The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-02-25

Central r. R. Bridge Newark
An investigation into the . results aSisaO OBJ
tained by filtration at the Sewage Disposal
Works, at Summit, was undertaken, and
specimens We're obtained Of the clear
two outlets from the filter bed. The re
suits of the examination are as follows
Samples obtained December 81, 1896.
A. Clear sewage.
Appearance in bottle decidedly tur-
bid.
No. Bacteria per c. c, 1,112.25o.
Bacilli Coli Communis very numer-
Tests for Typhoid bac;lli, negative.
odor given Off from cultures, de-
E. Filtrate from westerly outlet.
appearances in bottle very cloudy
No. Bacteria per c. c.. LOSS, 800.
Bacili Coli Communis very numer-
Gus; little # any difference between
plates made from this sample and
those from clear sewage.
Odor given off by cultures. decided
" offensive.
G. FFiltrate from northerly outlet.
appearance In bottle slightly tur-
No. Bacteria per C. c., S5. 44o.
Bacilf Coli Communis numerous.
Tests for Typhoid, negative.
Odor given off from cultures. often
sive.
The examination above recorded, while
some 50 r eeneIste y as they 9Ssv might ghi be II
the existence of a condition of the water
which is little, if any, better than ordi,,
nary sewage, n this IN the nature OF
and the Indications are that the amo11nt
OF pollution will increase, while the vel
ume or water in the river is not likely
to receive n material addition.
AT the present time, the water of the
river, shortly after passing over the Pas
sale Falls, at Paterson, assumes a con-
dit1cn which makes 1t unfit to be used
TOT any purpose, other than transpor-
tatlon ana power. on account of the foul
deposit with which It coats everything
coming in contact with it.
It IS obvious that the water must he
used to a greater or less extent forjman-
uIacturlng purposes, and furnishing as it
does, pabulum for the enormous multiple
cation of bacterial life, if by any chance
the river should become infected with
eny especially yirulent type of disease
germ, the results would be disastrous.
and the use OF the water by manufac-
tuners and their mill hands, absolutely
dangerous.
meteorological examinations of sam
pies Of the deposit from the riveribanks
and bottom were made, and incubation
experiments or animals performed. the
results OF which shcw that this material
is absolutely teeming with bacterial life.
and when a very small amount Of the
deposit was injected under the skin of
a Guinea pig, the animal invariably died.
Samples were obtained from the fol-
December 81, 1~Ss6.-Sample from river
bank half a mile below Summits Sewage
Disposal Works, on the Passaao River.
This consisted of : a brownish foul-smell-
ing substance, and culture experiments
showed that the number of bacteria con-
tanned in a gramme labout Is grains) vas
6.043, 500. Bacillus Coli Communis was
very numerous.
January 8, 1897.-Sample of mud OBJ
tanned from the bottom of the river, foot
of Crooks avenue, Dundee Lake. The
deposit at this point was found to be
upwards of two feet and a half thick,
and consisted of an inky black, foul
smelling mass Of debris, containing a
large amount of decompcsing organic
matter, which under direct microscopic
examination showed a great variety of
diatCmes, micro-organisms and bacterial
life. Number of bacteria contained in
one gramme (about 10 grains) was 22,-
3370, 0G0.
Cultures made by adding a minute
quantity of this material to sterile bouil-
lon, gave off an abundance of sinking
gas. and examinations showed that the
bacillus of tetanus Qockjaw) was pres
emit in great numbers.
Several Guinea pigs were innoculated
with small quantities of an emulsion
made by adding some sterile water to
one gramme of this material, and in ev-
cry case, even where only an amount
equivalent to one-tenih of a gramme was
infected beneath the skin of an animal,
death ensued.
Some of the material was dessicated
and kept in a dried state for one week.,
and then moistened with sterile water.
and was afterwards injected beneath the
skin of Guine pigs. Fatal results fol-
lowed the injection in every case.
What the effect on the people living
adjacent to the river bank Is, can only
be conjectured, but the fact remains that
the water of the river is as foul as it
possibly can be, while the deposit pre-
cipitated along the course of the stream
is of such a nature that whether in a
moist or dried state, it contains elements,
which when introduced into the body, are
absolutely dangerous to life, and the re-
suit is reflected in deprecated property
values along the polluted portion Of the
river.