The Washington times., 1894-06-27
FREE WATER FOR THE POOR
Public Drinking Fountains as Sub
stitute for Pumps.
CITIZENS COMMEND THE PLAN
No Funds Provided for the Purpose. but Con-
gress Will Be Asked to Lsgislate-Health
Officer Hammett's views-Is the Potomac
Water Purei-Artesian Wells.
Free water for the poor.

Free water for the poor.
1t should also be pure and In plenty.
This can be secured by the establishment OF
fountains on every block or two for the dis
tribution OF water taken either from the river
or artesian wells.
The Commissioners are ordering whole
sale abandonment OF the wells which were
previously too few and too badly kept to sup
ply the demand made upon them, but they
are taking no steps to provide other means OF
water supply. They admit that something
ought to be done, but say there is no fund
| provided for the purpose.
The people must have water and TIE TIMES
proposes to see that they get 1t, even il 1t Is
necessary TO have Congress legislate upon
the subject Here are few opinions which
reflect the sentiments OF nearly the entire
community:
box. j. W. Ross president OF the board of
District Commissioners: There Is no DISPOSE
ton upon the part OF the board to close wells
not condemned. Those only that are pro-
nounced unsafe from a sanitary point OF view
have been closed. 1t would Of course be a
good thing to have public drinking fountains
as substitute for the condemned wells, but
still it is a matter that ought not to be
by the board before an expression is given.
We have no money for the purpose, however,
and the expense would have to be provided
for"
ENGINEER COMMISSIONER POWELL said: "The
Commissioners do not mean to close all the
wells, but only such as have been reported
as being unfit for use. The wells will not be
closed until an analysis has been made to
show that the w~ter is not fit to drink. So
far us taking water from the poor people of
the city is concerned such an idea is not In
the minds of the Commissioners. We will
not replace hydrants for every pump re-
moved. The District could not do that. We
will. however. put up hydrants when appli-
cations arc made for them. People who want
them can get them by. as said. simply send
ing in a petition for them. The poor shall
have all the water they need, and that freely"
HEALTH OFFICERS VIEWS.
DE-. J. C. HAMMErr. health officer: ''The
question OF establishing fountains depends
Potomac water is altogether free from pollu-
ton, the fountains would certainly replace
the condemned wells. so far as supplying
water is concerned. Some OF the wells In the
city have been condemned as impure by the
medical profession. am not sure, however,
that typhoid fever is altogether due to the use
OF well water. ! am considering and think
shall make suggestion to the Commission
ers to have the Potomac supply critically ex-
amined. This thing of cutting OF water
supply is a serious matter. and If the condem-
nation OF the wells is TO be general. think
the CITY should put down artesian wells. 1t
will not be expensive to sink such wells
throughout the city. had a drink from one
put down right on the bank OF the Potomac
not long ago. and its entire cost was but SIS.
II furnishes the best water TO be found any
where in the world"
GEORGE HERON. Vi. D., No. 10l6 Ninth street
northwest: Il am OF the opinion that the
water in the wells is naturally pure. believe.
also. that any impurities that now exist are
from nearby and avoidable causes. | do not
believe the establishing of fountains would
oDviate the trouble. for that supply is Eot al
ways pure. From artesian wells the water
obtained is always good for drinking pur-
poses. The well at the corner of Sixth and o
streets has been condemned as unfit for use
and il doubtless is; but the impurities arise
from the near location of the sewerage. That
has been put in long since the well was sunk.
The water can be and should be made lit for
use"
JOHN II. ONTRIcH, corner OF H and Sixth
streets northwest: Il don't see why they
should condemn The wells until something
better is provided. The Potomac water is
sometimes unit for use and when it becomes
as muddy as II was a short time ago do not
see low anybody could drink 1t. do not
know what / should do withoulthe pump that
stands in front OF my store. A fountain would
only furnish Potomac water. If the well water
is unfit for use what can be furnished instead?
/ do not want TO use water that is impure, but
l have been drinking pump water for ten
years and it has never made me sick. Weuse
it for cooking i'll preference to the hydrant
water"
WHAT ABOUT POTOMAC WATER?
]. A. HAROLD, corner of Twelfth and D
streets southwest: .'If the water has been an
alyze1 and found to be impure. no one wants
TO use it. but what about Potomac water? In
lieu of pumps. however. think fountains
should be provided, though tina. would only
supply Potomac water, which isn't always fit
10 drink. That is the best substitute though.
that can be secured, SO far as i can see. The
people here were very much aggrieved when
the pump was denied them at the corner OF
Thirteenth and D streets. They are willing
to drink the water and take the risks"
c. Y. Bo.RaAN. NJ. D., No. l104 Maryland
avenue southwest: In the first place do
not believe it was necessary to abandon the
pumps. / believe the water from the wells Is
purer than the Potomac water. NV expert
ence of twenty years rs physician in this
community is decidedly in favor of the
pumps. l do not know what the people are
going TO do. Many of them cam ot afford to
buy ice. and even il they could the Potomac
water is not fit to use unless filtered and
boiled. II the pumps must be abandoned the
substitution of fountains is about the only
thing to be done, but for reasons stated that
would be no better for health
Z. b. STUniPH, OF Stumph & Bro. manu.
facturers. Nos. 63l to G35 Massachusetts
avenue northwest: MY idea is that if the sur
face water is impure, and if the pump water
cannot be used on account of its iii effects
upon health, we should 20 down deeper into
the earth and get supply. II the water
supply is cut off something must be done
towards providing substitute for the pumps.
FOu untaius might do or walIa srpE h1- fba o.