The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-24
@essen9er.
WELLS

1t was with satisfaction We saw in
State Geologist Holiness report of
work for the year, so much attention
Eiyen to the water q~uestion-to supply
fn the eastern section with better, pur-
<r water, and mainly by artesian wells,
fDr the many. The Messenger gives at
DENTON to this matter and has con-
tended, as others have, that it is NAL
aqua and not 50 much malaria, that
Is the inter in fevers and agues, and
other diseases, in the eastern portion
OF the state. Drink none but pure
urafer and keep the premises clean.
and you will in all probability escape
the malaria. A perfect system or
thorough system of drainage Cby sew
ers), for every household in Whining
ton, will shut off ni~ne-tenths of local
diseases produced by local conditions.
Professor Holmes tE Ks the intro
duction of artesian wells will be- a
most important thing for all of the
eastern counties. We believe all south
and east of Raleigh would be very
greatly benefited by these wells. They
would supply abundantly good, whole
some drinking water. We have long
had an impression that half the state
was injured both in health and pocket
by bad water. Professor Holmes is
doubtless correct and Informed when
he says that the reputation Of east
ern North Carolina has suffered so
.-x-.-~1x- ruo-o ALa lama nf n n1o-
ria in many regions that its devel-
.oprnent has been seriously retarded in
the past, and many who would other
wise have settled in that region and
would have helped to build it up, have
been kept away by the fear Of mala-
ria. During recent years, however, it
has been shown by unmistakable and
abundant evidence that at least by far
the larger part of the malaria preva-
lent in this region was due to the
drinking water from surface springs
and shallow wells in which abound the
living organisms now known by the
specialists as malaria germs" The
larger towns in a small degree have
Cisterns, but, as he says, they are linn
tied in supply and confined almost en-
tirely to 1.-The most intelligent class"
or we may add, the well-to-do. h
thing to he done is to provide pure
drinking water for all. Every cOnsid-
Grafton of private interest, humanity,
~benevolence and the public welfare ap-
peal to all to have a change-a radl-
--l .nnp on-cn onmn1pta as TO DILL
pure drinking water free as the air at
every door, and to provide thorough
sewage The longer it is delayed the
greater the suffering. the wider the
range of sickness, the higher the
death rate. Wilmington should wake
ND. for it's rate of mortality for 1897, is
very high. With the water and sew
age this would have been impossible.
Think on these things. Professor
Holmes takes a cheerful view of the
success of artesian wells in the east.
We thinks that good supplies of pure
drinking water will be yet secured in
pur city at a depth between 1000 and
2,o0O feet. He says, and it is OF sufh-
, cient Importance to be copied again:
'The first pronounced success in this
direction was a we'll bored under the
advice of this survey at Hope Mills, IN
Cumberland county, and this has 'peen
followed up by a number or SUCCESSFUL
Fx,rings in Cumberland, Robson, Bla-
: den, Columbus, Craven, Hyde, Edge
combe. and some other counties, as at
wrightsville beach, in New Hanover.
3, The water at all of these deep wells
G. does not overflow at the surface put
in such cases it comes su1llclehtiy
near so that it can be easily brought
tn the surface by the use OF ordinary
Dumps. The quality of the water from
the different wells is o being inves-
figated by the survey. 1t, OF course
at different places, as 1t may be ma
yored with different mineral SUD-
but in all cases 1t appears 10
Te free from such organic germs as
could produce malaria and other dis
eases"