The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-28
DANGER IN THE WELLS.
THE AUTHORITIES TO BEGIN DIS
MANTLING THEM AT ONCE.

MANILING THEM AT ONCE.
Supt Miller's Investigation of the
Public Well System-ae Says That
the Close Proximity of the Wells to
the Sewers Causes the Wells to be
Impregnated With Organic Matter
The Water Committee to Begin
Work Next Week.
Supt. A n. Miller Of the water works
was asked yesterday the result of his recent
examination Of the public wells, Mr..
Miller said that there are about 100 surface
wells in the city, and that of these there are
thirteen whose proximity to sewers causes
them to be heavily impregnated with
organic matter. He says that these wells
being drawn upon 50 much less than they
were before the Introduction Of the artesian
water are the much more polluted, and he
has urged upon the water committee that
they be dismautled. Mr.. Miller saws that a
well from to 3 feet deeper than a sewer, in
/ proximity TO the latter, will draw the
noxious fluids from the sewer. but well 10
! feet less in depth than the sewer will go
! dry, being drained by the sewer.
SOME POISONOUS WELLS.
Mr.. Miller hls all along urged the impor-
! lance Of abandoning the wells wherever
| there is a osibility that the waters are i'm
pregnated by sewer drainage, He cited tho
| facts, III recent report 70 the water com
mitttee, of an infected well in London, Eng,
where , 900 persons were fatally poisoned
! by one well near a sewer, and in Brooklyn,
| N Y, where 800 persons were poisoned
from the use Of well water impregnated with
| sewerage
Mr.. Miller SAYS that the public wells have
been a source of anxiety to him ever slace
he has been Ill charge OF the water depart
ment, and three years ago, before the intro
! duction of arteSian water, he recommended
| that wells be sunk from seventy-fve to $50
| feet below the surface. The artesiau sys-
tenn has of course, rendered this unneccs-
sary, but Mr.. Miller. still being the enemy
of shallow wells took the pains to investi-
gate the public well system aud on July II
reported the following wells near to and
affected by their proximity TO a sewer or
dry well, and it is these wells which will
no doubt be the first to be dismanted and
the use OF their waters interdicted:
TO BE CLOSED FIRST.
Liberty and Wheaton streets. Pump
well about - feet deep, catch basin to sewer
about feet, and about feet distant from
pump well.
East Broad and Hull streets. Pump well
about Is feet deep, sewer about Ii feet and
about - feet distant from pump we'll
East Broad and Jones street lane. Pump
we'll about Il feet deep, sewer 6 feet deep
and about 80 feet from pump we'll
East Broad and Hall streets. Pump we'll
about 16 feet deep, sewer about IS feet
deep and about 30 feet from pump we'll.
East Broad and Bolton streets Pump
well about Is feet deep and sewer about Z
feet deep, and about Is feet from pump well.
President and Bull streets: Pump well
about Is feet deep dry well about 8 feet
deep and about feet from pump we'll.
Barnard and Macon streets pulaski
square,: Pump well about Is feet deep,
sewer about feet deep, and only 10 feet
distant from well.
MUCH-UsED WELL.
Barnard and Wayne streets Chatham
squared. Pump well about IA feet deep
sewer only about feet deep and about 6
feet distant.
Whitaker and Hall streets. Pump well
about Is feet deep; sewer about ~ feet deep
and but II feet distant from we'll
Jefferson and Wayne streets. Pump well
about Is feet deep; sewer feet deep and
but feet from the well.
South Broad and West Broad streets
Pump well about II feet deep; dry we'll
Cpvivate) about IL feet deep and about %
feet distant.
West Broad and Berrien streets, pump
well about IA feet deep, sewer only S feet
and Is feet distant
The thirteenth and last we'll is at West
| Broad and Huntington streets The pump
well there is about II feet deep and the
sewer only 10 feet, and but 9 feet distant
from the well.
Here are thirteen wells, some only 10 to 5
feet distant from sewers, and just enough
| deeper than the sewer to be impregnated
| with the poisonous efiluvia from them
| That the localities in the neighborhood of
| the wells so situated have ESCAPED typhoid
and other types of fever so long, is cOnsid
cred remarkable, and every day the wells
are in use adds to the risk and deepens the
apprehension.
GOING TO WORK AT ONCE.
The water committee recognizes the
danger and proposes to act promptly. Next
week will he an active one with the com
mittee. Water use within two feet of q
sewer is enough to alarm the sanitary au-
| thoritleS, and the remedy will soon be ap-
plie1. Hylrants will be put in at once
| where ii Is absolutely necc slry to furnish
| free water. and the infected wells will he
! dismantled and the use Of their waters for
| hidden. Ii IS predCtel that when tins is
done a still! more marked Improvement in
the health of the city will lie noticeable,
and the decrease for the last six months of
1883 will be greater than the very CRAFTY
! ing decrease by comparison with the past
six months of last year
1t will be gratifying to know that the
water committee, composed Of Mess s
Wells, Myers and Nichols is unanimous fol-
the dismantlmg of the wells wherever arte