Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-17
A PERIODICAL SCARE.
The Beck's Run Schindery Polluting
the Monongahela Water.
SOUTHSIDERS WANT IT REMOVED.
DR.. Mundorf Discusses Possible Methods for
Future Relief.
APPEALING TO THE HEALTH OFFICERS

again. Southside people claim that the
water is SO ioully polluted with organic
matter that the health of the community Is
not only endangered, but the people are
given supply of water that is wholly unfit
for use. Beck's run, on which is located
the schindery, empties into the Mononga-
hela little more than half mile above the
infuent pipe of the Monongahela Water
Company, and although it is claimed that
the greatest care is exercised in the manage
ment of the schindery, there is more or less
organic matter carried by the surface water
into the adjacent stream, its natural outlet.
The scientific argument being that all
streams carrying organic matter must en-
danger the health of the people who draw
water from them, the Southside folks are de-
claring themselves against the schlndery,
and assert that it must be abolished. As
the complaints against the alleged nuisance
are periodical, a DISPATCH representative
visited the place yesterday afternoon and
examined into the condition of affairs.
The schindery is located little over a
mile from the mouth of Beck's run. 1t is
owned and operated by Anthony Sulje, and
it consists of two buildings one on each
side of the run. One building, about 80 feet
long, is used as the boiling establishment.
Mr.. Sulje was not about Yesterday after.
noon when the reporter called, and the lat
ter was obliged to examine the establish
ment alone. The boiling house contains
the boilers and two steam-tight tanks, in
which the material is boiled. The one side
of the house was piled full of bones of dead
animals, and over them, perched on poles,
were dozen or two of chickens. Rats and
min acchn
and they were playing hide and seek among
the huge pile of bones. The odor in and
around the place was anything but pleasant.
Across the run was found the dry house.
This was filed with material that had been
boiled yesterday, and the drippings were
slowly finding their wav to the stream few
feet distant. The ground around the entire
establishment is thoroughly saturated with
the filth from the place, and a sickening
odor rises continually from the valley. The
residents in the neighborhood say it is
almost unbearable in the summer time, but
since the cool weather has set in it is not
quite so bad.
Mr.. Sulje's manager was seen at his
home in Lower st. Clair township He said
that every precaution was taken to prevent
a pollution of the water. He said the ma
terial was boiled in steam-tight tanks and
then removed to the dry-house, where it is
prepared for shipment. Mr.. Sulje has
operated the schindery since 1875, and he
thinks if he was maintaining nuisance he
would have been compelled to abolish it
long ago.
The prevalence of zymotic diseases on the
Southside during the low water stages of
the river has provoked a very close exam
ination of the water supplied for drinking
and cooking purposes to Southside resi-
dences. The result has been number of
tests, which are now held in testimony of
the deleterious quality of the water. In one
it is shown that drawing a pail of water at
night and letting it stand until morning
will result in showing q blue scum on the
surface. The water drawn early in the
morning shows apparently deposit of lime
or some other white substance. which,
whether it is intended as a disinfectant or
not, is not known to the consumers
THE WATER IS POLLUTED.
The health officials have for some two
years been laboring with the question of the
Monongahela Company's water, but have
not as yet reached any conclusion, except to
condemn the existence of schinderies and
other sources of pollution within range of
the infuent pipes, which in any flowing
water is supposed to clear itself. The state
ment was made some IS months ago that the
pipe had been so changed as to prevent all
chance of contamination from the schindery
at Beck's run, but the people of the South
side are still complaining less of the absence
of free bridges than of the presence of free
pollution of the water they are compelled to
drink, without resorting to wells contami-
mated by the sewage necessarily taken in by
the conformation of the ground on that side
of the river.
DR.. E. A. Mundorf, of the Southside, who
for years has been an ardent advocate of
better supply OF water, said last evening:
'The difficulty that besets the sanitary
publication of the Monongaheia river will
eventually render the Allegheny impure
also. Both rivers are gradually becoming
large conduits into which is constantly
poured refuse of all sorts along the shores,
and as there is large increasing population
the present temporary methods constructed
to get rid of the accumulation of impurities
will prove inefficient; and as the work of
sanitation necessary to keep pace with the
in population would need to be very
extensive, there will come time when we
will be compelled to seek remedy else
where.
THE BALEFUL EFFECTS.
"There can be no doubt about the schin- |
dery having bad effect upon the condition |
of the water supply, and so far as can see
now, the only possible method in the future |
will be wholesale publication of the water |
after it is pumped into the reservoir, and |
before it is distributed to consumers, or it |
will have to be drawn from a source far be-
yond the city limits, The Beck's run
may not contribute any great |
amount of organic matter just now, but the |
least amount would cause the water used by |
our people to be proportionately impure. |
The same care should be exercised in fur
nishing pure water supply that is exer-
cised is giving us pure milk, meat and
bread.
"There is not much sickness on the South
side just now because the people are avoid
ing the use of we'll water. and the public
health is favored by larger volume of
water in the river channels than usual. But
the time may come when all cities not too
remote will be forced to draw their water
supply from great lakes. the natural reser-
voirs of pure drinking water"
DR.. NJ. A. Arnholt voiced the sentiments
Of about half the people who talk about the
schindery. He said: "It's an outrage; and it
Is something that would not be tolerated
over in the city, nor in Allegheny. con-
slider that the State Board of Health is ex-
tremely dereliot in its duty. A word from
she proper officials would have abolished
he establishment long ago. We cannot
afford to jeopardize the health and welfare
If our common humanity by allowing such
/ thing to exist"
Some of the Southside citizens are so In
lignant that there is talk OF bringing suit
against the schindery proprietor to have it
lbolished once and for all as public
nuisance.
Charged With EmbezzIemenf.
John Weyman was yesterday held in $500
'ail for hearing to-day before Alderman
zripr m a obar1a of on,ha1r1ananf ,nra |