Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-09-25
WATER IN 1HI SCHOOLS
Children Denied . eufiicient GUAM
tify Of the Vie Fluid
GRAND RIVER DISEASE DOLED our
Ts the Papiis aa smau Quantities while
the Ts~oasrs sss We'll water fsr
1bsms<isss-fhs school oriesrs a
kApIais-D@agsr lm1ntuenI

A great ceal OF complaint has beeu
made about the water that the children
Of the public scnools are compelled 10
drink. IL is claimed that the pupils are
obliged 10 drink the city water Just as
Il comes from the rvef. untlteTed;
that Ia sofpe cases, the teachers are IN
the habit Of sanding the janifor Of the
building out 10 the neighboring wells 10
get fresh water for their special use
and that, where the ianltor has carried
city water for tie pupils. be has ooled
il opt IN such small quantities that the
children hare suffered from thirst. IL
IL claimed that several chiidnn have
been made III by drinking the water.
This hot spell is conducive 10 th4 rapid
growth Of bacteria, and all sporadic
organisms aud II isccrtslnly a matter Of
grave apprehension II the 80. 600 pupils
Ia the public schools OF this city Are ex-
posed 20 the dangers lurking IL the
turgld depthf OF the Grand Rayef.
President Blair Intersiewet-
Mr. Blair, president of the Board of
Education, Was seen, and in response
TO inquiries concerning the water gwen
TO the pupils, said: al think the mat
ter is exaggerated. | have heard no
complaints, and Il seems 20 me the
proper place 10 make such complaints
IS at the superintendent's Office, where
the matter would receive the best of
attention. Ii Is true, the children of
some schools use the city water, but
most OF these schools are supplied with
filters, and suppose they are used.
Two or three Years ago the Hydraulic
Company offered To put their water,
free of charge, into such schools of the
city as coulG easily be connected with
their water mains. but the matter Iell
through. However, shere are several
OF the schools that have lately come
under the authority OF the city that
have the hydraulic water. Then some
OF the new schools are supplied by well
water. One OF the principals has com-
planned 10 me thai toe well water al her
building was very bad, but she did not
say there had been any bad effects from
ii. think If there WAS anything alarm
ing in the condition of things that the
board would be in POSSESSION of the
facts. Ii either teacher or pupil. can
get drink of good cold water these
hot days, don't blame them Tor doing
it."
NO Complaints Made To Him.
Mr.. Chalmers. superintendent OF
schools said: "No unusual complaint
has been made Ia me. The children OF
the old city schools drink the river
water, just as half the people OF Grand
Rapids do. Many or the schools Of the
new city, especially those lying IN the
district TO the easi, are supplied Toy The
hydraulic company. The schools lying
to the south and west are supplied vita
wells. l don't see how matters can be
battered any just at present. We all
know the city water 10 bad. very bad,
but 1t v a question whether the wells
are any better. AS for the teachers
faring any better than the children, 1
don't think that 10 true at all. There
is no element IN a teacher tnat | con-
slider OF any greater value than that
which / call the 'mother element"
which would give TO the child every
thing just IS good as she had herself.
III teacher does not possess thls eie-
ment, l think she has missed her voca-
ton. teacher who would send the
lanitor out for water for herself that
she considered better than that the
children must drink, or who would let
Tile cSt rht
drink from their dipper, would he doing
a very great wrong IN my Judgment.
Any disposition on the part of the
lan.tors 10 shirk their duty, when that
duty is TO carry well water for the
children. would be promptly rebukcd
by the principal"
No Ice For Three Years.
Further investigator showed that IN
one school at least, the charge that the
teachers sent the janitor after water for
their special use 10 true. In another,
the teachers have the privilege of
drinking from well IN the basement.
a privilege which but few take, ss the
closets are also IN the basement. Many
of the teachers make it point never
TO take drink of water while at
school, and they advise the pupils 10
drink as little as possible. The schools
have not been supplied with ice for two
or three years, aud IL is true that the
little ones bave suffered drcsdfully
during the present hot spell. Every
possible precaution Is taken by the
teachers to secure good ventilation, and
anything that they can do 10 alleviate
the suffering OF the children IN any
degree will be done cbeerfully, even
4 49,. ofrrsr~ nf eCh0ot ant4f fhs hot