
of the Company and by the physician are widely at va
rance with each other The former makes the marvel
GUS statement that the alarm among the guests was not
due to any considerable extent such sickness as ex
listed among Them but the effect Of the alleged misrep
reservations OF former lessee or the hotel who Is said
to have declared that all the guests were In danger from
the IN heahulness of the hotel The number OF guests
ran down swiftly from 800 to about 3d. and the
hotel became OF q heavy loss for the Summer
II has been claimed chat the Of trouble at the
hotel has been found out and stopped but this repre-
sentative of the Company says that they DO not know
vet what it was and propose this Fall "tO pull every
thing to pieces till they find out and remedy it, The
Company declare that they will sue any
journal which publishes anything preudicial TO
them. but they refuse to furnish statement
in regard TO the matter OF the guests vino
at the hotel blame the management Many do not, aic
say that they do how the cause OF the troub"
could have been known to the manager or the owners
any sooner and they believe that prompt measures
were taken for relief The following statements Of men
who are competent 10 speak on the subject Will give the
full details of the Summers SORROW:
STATEMENT OF DR.. j. V. MOTT.
Dr. j. V. Mott Of No. 80 PArk-ave., who remained at
Lake Mahopac from June II throughout the Summer.
STAYING at Thompson's Hotel. the Gregory House.
gave TRIBUNE reporter Information about the trouble
at the Lake. He stated that he went TO the Lake on
June II, and the Gregory House opened for the
July a considerable number OF the guests of the
Gregory House taken sick with ch0lera-morbus.
Gtterward there were many sick day day. On
one day Dr. Mott had 10 IN charge, and on tue
following day IA. At times there from half 10
Of the guests IN the house more or less
affected Dr. Mott that he had over forty cases I'M
der his care and more than score OF these were
attacks. while in five cases the sickness was so
severe that fatal result was feared IN only one OF
death taken place the case OF Mrs Ensiehart, who
type she recovered as to he moving about before
she left the Lake. but her physician advised her to
leave the place "a she could, although she her
self wished stay until September. She returned TO
mad taken into her system developed themselves, and
finally brought her to the grave 10 several other cases
under Dr. Motifs there were symptoms OF typhoid
type, and he that some OF these patients have
not yet got over the effects OF the poison taken into the
system and may not do 80 for long time 10 come. Dr.
Mott states that from the first the symptoms In the
poisoning OF the system and that he suspected that
there must be sOme trouble with the water from the
cause of the sickness had been some article OF food
which had been eaten, the attack could hardly have
lad a local cause. and not due to atmospheric
changes because at the Thompson House, Deans and
Andersons the other hotels AT the Lake, or III the
rounding country, theE was no prevalence OF cnoera
ness OF July spoke with DIR. Bailey, the physician
at the Gregory House. who had IN charge several OF
these eases and asked nun what cause assigned Dr.
BAILEY spoke OF atmospheric changes and afterward Of
the eating Of bread as probable causes out Dr. Mott
on his attention that either theory would not cover
the trouble there general sickness IN that sec
ton OF the Gregory House, there would have
been difficulty had come from atmospheric changes;
Also that some persons who under bis
did the hotel till after the sour bread referred
10 was gone, but yet attacked. According TO his
Statement Dr. Mott expressed the opinion that the
trouble must be in the water supply OF the Gregory
House and that afternoon he took in carefully
walls, samples OF water from the Gregory House tank
and from the Thompson House tank In the water from
the latter found abnormal impurty but the water
from Gregory House was dlscoored was greater In
density than IL should be, and was proved by chemi-
cal test 10 tain impurities. By the OF his
microscope at the power OF So Dr. Mott says that
ha detected animal matter in the water, while at a
hinher nn4er the presence OF this matter shown