Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-07-25
Give Is Pnre Water.

Typhoid fever affords topic OF taik
lust now because Of the reported deatns
from it, in widely separated places, OF
well.known people. This season is or
dinsrily fruitful of the disease, probably
because of the lower stage OK water in the
river supply of our towns. For the dls.
ease is charged to impure water as well
as to bad plumbing; and 1t is the most
serious cause because more dificuit 10
remedy. The evil of impure water Is
growing one, and may be expected 10
prow SO long as we take our water sup.
ply from surface streams and per-
init sewer drainage into our rivers.
The only sure sources or pure
water are the rain and deep UNDER
ground seams of water, reached by ar
tesian wells, that have been filtered In
their passage downward. These sources
supply but small quantity OF the water
we drink though it is possible for every
one to have rain water, few use II.
1t takes some little care to keep it pure
and clean and this, little though 1t be,
sufiices to discourage its use and the
freely flowing hydrant or the handy
pump is the source Of common supply.
While our sewers drain into rivers,
from which our hydrants are supplied,
or while springs and rivulets supply
reservoirs of city water, in which the
summer heat putreiies the surface filth
and vegetation gathered into them, the
prudent citizen will gather rain water
for drinking purposes; or he may boil
the water he consumes, il he has no
merely sentimental objection against
using contaminated water.
This sort of talk Is 50 often
heard and people are SO used to
II that 1t does not arouse them as
1t should to the need of keeping sewerage
out of our rivers. This callous feeling is
sustained by the declaration Of experts
that flowing waters purify themselves.
Aud probably they do if they get faiI
chance. But that chance they do not
get In summer time, when rivers are low
and the mass of sewerage does not dmin.
ish and when the sun beats down in hot
tide upon dead animal and vegetable
matter, and floods come to wash the
country clean into the waters that arr
pumped into our hydrants. Average
conditions of safety will rot do. w
want protection all the year round.
Some of these days, when population
becomes as dense here as it is in China
we will be forced to prevent the pouring
of our sewerage into the rivers from
which we drink theevil Of suchpollutiol
will become too great to be endured
1t is an easy way of getting rid of sewer
age to let the rivers take it away to tn
sea but it is not sensible TO drink 1t on il
way. The water should not have both thes
uses, and it Is easier to keep out th
sewerage than to do without the water.
The patience with which Phladelphi
takes down the Schuylkill water pollute
by the sewerage of the populous SchuyI
kill valley, down to its very doors, hs
long been a standing topic Of surprise
comment by outside barbarians who iii
and get their water reasonably cleal
1t Is city of great wealth and municip
resources. 1t has been building Il
years a great pile Of stone for
city hall, obs.ructing its princip
thorough'ares at cost Of many million
and of small comparative utility. The
inl d l,ot 4
used in seeking better water. In t
past score of years the city has grant,
franchises to street railways that have I
turned profit to the grantees more tha
sufficient to supply the people with fri
water from sources hundred mile
away. These moneys have been spel
and this wealth parted with; and the III
happy people drink water and die Of It.