New-York tribune., 1882-09-28
ARSENIC IN THE PASSAlC.
THE WATERS OF A RIVER POISONED.

LYzED.
The statement published yesterday that ton OF
arsenic had been washed by the recent HOOD from
the factory of the Crump Label Company ao 'o''t
clair. n. j.. into tributary OF INC i"'a"'o
River caused a good deal of concern and anxiety
oroo,, the neople of Newark and Jersey City, who
reccivo their water supply from the Passaic Inc
Grimm Label Company's factory Is a large estap-
Hshment situated near the station of the Ncw-l"rk
and Greenwood Lake Railway at Montclal'' III 'ho
fine manufacture Of the labels large amount Oh
noisonous chemicals is used, including arsenic ahu
Paris green. Yesterday a TRIBUNE reporter Vlsi'eu
the factory and saw the treasurer, NJ ,. Coilhah,
and the secretary George W. Averell. they stated
that while the amount OF arsenic reported TO have
been wa he'd from the factory was exaggerated IL
WAS true that large proportion OF their stock o'
chemicals had been lost and washed into lohy
Brook This Is a toituOus stream, Win mean
depth of about foot in ordinary seasons, which
runs directly by the fac ory. ana after an erraic
course emptIes into Second RIVER, Wilich III 'u''
flows into the Passac.
"A4o,clock ON Saturday afternoon" said Mr..
Colman. "the brook had risen so high that we had
to change the two gates used to regulate the How
The flood increased and invaded the storeroom on
fine first floor and despite our efforts the water
covered the floor and IN fact the whole lower build
ing to the depth of several feet In the storeroom
were considerable quantities of chemicals lhcluu-
ing the arsenic. and large stock OF imported clay
used on the labels some of which had been mxed
with the poisonous chemicals ready for use. The
clay was washed ont together with n considerable
omount of the arsenic and other chemicals. Two
or three barrels varnish were also tipped over by
the rush of waters. and the varnish mingled win
the wafer The flood subsidized in the next Two
hours but rose again at o'clock. III the colorlng-
o1 iaH with
CONTAINING poisonous chemical Ingredients. The
wafer filled the room above the top of the watts and
neorlv all tbe color was aoated out when the flood
snb,ided again"
MIR. Colman could not say definitely how much
arsenic had escaped but it was considerably less
than n ton He had no idea of the quantity OF the
other poisonous chemicals he calculated that ihe
loss altogether by the flood was about S2'ooo'
BntD said he d" the stuff washed from our place
WIS not the only pollution of the water by ;he Hood
On sunday drove to Little Falls, and saw the
surface of the river covered with thick green
coloring matter which had been washed from
cooriug factory at that place. Paris green cn'er'
largely into the manufacture OF 'hiS co'o'ns
matter" -, r. r,l Co,
pany was seen by a TRIBUNE reporter al MS olhce'
No 81 Nurray-si.. this clCy. lie SAID 10 IHS en-
the colOrs Of labels arsenic ana sugar oi le'u
have be used III quantities. ana iheS@ are t no1i,y
stored in the cellar of The building. On saturday
the flood ovcrflOwed the cellar twice. sweeping 3ul
nearly all oI IT'S contents. 1t was tue most ue-
Il ruc i've frcshet thai has been seen ~ thai Vicinity
for many years. Acids, sugar of lead an arsenic
were swept out into tue creek and carried on 10 the
river" ,.,sy
- Abouf a ton | hInk. We use about two tons
of arsenic and about twelve tons Of sugar oi lead
year. IL. ,,a,,.it,. of orso,,c imnreonate
the water TO such an extent that 1t viii be unsafe
Tor Newark TO draw us water suppS Hohh INC
"WeU. that Is a question upon which hardly
care 10 express an opinion. ana my ,Iuiy III re- re,
porting the matter. The Newark wafer D9"i1
must decide whe her there Is any DANGER. anu IL
NECESSARY take steps to avert II; but since lhe
mouth of the creek Is hall mile below the polnt
whence the cliy draws its water ana the IasSalG
HnvS steadily soutn, without any back tide, !
