Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-16
DEATH IN THE WELL.
why the subject OF Obtaining
water Is An Important One.

Gan ounce of prevention, says WY
old adage, sis worth pound OF cure.
The sanitary condition of Salt Lake City
at the present time is such that the
"ounce of prevention" needs to be ap-
piled at once if we are to dispense Win
the sspound of cure" The causes which
may and which probably will lead to
another outbreak of zymotic diseases IN
this city are rife and rank IN our mldsV-
filth and impure water. Filth ana ois-
ease go hand in hand, while impure
water is too often the source OF contagloh'
From an article furnished the Provo En-
quirer by DIR. w. R. Pike, Quarantine
Physician OF that town, some portions Oh
which are strongly applicable ana per
tinent to Salt Lake City, we extract the
following:
The greater portion of our population
derive their supply OF water LOT urlltAlns
and domestic purposes from wells aVeIaS
ing in depth from five to fifteen !eet, ol
from surface springs. This water is' ana
must of necessity be, surface water anu
in nearly every instance IS Ioaaeu WIN
organic matter. Anyone who VIII aeVote
moments thought or consideration 10
this subject will readily see how this can
not be otherwise. Take the average
home of one of our citizens, and we ma
located upon a plot of ground twelve roos
square, a dwelling house, barn or
stable, a corral for stock, a pig peh'
chicken-coop, privy-vault, and perhaps a
cesspool. and in close proximity to most
of these is situated the we'll from which
the family derive their supply OF water
for all domestic purposes. Upon the sur
face of the lot is deposited the excrement
from all of its inhabitants, both animal
and human. Take all of the above INTO
consideration, along with our system OF
irrigating the land, and
WHAT MUST BE THE RESULT?
Water Ian almost universal solvent of
vegetable and animal matter) is once or
twice a week turned upon the surface OF
the lot, and floods it, liquefying, dissolv-
ing. and dividing into minute particles,
GREAT proportion of this matter, and car
Tving it along into the earth, sinking until
if strikes a hard strata of earth or clay,
(such as underlie most of our surface
wells), its further progress downwards is
resisted. it then follows along the surface
of this hard strata, in the direction of the
least resistance, usually until it reaches
the well, raising the water in the same
perhaps several feet. Our surface springs
are most OF them created in this manner.
The water contained in these wells and
springs is simply solution, not only OF
the matter spoken of above, but also OF
anv decaying vegetable Or animal matter
that may be deposited upon the surface OF
the ground True
THE EARTH ACTS AS FILTER,
And retains a portion of this injurious
material, and in time the earth may be-
come SO saturated that the simple turn
ing of it over with the plow will give rise
to sickness in those who live near, but
great portion must find its way into sur
face wells and springs, and thoroughly
contaminate them.
What must be the effect upon the
health of the consumers of such contami-
mated and polluted water [ have long
been satisfied, from my own observation,
and from the observation OF others, that
large proportion of certain forms OF
disease are largely due to its use. Es-
pecially is this SO
IN THE CASE OF CHILDREN,
Who are our greatest users of water as
beverage; older persons, more generally
using it after boiling, as during the pre-
paration of tea, coffee, ETC., boiling de-
Drives it of some of its powers to do
harm.
Among the diseases most likely to be
conveyed, or propagated by the use OF
impure water, are typhoid, malarial, and
certain forms of low and continued fever;
also diptheritic, dysentery and diarrhgal
troubles. This is fact that needs no
comment from me, as it has been amply
demonstrated time and again in hundreds
of cases. In verifcatiOn of this, 1t has
many times been proven that in cities
where water works have been established
and good supply of pure water intro
duced into the dwellings of the people
other things being equal, the class of
diseases spoken of above, has always
largely decreased.
1t was not my intention to enter into
details, but simply to generalize with
hope that it may be the means of caus-
ing some of our citizens to investigate the
source of their water supplies as to their
purity, and when doing so they should
remember that call is not gold that gilt
ters," neither is all water fit for human
consumption simply because it looks
clear as crystal, is pleasant to the palate,
and contains no impurities that are us
ibIe to the eye. Such water may contain
the
GERMS OF THE DEADLIEST DISEASE,
And yet perhaps only capable of being
detected by the aid of the microscope, or
some careful chemical ans lysis.
How should we obtain supply of pure
water? There are several methods, and
l will trespass upon your space sufficient
to make mention of some OF them, al
though it was not my intent when COM
menced to write this to attempt to point
out how to obtain such supply, but rather
to show the necessity of doing so, and
also to point out some of the evils arising
from the use of impure water.
One method-the boring of artesian
wells-ls open to the same objection, too
great cost, and at the same time, certain
amount OF uncertainty as to reaching a
supply, but when this can be done. it is
very satisfactory method, and has been
successfully accomplished in many places,
especially in Denver, Colorado, and also
some portions of California.
Another more simple and less ex-
pensive mode of obtaining pure water has
of the
So-CALLED "DRIvE WELLS"
This method, recently had an oppor-
tunlty to examine in Salt Lake City, in
part OF the city that lies outside of the
present water supply. The people in this
nelghoorhood have been situated for
drinking water about the same as a large
portion OF Provo is now, drinking water