The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-08-05
The Filthy Condition Of the River in
the Vicinity Of Them.
Dead Hogs the Principal ingredient
Of the Cottonwood Water.
A Beautiful Showing for the Fourth
City of the State.
What Our Physicians Have to Say
on the Subject.
A Removal Absolutely and Posi-
lively Necessary.
Typhoid Fever Caused by Our Filthy
Supply Of Water.

sypHOiu 0VOi OouSON " wi : ueh
Supply Of Water.
A few days ago an attache Of the EVEN
ING NEWS thought Il might be 6 pleasant
way to spend an hour or two IN the even
ing to take q skiff ride up the raging Cot
tsnwood, 50 himself and few comrades
after arriving at the waterworks, hired {
couple Of boats and started up the creek.
The experience then had was the Origin
of the following article. Almost the frs
thing to attract attention on putting oCi
from the shore was q terrible stencil, An6
on looking around the decayed carcass d
what had once been 9 very large hog VA
discovered about six or eight feet from The
shore, but q short distance above the spot
from which we had embarked. The stencil
was Sd unbearable that the body wsa quick
ly passed, but not tao quickly 20 notice
that for q distance Of several yATds In al
directions from the remains was froshy.
greasy, dirty mass Of matter floating On
the water. which seemingly grew grad
ually thinner as the distance Increased
from the nucleus around which il was
gathered.
AS the party advanced up the stream
other similar specimens were met with,
and no less than six or eight such sicken-
ing sights were encountered before going
over half q mile.
Another object calculated to make
drinkers of Emporia hydrant waller much
disgust was encountered just above the
wster works landing and on the same side
of the stream, which was that Of Q whole
drove of hogs wallowing in the edge OF
The river, and stirring up the filth In ouch
a manner as only hogs can.
These incidental items, with few 9TH
ers of a similar character, had such an ef-
feet upon the pcribe that he thought he
would interview the doctors and find QRt
If this was the cause OF the exceptionally
good health the city was now enjoying,
or If it could be ascribed to other causes.
What the medical fraternity have to say
we give to our readers as nearly as posi-
BILE In the manner 10 which they express.
ed themselves. Many of our doctors We
were unable to see because Of their alb
sence from their offices and our inability
to find them elsewhere:
DIR. W. W. HIBBEN
expressed himself very emphatically on the
subject, characterizing the present watel
service of the city as an outrage on hu-
manitY and stating that removal from
the present location was an absolute ne
cesslty. He stated that only once to his
recollection had he ever allowed spoon
full Of the filthy fluid TO entel his mouth,
which was Immediately elected. The
doctor also expressed the opinion that II
cholera or A1y similsr epidemic should
visit this country Emporia would be like
~ to suffer unless purer or better supply
of water was had then at present. Srhe
doctor advocated the reservoir system
where the water could be filtered from one
reservoir to another, so impurities could
be disposed before going to the mains.
DIR. GARDINER
said there was not q doubt In his mind
that the use of water taken from the Cot
tonwood river where our works we're 10
Gated would generate typhoid fsveF and
other diseases of like nature. COntinu.
ing, the doctor said: If should drink q
couple of glasses of it on gong to bed il
would assuredIy purge me. We have ma
turslly healthy city, and people may ask
why, If these statements are facts, we dc
not have more sickness than we dor But
just let an epidemic start in our city and
the effects would be soon seen. 1t ID
proved beyond all question that bad WateI
caused the fearful fever epidemic in Vir'
ginia last year, that your tele-
graph columns were filed with
also, the one at Pittsburg fouE
years ago, which was traced 20 . case sim
liar to what exists here-seWerage empty
ing In the river just above the water works
The Pittsburg water works were moveC
further up the river, and there has beeE
no recurrence of the epidemic since then
In Philadelphia eight years sgt
fearful epidemic took placs
in portions Of the city. aud, the lines being
we'll defined. led to the tact being aseor
tanned that the city was supplied with
water from two rivers. the Delaware and
SnsquehaunA, aud that the disease was al
most entirely confined to those who wer'
supplied from the latter river. On az in
VestigatiOn being made it WIS found tina
a number of breweries were located on tn
river banks, and that they. dumped thct
slOps and filth and refuse matter into thu
river, which so impregnated the water q
to cause the epidemic. Several Othe
similar cases were also cited by DIR. Gard
ner, going to prove the fact thai lmpur'
water was one of the most powerful breed
ers of disease. He stated that he hai
been to both the Cottonwood and the NeO
sho, and that it was his decided opinion
| that of the two, the Neosho Was much Cd
! purer water, as the natural drainage fFOn
this entire city was toward the Cotton
wood. The doctor then preceded
answer she question why our city's heaIs
was not in q worse condition than it is. b
explaining that we were as yet only
young CITY and that our soil had as "
not bee Ime thoroughly saturated Wit
the seepages from water closets, vaults an
other pestilence breeders. which would l
time, if radical measures were not taxed
do their fearful work He also explaine
that comparatively few of our people use
the hydrant water for household purpose
and that our very location acted as pr,
ventIve OF disease. being on high groun
where the winds from the praries had
good chance to sweep away the pOisone
atmosphere generated. He SAID the mAn
cases of typhoid fever In this city last "a
were no doubt brought on by bad vat
and bad drainage, and deemed it necel
saly that change in the location of u
water works should be made as soon
possible.
DR. F. B. sHERBURNR.
DR.. Sherburne, on being questioned 1