New-York tribune., 1895-02-10
BROOKLYN WATER ALL RIGHT
LESS TYPHOID FEVER THERE THAN IN
ANY OTHER OF OUR CITIES.
HOW THE RECENT MUDDY APPEARANCE OF
THE WATER ACCOUNTED FoR-THE
SUPPLY PURE AND ABUNDANT.

SUPPLY PURE AND ABUNDANT.
The water OF Brooklyn has now returned to its
former state but during the last two or three weeks
its condition has been such as 10 excite alarm IN
the minds of many people. The alarm was needless
for the explanation Of the rOily condition Of the
water was exceedingly simple. Some three weeks
ago there was an exceptionally heavy winter rain
and the ground was frozen. considerable guam
tity of surface water the ponds and streams
from which part of the water supply Is taken; and
of course when this pumped into the
reservoir and distributed through the city mains II
presented a slightly muddy appearance. 1t was light
in color and there was the popularity about il that
the preciptated substances would not settle, even
II the water allowed to stand several hours.
This condition Increased slightly for three or four
days. remained uniform for three or four days more
and then gradually disappeared. During this time
there many inquiries made at the Health De-
partment to whether it was safe to use the
water and Health Commissioner Emery's advice 10
boil all drinkngwa tended 20 Increase the alarm
which existed in many households. 1t Il said, how
ever. that this IL the advice Invariably given by
that official. and that in his own house the rule is
to boil all drinking water the year round. To do
this Is err. II ALL the side of safety. but. In
the opinion OF other physicians that precaution is
not necessary. under ordinary conditions.
AS matter OF fact. an analysis OF the Brooklyn
water when the condition referred to was at It's
worst did disclose anything alarming. The quinn
tty OF Objectionable matter was considerably small
Ter than was found in the Croton water a few
weeks earlier when there had been no heavy rain to
account for an Increase Of dangerous substances The
remarks Of Commissioner Emery however. did not
allay apprehension. especially they were followed
in some quarters by alarming statements as 10 the
possibility OF An outbreak OF typhoid fever because
of the impaired water supply. These disclosed as
tonishing ignorance OF the facts one OF these facts
Is that no water from the polluted streams on Long
Island has been allowed to enter the conduit that
carries Brooklyn's water to Rdgewood for the last
six months Last summer when the supply was
short some OF this water was used, but as soon as
the crisis was passed 1t was shu, on and there is
no present likelihood that II viii be used again. Be
sides good progress made last year In cleaning
the watershed and this work Will be completed dur
ing the coming season The water supply Of the
city is now abundant, and the quality ~ excellent
Seven or eight years ago there were numerous
cases Of typhoid fever in Brooklyn the cause OF
which seemed mysterious 1t II not known that any
local conditions accountable for the outbreak.
which puzzled the physicians and health authorities
sorcly II local conditions responsible 1t IL evil
dent that they disappeared. II will doubtless
surprise the iyphod-fever alarmists to learn that
typhoid is practically unknown IN Brooklyn
which Is the model city OF the country In this re-
spect \ writer In The Engineering Record last
summer presented the compilation made by him OF
typhoid-fever statistics. made from the Official
reports OF boards OF health in seventeen of the prn
spai r ,S ss a2 OF yesrs tnr from i to M ns1Svc tho
average mortality per Loo from ihs cause wa 80
Providence y. Phiadelphs e. baltimore ' Wash
Ingtnn 5s Pttsburg l.b Buffalo 10 Cleveland -.
Detroit a. chicago loo. Milwauke" 81 - Louis al
San Francisco II. Cincinnati - Louisville " IN
Urooklyn tho number 0l deaths from typhoid IN lS'
2ls and the ratio per LOO Was va %. IN ~ ~
deaths i7i ratio per 100, 20 In ls'- deatns do,,
4; From The statistics collected the writer in The
Record' drew th-se interesting facts: - u..
Thus. cities IKE New-York BROOKLYN ana los nos,
ton which depend upon impounded water gathetsn
on w,iersheAs NJ considerable elevation above the
respective cities suffer less from typhoid leyer man
cities Ne rhadeIpSss afa he,r %ater supplies
from sewage-poujed rivers. and excepting chcasoi
the cities Ike Mll~aukee. Detroit, Cleveland aha h
Uunalo which draw their water supply from ms msr
t;re,f AYES have a larger death-rate from ypnoli
fever the cities which depend upon nch
water and smaller dcath-rats than the cities "H'"
draw their water from the rivers ,,, .
Taking Brooklyn as standard ana ca.lhg ~
% and comparing tho other cities IN the ist WIN
,he .eVenicen cities mentioned Is follows; BROOK
ivn 100 N~w-York lC5 Milwaukee % b9ston ~
ietroit / 10 Providence lS, hunalo ." san rrAHh-
Sso @ ,;,ioc,nnau , &, Cleveland - Washington 80.
IohsylIle tW chicago 500. and Pittshurg 30 .
the writer ma; me ss.'s,r - snv T, =,
our larger cities promp, and vgpr3us nir n,,b
remedy the prcsent deporabe condition of thet pun
lie water supplies . .,t,.t,, showing for
pro"klyn: ard New-York IL ~ close peh'nh tnat
they must be cla-sed together II shon,d p,.n'R In
he added that the ratio of deaths from tnis o" ~,
T."york during the four yeari IN question Was a. 1s
tol"ws. In 1890 81 per l.os0: In lS - IN l~-, -,
in 1893 % There was not cp snr nf ro"vn even
when the recently slightly nudny '"", 80, ,ovr there
while as for epidemic OF typh9n i'N"'' occnr
t,roLivn is The standard for the cities, oi WI
country in this respect ana WIZ ~" that is now
water water Traryded II bids fair remain such at least
~ n'n I'm as II retains IT, separate indViduai'y'