The evening world., 1893-07-10
DUE TO THE WATER ?.
Alarming Increase in Deaths from
Intestinal Diseases.
Blowing or hydrants viii Purify
The City's Croion.
Commissioner Daily Says II Will Bs
;uno II Necessary.

Tnere Is no small amount OF appTeneh-
sion among the people OF the city over
the suddenly increased death rate. as
shown by the records filed in the Bureau
of Vital Statistics for the week ending
July 8. The report demonstrated that
there were 2l5 more deaths last week
than were reported for the previous
seven days, and that the cause for the
startling upward tendency In mortality
10 chiefly due to the precipitate Increase
among intestinal complaints.
Without any doubt there is excellent
ground for apprehension when 1t is con-
sidered that the chief cause for great
deal Of intestinal disorders is impure
drinking water, and that never before
have there been 80 many complaints re-
ceived at the Health Department rela-
tive to the filthiness Of Croton. Gen.
Emmons Clark, Secretary OF the Health
Board, this morning mailed list OF
complaints, a score in number. to the
Department Of Public Works, with the
request that Com%missioner % ,n, pay zee zee
houses whence the complaints came
were Immediately cleansed.
Secretary Clark said to an Evening
''You can say that the Health Depart
ment 10 doing all It can to give our citi-
zens pure drinking water. There's no
in good condition. The late analysis
has Ere ven that most enectually:
The main trouble is in what Is
termed the dead ends OF the water
the cross streets. The complaints which
we receive. with scarcely any exception.
come from streets and not avenues.
are filled with pure water.
ut Is easy to explain how refuse
gets In the dead ends Take, for, in
oanse on sps av.nm saans dcwn Se a
through Elghty-eighth street. ending,
perhaps. two blocks distant from the
main Naturally the tenants nand .ba IN ars tns ne
the time The suction consequently
draws any vegetation which may hap
pen to be floating down through the
remains, for there Is nothing to force
II out again. Of course II accumulates.
until finally. becoming decaytd, the
only remedy then Is to blow the pipe
on.' and that Is accomplished by open
ing the hydrant. ,,.. ~. ,.,..,, ra,,
not be located at the extreme end Of
the dead end and In such event II
would be difficult. and perhaps impossible
@.cner ssanse OF fs Public MasF Work. dass to
must say that i believe that the lake is
IN gOOQ. nealtny COnultlOn.
offensiyeness of the water are prone 70
doubt the dead end" theory. and say
in refutation that 1t is very strange that
other years. They think that II, has
taken a long time to fill these dead
ends" up with decayed matter They
to remedy the state OF affairs imme-
some Of these people have complained
have the water a! TO drink, and signed
AckIey. Mrs J B.. Arms,rons ,1rorson Mrs; n., w w;
A. NOrwood Ina NM Mrs L. cIarksoh Roh:rts pay'd n
tenants OF 81 East One Hundred and
Fourteenth street, Just west OF Park
Miss Annie Thomas. who is a mem
her OF the Woman's Protective Health
Associa ton. and resides at 81 West
Twentieth street, complains OF the wa
that her family are obliged to use syr
ups In the Croton In order to render 1t
At to drink, She criticises Mayor Gilroy
Croton water was never so healthful as
now: Miss Thomas says II was never
10 Dr. ri'no 1ohn r. Naxle, of the Bureau OF
vital Statistics. said to-day that there
was no question that impure water
breeded intestinal complaints. He said:
ons 's the Week
increase Of 81. which is double and more
the record made the week before. l
cannot say whether the state of the
do with the big Increase; but 1t would
The matter Of purifying the water,
sse%s now to fail on e1 ths sSouasrs
Commissioner Of Public Works Michael
T. Daily, who said to an Evening
World" reporter to-day:
q nd In taSt ia
OF the water are caused by the blowing
Off of the dead ends Of the wat-r
pipes. There Is a sediment Of vegetabl.
matter at the dead ends which is dis
tributed through the mains by the
blowing of process.
Another contributing cause FOR tbs
is that we are compelled at this season
OF the year to draw on our reserv,
supply. In which vegetable matter has
aaeTm9afed ao IN HaIens we have to provide 49,
the running supply Is not sufficient.
''The same complaint about the water
is made every year when we blow OF
the hydrants and draw on the reserve
supply. but there is no danger to health
In the condition OF the wate.. The dis,
turSing cause is only temporary,
show that the water Is In good condition
The pipes must be cleaned out. and
there appears no better way than tn,
blowing-On process at present.
"Chief Engineer Birdsal is, however
trying to devise another plan. He Is
making tests with the Woolf electriCa
purifying apparatus now In use in IN,
troton watershed, with a view 10 ap
plying the system to the publication o
the water before II Is distributed In III,
pipes at the reservoir. thereby lessenini
the danger from the accumulation o
vegetable matter In dead ends.
The Woolf system has proved a de-
cided success in the treatme OF tn
sewage at Brewsters."
Mr.. DAILY ssid h. would consult witt
Grief Engineer Birdsall, and II the latte
deems Il necessary, every hydrant IN III
city will be blow Off.
Mr.. DAILY was certain the trouble CON
plained OF did not originate In the water
shed, where the city has recently In
Cured expenses amounting to 81 Oy, VI
or more to prevent the pollution OF tn
streams fIom which we get our water
He was Convinced 1t was purely loCa
Califorpia'u Mia uiptsr E.,r