Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-06-05
A Communication.

Noticing Dr. r. j. Martins remarks
in the journal about typhoid fever and
the water supplies of the CITY, find there
are three that he claims drank Diamond
Spring water only, and think it my duty
to make a reply and state the facts about
those who he claims drank Diamond
Spring water only. In Investigating l find
there is only one family on Dayton street
nor has been for the past year with their
last name beginning with s., and that is
Sutherland.
The daughter Laura Sutherland was
taken with typhoid fever July 90 and
was tended by DIR. G. W. Martin of this
city. The mother tells me that her
daughter got typhoid fever from drinking
city water at Gannett & Morse's publish
ing house She was sick about four
weeks. The Mrs. S., as the Journal gives
1t, is the mother of Laura Sutherland.
She tells me that she had tho whole care
OF her daughter, being up nights and get
ting so tired out. she claims, that she
took the fever from her. She was taken
sick the second day of September and
was also tended by DR.. G. W. Martin.
She was sick about four weeks. There
wasn't drop of Diamond Spring water
left at their house by me nor by any one
else until left it on the 18th day of August
and l left 1t until the first day of October.
August 13, Miss II, age "A, So Sewall
street, as the Journal gives it, is lady by
the name of Miss Lottio Turner, and she
boarded at j. A. Norton's residence and
worked at Mrs McKay's, 80 Chapel
street, dressmaking. Mrs. j. a. Nor
ton tells me that she was all run down
and told her that she drank an awful lot
OF city water at her work at 80 Chapel
street, so you see she did not drink Dia
mond Spring water and no other as the
Drs Martin claim.
Regarding certain remarks to the eff
feet that the springs were "cluttered
up as badly as the surroundings, wish
to say a word In the first place there
are four springs in Wade's gully so called,
and the one / take water from to supply
nv water customers of this city with Is
in side of knoll thirty five feet from
the Lowell of the flat up the knoll to the
s ,ring and 20 feet from Norton's house
and SO feet from the sidewalk on Sewall
street The condition of the spring is
n, follows: There is n hogshead with
the bottom out set into the ground over
the spring and the earth around this
spring and in which the hogshead sets.
is solid blue clay about four feet deep
with a ouicksand bottom, and the hogs
head with the curbing is above the ground
far enough so the surface water cannot
run into it and it is all covered over ana
provided with good ventilation. 1t IS
impossible for the surface water to run
through the solid blue clay into the
spring. and it is impossible for the water
to run on top of the ground into the
spring.
There is n pipe laid from this spring
with fine strainer over 1t, under ground
to the tank, distance of about two hun
dred feet from the spring. The tank is OF
hard wood, is arranged so as to be oc-
casionally washed out but is made tight
enough to keep out dirt, sticks, etc. The
nine through which the water is drawn
off is about one foot from the bottom OF
the tank and in this is a vent so that about
two hogsheads an hour runs TO waste
TINS keeping the water in the tank In a
fresh as well as pure state. where the
trouhle comes is that the most OF the peo-
nle that don't know the difference take
the tank where load for the spring and
the surroundings of the tank has the ap-
4
pearanbe of cluttered condition. Inc
tank sets within about seventy feet
from J. A. Norton's wood shed and thers
| Is more or less cord wood piled IN several
places averaging about thirty ieet IRON
the tank so that any one taking the tanF
far the spring would naturally think j
Vas clnttered around it. The tank il
fastened up perfectly tight so that nothint
can get into it. 1t must De rsmeinpere'
/ tnat o,l the wood piles and all the build
inas are below the spring distance Q
ahout two. hundred feet. Now If DR.. u
w Martin or anyone else thinks that tn
Diamond Springs are unhealthy AM
cluttered up II would ike TO nave tnell .
and examine the Devine Springs SO caiie'
near Gannett's pasture. ! don't see how
t lear can he any purer water than tn
T diamond Spring water in the world, whe'
it analyses o5 per cent, equally y,, as pa .s
as the Poland W .t hssn nes sold' gb or
pas1 49, has been carried of and uses