Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-11-30

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A few days ago Secretary Colquhoun
of the city Board of Health visited Cos
sart, on the Brandywine, to ascertain if
the piggery nuisance at that point had
been abated, as had been reported by
the health officials of Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Colquhoun's investigation re.
suited in finding matters almost as bad
as ever. When he reached the location
he found that the well which had been
dug for the reception of the filth from
the pig pens was full and running over
into small tributary of the Brandy
wine, directly polluting the city drink
ing water
The findings of the local secretary
were at once communicated to Secretary
Lee of the Pennsylvania State Board,
with request that he take immediate
action. DIR. Lee, it is presumed, is now
engaged in looking into the matter, as
he has not yet been heard from in reply.
An investigation of the piggeries at
Chadd's Ford and Cossart was made
few weeks ago by an officer of the
Pennsylvania State Board of Health,
and he reported to the secretary that he
had found good sanitary condition at
the points mentioned. The owners of
the piggeries at both places had pro-
yided wells where the filth was tempo
rarily deposited and afterward carried
away and used on the surrounding farm
lands to make the soil rich. The Penn
sylvania health officer was satisfied that
this modus operandi was being strictly
carried out, and as he saw no contami-
nation of the water he came to the con-
clusion that there was none, and so re-
ported to DR.. Lee, who in turn com.
municated with Secretary Frazer of the
Delaware board.
The presumption is that the expose Of
the condition of things along the his
toric stream few weeks ago, and parti-
cularly of the parties named, prompted
them to take the step that they did in
digging the wells. So by the time the
health officer reached them the pig
owners had had sufficient warning in
the public press, and were equipped
with these temporary repositories, and
showing them to the health officer Illus
trated to him how nicely they were liv
ing up to the requirements of the laws
The impression was given to the otliCia
who made the investigation that the city
drinking water had not been polluted
from that source at all, while in realit.
the matter Of preventing contamination
had only been looked after immediatel,
after the expose, and at Cossart, at an.
rate, the condition of things was Above,
to drift back into the old rut as soon a
the breeze had blown over.
At Chadds Ford it is believed tina
the owners OF the piggeries are making
an effort to prevent pollution and ar
irving to convert the refuse from the pi
pens into a useful fertilizer for tn
adjacent farm lands.
The second notification it is thought
will stir DR.. Lee up to such an exten
that he will undoubtedly take summar
means to put stop to this dangerou
practice of allowing the filth from pi
pens TO run directly into the waite
supply of the city of Wilmington, an
IL all probability freight it with germ
Of disease. All summer-the mos
dangerous season of the year in this II
spect people of Wilmington wer
taking with their drinking waite
molecules of filth that would hay
caused many stomachs to revolt at IL
thought, had they known the conditio
of things.
Secretary Frazer of the State Boar
of Health and Thomas M. Culbert
the Water Department made the fir
inspection, several weeks ago, and whit
they found at Rockland. Chadd's Fol
and Cossart, as has already been puI
lished, justified self congratulation tn
Wilmington had in some miraculo,
way escaped some terrible malady,
the waters of the Brandywine we
fraught with germs that were liable
create great havoc with the health
the community.
Secretary Colquhoun's examinatit
the other day proved that there "
very little systematic pollution Of t
water supply except at Cossart, t
others, after notification, having tax
steps to remedy the evil. But, what
discovered at Cossart almost scken
him, and he needed no one to tell Ii
what to do. He Immediately turned t
matter over to Mr.. Frazer, who put
into the hands of the Pennsylvania
thorities.
II is believed that this last notificati
will bring the answer, and it is hoI
that in the future all outlets for ref
and filth which empty into the Bran
vine will be permanently abandon
and that with the new tilterer now
course of construction Wilmington '
be no more troubled with impure dri
ing water.