The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-08-23
Passaie Pollution the Main
Cause Of the Typhoid
Outbreak in Newark.
MORE SEWAGE FOR CONSUMPTION.
The Pipes Recently Laid in Passaie
Discharging Great Quantities
Of Refuse Into the
River.


to the health authorities and medical
men Of this city for close and immediate
attention. One is the emptving OF Pas
saic's sewage into the river through pipes
recently laid; the other, which may be a
consequence OF the first, is the grip which
typhoid fever has taken on some parts OF
the city.
The little city up the river has NOW a
sewer system its citizens are proud Of.
With far more facility, and in far greater
quantities its filth. garbage, refuse. de-
cayed matter and human excrement are
cast into the river.
While Jersey Cftv's authorities are
slamberously ignoring the awful condi-
tion Of the water, Newark is wide awake.
Colonel Price, counsel for the defunct
Aqueducr Board in the litigation to stop
the emptyiug of PASSAGES scwaGesin the
river. says the filth Of this city has been
traced from the mouth of the Passaic
sewer at Lafayette street to within eight
cen inches of Newark, IS aqueduct's intake.
Under such circumstances physician of
this city says one case of typhoid fever in
the former city might precipitate an epi-
demlc OF disease here.
HERE'S CHEEK.
DR.. Rice, president of Passaic's Health
Board, tunes his voice high when he
chants the praise of tie new sewer sys-
| tenn. Passaic is now the cleanliest city,
the healthiest in New Jersey. if his en-
husiasm does not raise the pitch above
hard facts The work OF laying the
pipes was diligently prosecuted dur
ing the winter. and in May the
little city began to throw a big
stream of excrement and refuse into the
| river. A little sickness. the doctor adj
mitted, attended the construction of tine
sewer--typhoid, malaria and othar all
ments, caused by the tapping of old cess
pools. But this passed. and now Passaic
is now robust and clearly as may be, and
every day the sewers are flushed. and if
any germs of typhoid or contagious
diseases may have LOGGED in the pipe they
are wrenched away BY the torrent of
aqueducG water and cast into the river
out OF harms way, as far as Passaic is
concerned.
But how about harm to Newarkss the
good doctor was Asked
We'll" he said. and his eyes twinkled
| as a humorous thought struck him,
they'll have to hurry up with their new
| water works there if they don't want to
| get taste Of our sewage. Newark has
/ not probably begun to swallow orr sew
i age yet. Our system has been at work
| only a few months. 1t viii take some
/ time for the refuse 10 be carried down. If
| they are drawing water from the new
| works by the first of the year they may
| escape some nauseating drinking"
In the course of twenty minutes con-
versation DR.. Rice said his city was never
freer from disease. During the last few
months only four cases of typhoid fever
had come TO his knowledge. Only one Of
these, he said, now remains. Tnat is a
month old and the patient is GONZALES
cent Among other things he said:-
1.-THE river is very low up at Paterson.
Loud complaint is raised OF the stencil
arising from it. | would not have the
river water used in my house for wash
ing"
Passaic gets its water from a point
above falls or the from wells, where
there is no danger Of contamination.
THE SAME TUNE.
DR.. w. II. Carroll, Health Inspector of
Passaic, struck the same key as DIR. Rice
when he made answer to an inquiry
about the state of the cfty's health. There
were few cases OF typhoid fever re-
Gently, but at the last meeting of the
Board Of Health held Monday night. not
a single case OF any contagious disease
was reported. The excellent service be-
ing performed by the new sewer gave
him also subject matter for rhapsody.
LEGAL DELAYS
Colonel Price is associated with Thomas
n. McCarter as counsel for the Mayor
and Common Council of Newark against
the city of Passaic in the injunction
proceedings. An application was made
for a preliminary injunction restraining
Passaic from polluting the river with its
sewage. This application was denied
about year ago by the Court of Chan
Gerry, and the Court of Appeals sustained
has been taken by Walter j. Knight,
master, in the affair. In one more hear
ing all the testimony will have been
taken, but there remains a large amount
of printing to be done. This. with the
recess of the Court of Chancery until
september 10, will make impossible any
further move in the matter Tor month
or more.
Eve have been subjected to delays"
said Colonel Price yesterday. "The testi.
mony would have been all taken long
before this, but the Aouedpct Board,
which was abolished by the Board of
Works bill, was the litigant on our side.
We had to rest on our oars until the SUI
preme Court had decided as to the consti-
nationality of that measure. Then we
went into court and got an order substi-
tuting the Mayor and Common Council
for the Aqueduct Board. All these things
operated to delay us, but with one more
hearing the testimony will be ali IN.
When the printing is finished we shall
Immediately apply again for prellmin-
airy injunction"
WHAT are your chances of getting It?''
isWe are sure of it. Our last appilca-
ton was denied because the Passaic sew
age had not yet been cast into the river.
therefore we could not show that it was
dangerous. But now our testimony is in
controvertible. We have traced excre
ment from the sewers month at Lafay
cite street by row boats TO within eighteen
inches of our aqueduct's Intake. That
looks like danger. Such water Is not
going to make sweet or healthful drinK-
ing. 1t If absolutely filthy"
NEVER so BAD BEFORE.
Superintendent Mash of Newark says
he never knew the water to be so bad, and
what made it worse is that the demand
for it for motive power is SO great that 1t
has to be pumped direct to the water
mains and can not be drawn from the
reservoir. Ii the water could stand 10 the
reservoir some Of the filth would settle.
DIR. g. w. Hartman said that he could
not exactly say that the present increase
in the number Of typhoid fever cases WAS
due to the Passaio's pollution. "Water,r
be went on. US the main source Of the
disease, and the fact that the Passaic is
so filthy points at once 10 IL as the prob
able origin OF the fever
The doctor was told what Colonel Price
had said about the tracing Of sewage
from the Passaic sewer 10 within two feet
of the Newark xqueducr intake. III
such be the case. = he said. "tho danger is
great 1t would be If it were within