St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-18
POINTS ON HEALTH
DULUTH OFFICIAL INQUIRIES INTO
SANITATION METHODS IN
ST. PAUL.
TALKS ON FEVER EPIDEMIC.
THINKS THE ZENITH CITY AU-
THORITIES HAVE CHECKED
THE DISEASE.
LOAFING IN THE CITY HALL.
Board of Public Works Considers
Some Paving Orders-Other News
in the Big Building.
TALKS ON FEVER EPIDEMIC.


F. ". Kugler, a member of the Du-
luth board of health, who is attending
the Masonic grand lodge meeting,
called at the Office of the board of
health yesterday afternoon for the pur-
pose Of ascertaining the sanitation
methods of the st. Paul health de-
partment. DR.. Stone was absent at
the time, but Mr.. Kugler had a
lengthy interview with Mr.. Sinks, the
inspector Of contagious diseases. Re
ferring to- the typhoid epidemic in
Duluth, Mr.. Kugler said:
we are confident that we have con-
quered it at last, but only after the
most persistent and aggressive tactics
or the health department. When we
flrst began the investigation, it ap-
peared that a certain creek supplying
water Tor small portion of the city
was contaminated, but this by no
means accounted for the wide preva-
fence OF the disease. Upon pursuing
our Investigations. the break in the
intake pipe extending into Lake Su-
perlor was discovered. Break is not
the word, either, for the divers found
that the intake pipe extended only 200
connected with the pipe that lay be-
yond, which extended in a zig-zae di-
rection some 200 feet or more further
out into the lake.
But we do not attribute the epidemic
10 the germs that may have floated into
the intake pipe, for it was afterwards
learned that the intake well at the
shore was so badly constructed that
water, contaminated with the contents
OF q sewer near by had seeped into it.
Inc health department had made prep
arat1ons to examine the we'll, but the
duluth Gas and Water company in
lerposed all sorts of obstacles. At last
When the health department was au-
thor1zed to examine the well on a GER
tain morning, the gas and water COM
pany sent a force of men the night be-
lore, and the well was cleaned out. But
policeman whom we had stationed
thereesaw the filthzand -decayed matter
removed from that well. He said it
was .sickening sight
"The next morning the health depart-
ment inspected the well. We employed
engineers to calculate the seepage and
they reported that it was fully IS per
cent, that is, that IS per cent Of the
contents Of the well when full would
consist of water that percolated from
without through the cement wall into
the we'll.
THAT was enough. The public knows
what followed, and so do the indicted
officials of the Duluth Gas and Water
company. / am glad to be able to say
that our typhoid fever has decreased
materially during the present month.
The citizens have been supplied with
pure spring water, while the plant of
the gas and water company has been
undergoing alteration and repair. I
understand that this work has just
been completed, and that the lake wa
ter will be turned on in day or two.
In the near future the water works
plant will be removed from the pres
ent location to point on the northern
shore of the lake, some eight miles east
of the present site. This L am sure, will
give us water absolutely pure"