Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-16
POLLUTION o. POTOMAC
Trial of Charges Against Piedmont Pulp and
Paper .6onpany.
Case Transferred From Allegheny
1st
County. Nd, Courtsito Frederick
Legal Talent Employed.


The case of the stateie against the Pied
mont Pulp ard PAPER Company, growing
out of the alleged pollution of the Potomac
river water, began, at Frederick, Nd,
this morning, having been removed from
the circuit court of Allegheny county.
and in all probability will continue for
several weeks, as there are many wit
nesses to be examined. The case has
aroused much interest in that section of
the country because of the large array
of legal talent engaged in the fight, and
the outcome is of Importance to Wash
ingtonians because of the fact that its
drinking water comes in part from that
branch of the river.
1t is charged by the prosecution that
the pulp mills pOllute the Potomac river
from which the city of Cumberland OBJ
tains it's water supply. The case has been
pending for some time. and on applfca-
ton Of the defense was removed to Fred
erick.
Side of thes Defense .--5
1t is said that the defense will endeayor
to prove that the tanneries, coal mines,
drainage and various other industries
along the banks of the river are resoonsi-
BILE to greater extent than the pulp
mills for the polluted condition of the
river. Expert testimony will be introduc-
ed to show that the water Durifies itself
from the refuse matter thrown out from
their mills after flow of twelve miles,
The defense claim they will show the
water Of the river was unfit for use over
fifteen years before their pulp mill was
erected, which was in 1889. They allege
that the principal pollution of the water
was caused by the West Virginia Central
railroad, which built through that
section in 1884, which opened I'D that
portion of the country, and that the river
has since become SO contaminated by Or
s,i<,
and sulphur from the coal mines above
their pulp mill that in 1890, when they
started operations in their mills they
were unable to use the water themselves
put We're compelled to put in a filter, at a
cost of $4,000, to purify the water to rem
der 1t fit for making paper. One mile be-
low their mill Georges creek emptics into
the Potomac river
This creek bears sewage from Lonacon-
lEs and Frostburg, with a population of
about nine thousand people, and it will he
shown, they say, that the most of the
water closets are flushed by water from
their reservoirs and the soil into Georges
creek. They will also show that sewage
and filth from the slaughter houses. out
houses and tenneries at Keyser, Pied
mont, Ocean, Pekin, Midland, Western
port and other places along this creek
empty into 1t and is carried down into the
river from which Cumberland takes her
water supply. They will show by expert
testimony that about forty tons of SUI
ph'irlc acfd emDt1eS into the river every
twenty-four hours from the mines above
the mill which renders the water unfit
for any purposes whatever. and that this
sulphur, or green v1tri1, contamnates
the water that nothing can grow along
the river banks ana that it viii kill any
thing from microbt to oak tree
Mills Cost 100000.
The mills are lQcated about thirty six
miles above Cumberland and give employ
ment to about 900 people. They were
erected at cost of about 100000. H.
The interests Of the company will be
defended by Messrs. benjamin A. Rich
mond, De Warren H. Reynolds, D. j.
Biackston of Cumberland, C. F. Moore of
Piedmont and Erner.4 Keedy & Urner of
Frederick. The attorneys for the prose-
cution are Messrs. George A. Pearre Fer
dinand Williams, Robert H. Gordon of
Cumberland and States Attorney VIM. H.
Kinks of Frederick Two hundred and fif-
teen witnesses, among whom is Governor
Lowndes, have been summoned to appear.