The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-07-20
Our Potable Water Supply.


Palatka Is in a hai way. Sh,. Is NTH,
unhealthy. AMI the So'ner she Is etls rtu
ally clransa,l th., sooner will she l~cnnl
"A healthy town. Our city l. IN de>igrat
nee.l of cumhined system uf water
works and sewerage sa built ~ to suppl
a suitable amount III Watar for all lur
IA~es. ami also capable If carr, lng ava,
all sewage. surface water. drainage. ,t,'
That W. have quantities of we'll wate
here il truesnMish, AMI IT is sIuall, tru,
that large portion of our death rate h
/ due Ia the uS,' of such water. The wate
/ from shallow wells Is UNFIT for .vei
washing uses. but when W. use it fol
drinking purposes w. exhibit II m,'>t dt
plorahle amount II stupidity. \,
amount of pure air taken into the lung,
! can n.utralize the effect ut Iollutr,l
! water in the stomach. Surface water j,
foul.d hy sewage and sewage IL poison
Advocates of surface wells cahhot defend
the us. of these t,o common death traps.
Tile defective sewerage systems ot utr
many cities, and the NJ drainage II ou,
larger towns AMI rural districts, are
r'isnning the very sources of lstahl.
water in many eases. ID the inhabitants
OF cities and towns could s.Ne the tiI,h
that Is concealed IN the water they u,r.
and trace every PARTICLE Ia IT. soircr dis
gust aud NAUSEA would In II sufficient
protection against the use of suiiac,-
well water.
The plain truth about this water Is that
it is fo,ilc.i hy ssepage from sinks. cess.
pools, closets. oiTal heaps. I'cayins vrsc
table AMI animal matter, AMI man, other
sources. No wonder our waters pesrss
mineral qualities. Probably quite as
much sickness and death Is due to the
combined effects of surface water an,l
sewage as is due tn all other causes com.
bined.
We give ourselves n vast deal of credit
for our enterprs. and long heo,lrlnrss,
but can anyone tell wherein We rNhilnt
these glorious traits. The SANITARY con
ditlon OF this town shows tor u~ more
fnl!-hlo1ied lhg-headrdness than any
thing else, tut the head ni II pg Is Lrg.
50 the translation from the one term To-
the other is easy and sounds we'll. True.
"" have u nice tow u. with g1d railway
AMI Steamboat conn,ctinns, our /l4oI,lr
ars hrisk. active, sUmlhe and decidedly
likcablr, hut il dh's seem IA II W. are vet
asleep regarding eur sanitary conditions.
We are. by our ,lo nothing j"llcy. invi
ting destruction to our business inter.
ests and to the health Of our citIrns II
our city was well served with anrilicirnt
system Of watrr.works and aw wcrage,
our valuation would show an increase ol
u p'r cent. while onr death rate would
decrease fully 10 per cent. Until such "A
condition Of things exists. We caunot
oil,r Inducements to either outside capl
thlss or winter visitors. Investors arr
shtrwd men, who cannot h. induced to
enter into laisin, IS schemes IN any city
Unless property is reasonably secure from
fire. Winter visitors do not care to stay
in any city where there isa risk ~ blood.
l1soning from sewer gas and drinking
water. All our paneg, rics are wasted,
for We ar" met with the questions "llow
is your town oil for water w"rkst" "l-
your sewerage system gond>' And we
cant say an, thing. We need, aud must
have, IA suitable system If water-wnrks
and sewerage. They will cost money.
and n good fair sum, too, but We must
remember that such :, stem mas, l@ put
to stay. and that We shall get value r..
c"lNed for our Investment. The money
received for the sale Of water will ~
should more than pay the running cNpen.
Srs of the entire system, Many people
will say that the water cannot br apld to
consumers, ~ the ar,csian wells arc too
plentiful. and 80 many have such service
in their houses That IL all right, hut
We won't many Of us nsr su phur wattr
il we cpn get fresh water in place of it
We shall io we'll To give this matter uui
S'tinus attention. PENN E'It