Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-21
Tho Polluted Water supply.

II the published report of the conclusions
reached by Commissioners LydeclSer and West
the subject of the pollution of Potomac water
al Great Falls, after personal inspection of the
premises, be correct then it must be said that
those officials have utterly failed to grasp the
gravity of the situation. 1t appears that they
were able TO discern the waste-weir of the canal
which pours a continual polluted stream into
the river Just above the conduit mouth but the
inference from the report of their observations
Is that as it does not pour considerable vol
ume" of filthy water into the Potomac 1t is
absurd to make fuss about it. 1t is denied
that the canal level has been emptied three
times this spring. Only once, say the Commits
sioners, has the f2ul contents of the level been
drained into our water suppl since the OPEN
ing of navigation and it must be dainty
stomach that rebels against an occasional dose
of canal water. At least the Commissioners
seem to think so, or why the statement I'm an
argumentative way that the level has been
emptied but once in two months, Really 1T is
a matter of no significance as bearing upon the
question at issue whether it has been emptied
once or twenty times. 1t is not the past but
the future. that the citizens of Washington who
demand clea. and pure water wish to deal with.
1t cannot be denied that the level IS liable to be
emptied any day through that very waste
weir which Commissioners Lydecker and West
seem to think So inoffensive. The fact that 1t
every time the level is emptied and keep them
closed until the last vestige of canal water has
passed over the DAM" is discovery of the
Commissioners. suppose. tor the sake of argu-
ments, the gates were closed, how is it possible
To determine when the "last vestige" of canal
water has passed over the damn Would not
the canal water mingle with the river water
held in check by the dam and then when the
gates were opened would not the contaminated
IN &c n, 4 It,ffo
The gate-keeper has not pretended hitherto
that 1T was his custom to close the gates On
the contrary, he has admitted that a large pro-
portion of the emptyings of the canal passed
through the conduit. In the summer time
when the river is low. the city is supplied
with water directly from the river. Then the
gates OF the reservoirs are closed and the supply
pipes of the city are fed Immediately from the
river. So that at the season of year when the
greatest vigilance is necessary to protect the
city from disease the accumulated filth of the
canal is likely to be emptied into the Potomac
and distributed through every household of
Washington. Is there any man of sound COM
mon sense who is. in view of this fact, willing
To agree that 1.-The examination yesterday
showed no necessity for the removal of the dis
charging Weir? That waste-weir is a menace
10 tie health of Washington so long as it re-
mains In its present position, and nothing ex-
cept culpabie negligence viii permit 1t to re-
main a day longer than is possible.
The case against Ross l.. Winans by Mrs
O'keefe. who seeks 10 have her marriage with
the defendant established through the medium
OF a suit for divorce. should point sharp lesson
TO young men of the Winans type. There is no
sympathy TO be wasted on the woman. for she
is apparently an adventures; who knew per-
fecfly we'll what she was doing when she en-
tered into the quasi marital relations with
H.,
lawful welded To him is proven by the fact
that after their p3,vt;ion She married another
man. Still, during their unlawful association
she carefully treasured the letters written by
the sInitten lover and now publishes them to
the world rs evidences Of his folly The scandal
has probably cost Winans Years OF anxiety
which is intensified now that the matter has
become public The case should teach young
men OF wealthy parents, who are literally sup
piled with means and allowed to follow
their own inc.inations, that even their money
Will not enable them To- disregard the ordinary
social laws without paying severe penalty
The horrible story told by the telegraph yes
terday OF the Frencilman arrested i'm New YORK
carrying the dead body of his wife in a bag
siung over his shoulder reads like Parisian
tale of crime and shows that New York is rival
ing the French capital in dramatic and original
criminal incidents. IL the man murdered his
wife, as he probably did, for his own tale Is
hardly to be credited, the bo,dness OF his course
to get rid of the body is amazing The trial of
this inhunan wretch, who would murder a
woman on account of dog, should not be de-
1ayed, and sentence should swiftly follow con-
viction.
1t is to be hoped that the committee of the
flowing Club will succeed in their efforts to have
the national regatta take place here The
course upon the Potomac is equal to any in the
country and il has been demonstrated in the
past that ample accommodations both for oars
men and spectators, be furnished in Wash
1ngton.
The inhabitants of Mecklenbnrgh county N
C., claim to- be the oldest free people in the