Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-21
DISEASE IN A WELL.
Cases of East End Typhoid Fever
Traced to a NeighbOr's Pump.
EIGHT PEOPLE SERIOUSLY I'LL.
Carefully Concealed Stagnant Water Is
Blamed by Workmen.
HEALTH OFFICERS sCoNDEMNTHE WATER


A number of people in the East End,
| on Euclid avenue, are now paying the pen
atty for indulging in alleged cool and
sparkling well water. They are two men,
bers of the family of Henry Huber, on
whose property the well is located, and
three members of the family of Frank
Wickman, who occupies the adjoining
house. All have typhoid fever. The work
men on row of houses being erected above
Mr. Huber's, all drank freely of the water,
and three of them are sufferers, while an
other has dangerous symptoms of either
malarial or typhoid fever.
About three weeks ago Mr.. Huber's son
and daughter complained of not feeling
well, and DR.. Ward, of Station street, was
called in to attend them. He at once pro-
nounced their complaint typhoid fever, and
began to investigate the cause. The air in
the vicinity is pure and the germ had not
been absorbed through food. The well was
then visited, and the doctor came to the
conclusion that here was the source of the
sickness.
The well is situated below the level of
much of the surrounding ground and the
water from pools of stagnant water in the
alley in the rear, and from the fields
easily soaked through the ground into the
reservoir.
DR.. Emmling, of Penn avenue, who was
called in to attend Mrs. Wickman, her sister
and sister-in-law, also at once pronounced
mans have hydrant on their premises, but.
like many of the neighbors, they preferred
the clear, icy water from the Huber we'll.
MI. Wiclman had tried to drink the well
water, but feeling sick every time he used it,
let it alone. The rest OF the family, how
ever, drank it constantly.
About 80 men at work on the row Of new
houses up the street also used the water.
They were surprised one day at their work
by n physician calling up to them as he
paSseu:
Il say, men, have any of you been drinking
from that well down below
They all replied in the affirmative.
81 advise You to let it alone,'' was the doc
tors next. There is a family down here
with the fever, and the indications are that
they got it from drinking the well water
The men thanked the physician, but his
warning came too late for three OF them,
who, in few days. took sick and are still in
Ross, resides ON Frankstown avenue; another,
Mr.. Miller, lives on Mayfiower street. while
q third, Mr.. Smith, has his home at BruShton.
THE WATER COOL, BUT SALTY.
Last evening a DISPATCH representative
visited the home of Mr.. Huber. A tumbler
was placed over the pump and when the re-
porter asked If he might have a glass of
water Mr.. and Mrs. Huber, who sat on tho
porch, gave their permission, without warn
ing him of the alleged character ofthe water.
1t was clear and cool, as rumor said, but
n npcnlinr
Sampling the liquid the reporter accoSted
Mr.. and Mrs. Huber with a question as to
whether any members of their family had
"My son and daughter both have it," an
swcred Mr.. Huber.
"What caused it?'
"Oh, it is hard to tell. Fever is caused by
many things"
Doesn't your physician claim their
drinking water from that well was the
cauSe?"
"Ycs, he did say that"
"Did he advise you to use it?"
"No he said it would be better for US not
to use It,"
"When did you quit using the water?"
eve haven't been drinking it since the
doctor told us it was not safe"
"Do you think it was the water caused the
fever?''
"Well, of course can't say positively, but
think it is strange, when we have been
using the water so many years. that we
never had trouble with it before
Although the Huber family do not believe
the water Is the origin of their sickness they
are having hydIunt put into their house.
Their son and daughter, while both were
dangerously i'll, are now recovering
ASerious Condition of Affairs.
With the Wtckman family affairs are much
more serious. Mrs. WickInan is in a very
critical condition, but her sister and sister
in-law are out of danger. A member of the
family seen yesterday said: "All of the fam
lily drank the well water except Mr.. Wick
man. 1t never agreed with him. 1t was
cooler and clearer than the hydrant water,
and on warm days they would drink quanti-
ties of it. Oh, yes, we are very sure the water
made them sick
DIR. Emmling, the Wickmans' physician,
says the well water was the cause of the
fever in the neighborhood.
DIR. Ward said: ~ made no analysis of the
water, but the indications point very
strongly to it being the source of the disease.
The fever can be contra acted in three ways
either by taking in the germ through the
air. food or drinking water In this case the
air in the neigh borhood is pure; the food as
same water was used by all the fever pa
tients, and hence it seems probable that it
was the source. The situation of the well is
another thing against il"
None of the parties i'll the neighborhood
seemed to know anything of pools of stag
nant water thereabouts. One man said there
had been one down at the corner, but it rad
dried up. A little examination of the neigh
borhocd revealed ut least one death-trap in
that shape. In the rear of the new houses
being built next to the Hubers is depres-
sion evidently at one time full of water, for
the green slime is dried onto the half-baked
mud in the series OF depressions. Under a
pile of laths and planks was found the
water, either accidentally or Intentionally
covered by the builders.
A POOL FULL OF DISEASED GERMS.
The pool is five or six feet in diameter and
about ten feet deep. The water is Shiny and
decidedly odorous. One of the workmen
stated it had been dug to drain the cellars,
and he did not know why it had been COW
cred 1t affords excellent facilities for Civ.
ing the unwary plunge bath, as from ap-
pearance no one would suspect its exist
ence. Some of the people blame the pool of
water with helping to make the workmen
sick.
Many of the residents along Euclid and
adjoining avenues have been using spring
or well water. Many are having hydrantS
put in now for fear of fever. One family
stated they had not used their well water
since they heard of the fever.
The cases have been reported to the
Bureau of Health and the proper authorities
are investigating the affair. Inspector Nc
Candless visited the place and ordered that
no more of the water should be used, for the