New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-20
POISON IN NETWORK WELLS
D,vGrR IN Using THE WATERS.

POSED.
Solomon's advice "Drink water out OF thne own
cstern." If literally interpreted, may nave o'e"
worthy of all heed by the pastoral people Who" no
was addressing. provided their wells "ci' NV
s,,l too ,cor the spot where the camcls and cattle
roamed: bat in a large city like Jerusalem or new
York this admonition should he taken, "a tho I'M
prcgnatcd well waters must be- with several grams
of salt Ordinary open wells, according 10 FRO
fcssor g. f. Chandler. are supplied partly by sur
face drainage. The water usually contains the
alkaline and alkalinc-carhy salts OF spring
water; the total quantity of mineral mat
ter and the relative proportions Of the
various salts depending upon tn" nature of the soil
In the ncighborhood Of dwellings the proper
ton Of chloride Of sodium or common salt IS
generally increased by the drainage of house refuse
which also leads to the contamination of the water
with the products of the decomposition of animal
matters, such as salts Of ammonia. ntIes and nj
irates Inm.ny cases. from the proximity Of cess
pools and vaults. the water becomes contaminated
with filtered scwagc matters. ich. while they
hardly affect the taetc or smell Of tho water have
nevertheless the power TO create the most deadly
disturbances in the persons who use the
waters. I'm tho nrighborhood OF grave
va Dis the water Of wells is often impet-
mated with animal matters FROM tho recently
filled graves A long ago as 1898 1t was docreed
in France that no ono should dig we'll within ono
hundred metres Of any cemetery.
FuENfrR WORK or THE UrALrU DEPARTMENT.
In this city there arc many wells. and there Is no
doubt that their waters hayc for m'ny years been
e,up,oycl in the manufacture of beverages, and
otherwise brought into dangerous use. In 1S'2
Or. Chandler then president of Tho Board OF
Health ordered an examination of the water o.
various wells in this city and the lower part OF
Westminster County. with view to determining
their organic and mineral properties in rel'tion 10
their probable effect on the public health. Profess
cor T. Waller of the school NJ Mines Of Columbia
College. spent several months m ana'Yzing spocl-
mems Of tho water I'm THE TRIbrNF
Of October H. in that year, full nc
count Of tho investigation s"ttng iorth
it's object aud results as FAR ~ attained. at That
time. was published Tho owners Of the wells were
greatly opposed 10 this action Of tho Board OF
Health maintaining that tho water wn7 not used
for drinking purpotct; that If impure. IT was pos
sible 10 obtain superior water by going deeper
aud that a largo amount ~ money ana humrr"uH
indnstrics depended upon thit winter supply II
was declared that the action of the Board of Health.
when had Ia Wow tho closing upol thcae wells II
they were pronounced dangerous 10 the pablo
health was investigated by the Board OF Public
WORKS. whose object was 10 compel the nso OF the
Croton by those using the wo,l-wator, tIercby ao-
ding largely to the revenue c"llectcd through '"hl
department.
Many brewers, downtown sofia water manu-
facturcrs hotel and restaurant projectors and
others, who said they were compelled to use the
well waters because the CrJtsn was too expensive
and uncertain in supply, took strong ground against
the right of the authorities TO interfere with them
Al that time there W ere SAID to be 1,SOO driven
wells 30 artcsan wells and about % dug wells IN
I the CITY There had been 900 driven wells
] .ttt tIa n
10 AVOID mOcstdflOu on the part OF the authorities.
many Of these wells had been secretly located
IN places where their existence could be concealed.
30 carefully were they kept from the public view
that tar Board of Health found great difficulty IN
discovering them and IL was stated that its officers
succeeded in tndIng only one IN every thIrty oil
them. Their aggregate Weld was h9urcd ~ -
20 900 900 gailonsp per day. or about oVoVUVV
gallons per year, ana IL was ,cSllhdled ,hat NO
total amount per year lost by the Board OF Pub ~
Works and gained ~ the wcll-owuers was Ti0O,ooo
at fifteen cents per 100 cubic feet the rare charger
( for Croton water. From five 10 Twenty-Five wells
belonged 10 a single firm, in some instances, ny
VII cL s1yluc of from s3 900 10 $50 900 on each
well was elected In the item of ice also
there was a large saving, well wafer
in summer being % coldcrtlan Croton'
VIEWS or sCTTrFIc MIN.
4 statement was recently made by Professor
Waller TO rEInUvE reporter in regard to the To-
suit, of his investigation. lie said: 81 have
analyzed water from about fifty OF these wells and
i'm most cases find II unit for use. Ii is generally
/ contaminated with organic substances and cx-
francois matter such as appear in drainage. and
has an excess OF mineral ingredients. sumo OF
these waters resemble tide wafer. aud contain more
solids than the ocean Itself The surface drainage
pct. i'm by pcrcollting through the earth and RIM
| ming down the iron pipes. Much of this well water
/ is highly charged with lime and magncsa salts.
/ rn1klug il very hard and iudigcstlblc. II also
rgue.s iucrt5fatous boilers. inducing explosions.
/ Hotels run 10 through CrOton pipes AT great
! u because 1t contains 50 much carbohc
all IanH d. ma
/ more or less poisoning. | found eleven tcuemcntS
/ and fat houses where 10 was pumped up INTO lead
tanks, tae water IN iei9o!ng 7gcn change that IT
was unfit for usc whether FOR drnkln9 COOKING or
batnlng CrotOn rs not liable 10 this objection. ey
cept where IT. comes ~ contact with fresh load sur
! faces. have always recommended CrotOn ~ sn-
/ pcrior 10 we'll water. There are times when 1t is
uupca5aut bat 1t has never beccn injurious. though
| Professor 4. f.. Leeds, Of the Stevens Institute:
/ takes ground against me on this point. found
three-fOurths Of the wells in Nesto lester district
very bad, the water containing large amount Of
tanned of solid and cytraneon4 matter
/ GSS grams 10 the gallon; in West fIity-siIth-st,
5Gi2 grains; in Gragd-st, scar the East RIVER. 30
grains I'm tho Wastchoster district grams (mOSty
drainage: in Broad way uo1r Wail-st 2Ol4 grains:
in East forty-eIRhth-st. y grains; near Columbia
college. 80 a grams. we'll az the New-York Hos
pItal ran heavily on IRON aud other minerals that
II had ~ bc abandoned II destroyed all the pipes
and vessels it catnr IN contact with and could not
| he mad" availabo for use even ~ waste water
/ except at great expense,
II il not safe, said Carl II. Shultz. "to nso
| VOL water. except where IT. ~ proved by chemical
/ ANALYSIS net ~ be injurious Those waters should
/ not he usad for the purpose Of manu-
/ featuring beverages because they are too
/ strongly impTegnated with miuotal matter. Croton
/ "a entirely pufo ~ this regard. aud tho nruauic
/ matter found ia II can les absolutely removed, f.
Ia "A ptnst Icnl uupoeshiuty 10 manufacture u anfo
/ aud correct mineral water out Of Manhattan vol
| waters hocauso hoy already contain an excess of
uiilrtnl substuurua Whirh tHnuot hr tiLnu out OF.
cspi by nu osprsHiyr ptOceRa Of dsiillAtipn. Thoy
mo usrd un account ul thrit good Appearance only
for che u mineral WhiafH winch contain moro solid
indt .cntihla matter than some mineral npfinps.
IJnp wells arc Invariably cont animated. bat tlloy
| az ripidiy Disappearing 0t being abandoned"
so hing came II Professor thnndlrl's invssu-
patiouh ia l7H2 bat pow That The Board Ut Health