shonld think the arsenic would be carried OH sun
II NAV nnger tor months; cannot say Tor now
long, but II any oi IL were u5""n oii J." ''' i''
P'!H DO Won think anything might have been done
to prevent tins accident = -,
coul not have been expected, and tie proper place
f p our stores Is The cellar some une ago lnc "u-
thoritics complained tnat orr dialhaec' Nhl'h was
,h - trred OH uy the creek. was source oI danger
tn The wa,cr supply, ana we were put 80 an cAe'lS'
Ter aver half an acre Of Land. Ot course II tle
Ir,inage really affected the water, lheIe Is
danger that the arsenic WIZ .,s.i a,s3
,,"'gnu ,t Bat the escape OF the arsenic we couid
moi have provided against Ilad thrie Dcrh nun M
%ed GaciorIcs on he creek ana al using arsenc the
result wonld nave DceG the same 0hly me g'hSer
vould have been Increased ah hundred lolu'
"What j. the extent OF youf IOss' .
." sbou ~, $50 net, think. On sunday eSil-
mated II al 5000, bat then lhc.uu'd % %1ome
t,,,,t,,-liyc yc or thirty tons OF paper Wnch lhihh
,,o, Ne shall b. able 10 u,c ana nave hiu tlc 10
make nDI some closer hgurng; $1,000, think, Will
clear us.' ,..,p u cra,, oC n,e N.,ya,l,
Aonrrncr Board stated that ,hc chemicals that Add
BEN wasted INTO second River from CIumPs lae-
tnrv conId not affect the water supply OF Newark
o,I Jersey CITY lie felt certain tnat II was all
mingled with the mud ana de'Ils carried away
by the swift tide. winch was running ~ me Io vi
soSrrto,, miles an hour. Ii could not nave pecn
carried hack up the fasSalc RIVER Dy a returning
tdc as second River enptlcs mo the Iassalc lo
aud a half below the water MOlhS al DcLc'Iiiy'
'Iarc tr water is pumped into the resrIYolfs lie
did not believe, moreover lhat iIe ai'ono r'"'"
have been dissolved in time TO allect the wafer
4 Newark physician expressed Inc opinion Ac7tel-
da,, that a Ton of arsenic washed INTO the Gassac
and taken up III solution would not Percepl'piy
affect the quality OIL tn' nr wr.oi, hoy" u,on tbr
yater works with the tide. Crude arsenic,
such as Is used at tho Crump l4clOiy' "ou,u nc
very slow in dIssoyng and III sucn sTerping M 'iua m
would sink 20 the bottom Oh DC chIIou ou' w 'o'
before It had time to dissolve n o..t
I'm order 10 allav public apprehension Dr SOUTH
ard president of the JOINT b9aIu ol ~
fhe Pollution Of the PasSalc RIVER ana lts lfIpi
taries has directed the Inspector ol the Ne"aIh
Board to procure samples OF W&cF Hoi1 Tue
Newark and jersey CITY Water Works ana Irou
second River and take them To Professor Leeds the
chemist of he Board, for analysis. lestcIudy
0u,nIity of oil was noticed floating on the river al
Funrth-aye Newark; IL was surnlSed that thls
had iloat,d down from Saddle River, where large
uuautlty OF OIL had escaped INTO the RIVER Dy ihe
frenl,,nS, of the standard OI COmpany's pipe.
Ihc pollution of the water of the Passhc by the
factories at Paterson, MOntclar, Orange ana Other
Daces on the fIVcr its Tributaries mas peeh ire
nnent source of complaint with the proplo oi New
| ark and Jersey Ciy. Some time ago the water
Boards of the two cities took uhlieu act1l WIN
| ,n,e n The abatement Ol the nuislnccs along the
| river above BeleyIlle. The Essex County Grahd
| Jury indicted several manufacturers; thcy were
brought TO trial and convicted, and hnes were III
| nosrd These prosecutions, backed up by vigorous
measures had salutary effect, ana thc quarry oi
| tnc water was somewhat Impr"VOd Inc HIOhuc
non Of arsenic into the river has revived interest i'll
Newark in the question Of the water supply. IL Is