Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-13
POTOMAC RIVER POLLUTION
Preliminary Report Made by Secretary Of
Maryland Board Of Health.
The River Above Cumberland Shown
to Have Been In Bad Condition
for Many Years.

A preliminary report has been submitted
by DR.. John S. Fulton. secretary of the
Maryland state board Of health, on Poto-
mac river pollution. This report is based
On an investigation made at the request of
the city authorities of Cumberland, Nd,
and it shows that the Potomac river water
from which the whole o. the supply of
Cumberland is drawn, has been bad for
many years.
The Waterworks were constructed in 1871
and 1t is only presumable that the source
was then potable, but there is no evidence
of it except by inference from the construc-
ton Of Waterworks. The chemical history
of the water from 1881 to 1897 is known
At no time during these fifteen years has
it been good. DIR. Fulton recites the results
given by various investigators and the diff
ferent sources of contamination found by
the state health boards investigation.
These sources Of contamination are as
follows: Piedmont pulp and paper mills
at Luke, thirty miles above Cumberland
A serious contamination flows from these
works which cannot be remedied except by
chemical treatment.
Other Contamination.
Below the pulp mills are the sources Of
contamination from the towns of Piedmont
and Westernport, which pour their sewage
into the Potomac. Then comes Georges
creek, bearing the sewage of the towns of
Homecoming, Frostburg, Barton and Mid
land, from an aggregate of 10000 popula-
ton. Georges creek also receives waste
from coal mines. At Barton there arc
slaughter house and tannery discharges.
At keyser, w. Va, New creek empties into
the Potomac, bearing more sewage. Near
Cumberland is a dam which converts the
river into large settling basin for the
mingled waters of Wills creek and the
Potomac.
WHY'S creek receives the drainage of all
those parts of Cumberland lining it's banks.
More than 100 privies are built upon it's re-
tanning wall Three sewers and the waste
from the gas house, a tannery, a dye
house. brewery, a distillery. cement mill,
pulp mill, a glass factory. soap factory
and slaughter house empty therein.
Into the Potomac branch of the reser-
voir flow two open drains, which bear the
waste OF privies and water closets. The
intake pipe is 1900 feet long and is crossed
by the drains just mentioned.
Wills creek has a residue of 39S chic
rine. .26: free ammonia, 90; afbuminoid
ammonia, "a. The water contained in the
reservoir formed by the dam is the mixed
water of Wills creek and Potomac river.
Under certain circumstances currents
now up the Potomac from Wits creek,
and as the influence of the dam is percep-
tible at three miles distance, the influence
or Wits creek must In time of low water
be always present at the intake pipe, which
Is but LOCO feet distant"
Suggestions Made.
DR.. Fulton states as his conclusion that
the conversion of Potomac river water in
to potable supply can be effected by
building a second dam across the Potomac
above Wits creek, diverting into another
channel all the drainage of Cumberland at
present emptying into the north branch of
the Potomac, and by abating as far as
possible, the many nuisances and sources
of pollution upon the stream and its trfbu-
taries. The report adds that these reforms
cannot be carried SO far as to relieve the
city of the necessity of constructing a filter
bed and reservoir.
Attention is called to the necessity of
prompt action against the cause of con-
tamination in the city itself, where, the re-
port states, there must be serious defects
OF construction or material, if it be true
that the pollution of river water increases
in passing through LOCO feet of intake pipe.