The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-31
Pure WATER FOR THE PEOPLE.
The Polluted PaWtuxet and Fill
tration.
ARTICLE NO. I.
ARTICLE NO. L.


water within IL; and men must then die for
| want OF water; or die of the poison which
they drink from these city wells. How
ever much these owners OF mills may
desire to let us have the waters which they
nrst use, pure and undefiled, they are
powerless In the premises. That means,
that in spite OF all that they can do, the
poison may still come. Moreover, they
have certain rights, and SO too have the
people here. Time and thought, and a
cheap" OF il, and much money is neces-
sary to adjust the thing. Nevertheless
the thing must be adjusted.
In the meantime what is to be done
Your washerwoman, who strains the
water in which she washes your clothes,
out OF her slender weekly pittance buys
the water which she drinks; notwith-
standing she has already paid the city for
years allowance of this 'pure" Paw
tuxet. Wherein lies the equity in this?
The remedy lies in the hands OF the City
Council. Will it shirk its duty, or will it
people who seek health in sweet water as
the "hart panteth for the water brooks"
A Bit of History.
THE News will consider the efforts,
somewhat In detail, OF those who have
with unselfish purpose, sought only for
pure water for the people.
The first determined, and sustained as
sault upon the question of the publication
OF the Pawtuxet, was commenced in a
little periodical published in Providence,
entitled Book Notes, on September 12,
1891. The question WIS first started on
the danger from disease germs. This
danger was set forth in the following
form
demlc OF typhoid fever in this delightful city.
from the sth OF November to the 18th OF Deeem-
ber (33 days two hundred and hfty-four eases
curred; (Report Superintendent of Health, p.
~ rms number is the largest ever re-
ppSr,ed p0r.ed satns , IN ths year 1852 at which
tenden, OF health made immediate and searching
inyestigatons as TO the cause Of this extraordinary
In pages 1918 OF his report OF that year.
y was practically this: lie found at
Natck group Of tenements occupied by French
Canadian which people he specifically describes
'nlthy In their habits Among this group there
occurred 20 cases of typhoid The privies used by
these people were we'll cemenied, and were about
fifteen or twenty feet from the pawtuxet river the
land siopins to 1t The superintendent states that
the stream where the slops (of these htny
sick people) wagled with feeal matter were
slowly working their way into the water rep. D.
49, The superinte ndent then finds that on the sth
10th and Goth of November heavy rains fell, which
these typhoid stools into the Pawtuxet River
Report p. 49,, aud HIS records show the immediate
appearance of the dlaease in alarming numhers in
Proy.d snce. Cause and effect can scarcely be
joined with more unerring certainty"
Having stated the case with nauseating
truthfulness, Book Notes then summed
up as follows:
Thus stands the case, told solely by the officers
charged with this vital service. For 23 years
has has % been saw,nv sa,wa 'ne ,ropsh pure pswtaSet
INTO our houses and these conditions
s o esbe snassd Ss w the
remedy? Twenty years ago. DR.. J. b. Chaplin, the
father OF the present superintendent, made his
tainly was not promulgated, and ever
since we have been drinking a mixture OF
aud pig- stye drippines, and calling Il pure I Paw
tuxet Have we no remedy These Chapins GER
md 60 ia generations, and ther grasdchirdren & p viii
yet be pointing out to our grandch the num-
Der OF cuoc feet Of human faces which weekly flow
through the clean, sweet pipes OF the Pawtuxet.
Have we no remedy?"
Severe indeed IT was, but severity is OF
the very essence of truth. A fortnight |
ater Book Notes came again with another |
onslaught. The evident purpose of the |
writer was to arouse the people to |
she dangers which menaced them and |
.hus react upon tho men who in the |
,ity government had been selected to |
represent them. The quick response to |
,hese indictments on the part of those
neu most nearly connected with the oues-
ioN in the city government is now quite |
apparent. Mr.. Robert T.. Smith was land |
low isl Commissioner OF Public Works.
lie had received the appointment in
March, 1891, less than six months before.
man OF Judgment, experience and
act Mr.. j. &. Butterworth was sent at |
'nce, by the commissioner to examine,
Ind report, without fear or favor, and
mall hope of reward. The Book Note
Articles were dated respectively, Septem-
Der 18th and September 26th, and Mr..
5utterworta's reports to Mr.. Smith began
october n. Day after day was spent in
,robing the depths OF this terrible nasti-
less; but it was at last finished, and on
he Goth January, 1892, Commissioner
smith sent the report TO the City Council.
Two days later, on the 22d of January,
$50, the Prov dence Journal published
he entire report, devoting n whole page
o that purpose. This extraordinary act
m the part OF The Journal Il fine Illus
ration OF the force of public sentiment.
he Journal had steadily for years refused
dmittance in its columns to the slightest
vord in exposition OF this terrible danger.
he Journal head lines for the article were
stunning;