Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-02

Corner of 10th and c streets southwest
Corner of 18th and d streets southwest
r street between 18th and 18th northwest.
Corner OF 18th and 5 streets northwest.
Fifth street between p and = northwest.
In reference to these wells your commit
tee re commend that they be closed perma-
nently.,
Fourteen of the remaining wells examined
exhibit such characteristics when tested by
one or the other of the two methods above
referred to as to justify their being classed
as suspicious or doubtful. They are stu
ated as follows:
Corner of 18th and X streets northwest
Corner of 10th and X streets northwest
Corner of 9TH and Virginia avenue south
west.
Virginia avenue between 10th and 18th
southwest.
Corner of Sth and + streets southwest
Corner of 18th and + streets northeast
Corner of 2lst and Z streets northwest
Corner of ID and l streets southeast
Il street between 18th and 18th northwest
Brishtwood road, south of Whitney ave-
nue..
Brightwood road, north of Whitney ave-
nue..
Corner of 9Th and n streets northwest.
Corner of 9th and streets northwest
Corner of Farragut and Sherman avenues
In the judgment of the committee these
wells should be thoroughly overhauled and
cleaned. after which the water should he
re-eXamined. Where IL continues to exhibit
suspicious characteristics the wells should
be permanently closed.
Since % per cent OF the wells selected nj
random and examined by the COMMITTEES
have been found bad and only about ~
per cent have been found good the commits
Tee desires to urge upon the Sanitary
League the Importance of advising the peo-
pie of this city that every surface well is a
menace to health.
l submit herewith the detailed renorts of
Drs. New and Smith, which will be found
to embrace many interesting conclusions
Inc examination of water in other wells
In the city and the re-examination of some
included in the thirty referred to in this va
port VIII be continued through the summer
months.
In conclusion, 1t is important to remark
that the water of the Potomac river from
which the entire supply of the CITY Is pra O.
ticaly obtained, and which when clear Is
superior to that of most other cities in this
country. when in condition of extreme
turbidity, as it often is, proves upon exami-
nation to be extremely bad worse even
than the majority of the wells above re-
ferred to- Respectfully.
T. c. MENDENHALL, Chairman
DIR. TheObnld Smiths observations.
Accompanying this document were the full
reports made by Drs New and Smith DIR
Smiths report gives in detail the results of
the meteorological examination of sixteen
wells located in different parts of the CITY
and of Potomac drinking water as drawn
from a city faucet The examination. DR.
oHlitn says, nau 10 DC restricted to this
small number because it was deemed better
to make more thorough Investigation of
few wells, than to examine 'sllperficially n
larger number. After giving an account of
the methods followed in estimating the
number of bacteria and determining the
presence of intestinal bacteria, Dr. Smith
calls attention TO the fact that in a consi,l-
cradle percentage of the sixteen wells ax-
amined the number of bacteria Is unusually
low. This generally favorable record OF
the well water examined he says. must
be credited to our efficient sewerage which
prevents the Improvisation OF the 6crner
layers of the soil with fccal matter and tn
the largely impervious pavement which
prevents the contamination of the sanar-
fcial layers. The care which has been ex-
ercised in the construction of the wells may
also have much to do with the relative
purity of the ground water" With refer
ence to Potomac water, DIR. Smith saws
the samples collected at various times dif
fered from the water of most of the wells
examined IN containing a large number of
bacteria, which multiply at a high tennper-
ature. This difference" saws Or Smith
between much of the we'll water and tha
Potomac water indicates the presence in
the latter of a large number of bacteria
from the surface of the soil. In fact they
could not have come from any other source
The number of fecal bacteria present in
Potomac water fuctuates considerably and
may be very high when the water is turbid
This Is shown by the analysis of November
II, 1893 The analysis of February 10 1894
indicates a smaller number, but | think
this is only apparent. Too much water was
added to each tube to make the test reliable
From one of the tubes indica ting a focal
species bccli communs was isolated as an
ticipated. From the sample of No. Is two
varieties of this species were isolated The
other tests, made on July % August IL and
January 80. indicate marked dminution in
the number of focal bacteria, for none ap-