The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-09-17

40 u q
Of the town Of Jasper, in a com
plant filed in the Dubois Circuit
Court this week, on account of the
building of the water works reser
voir. This reservoir is n of the
ll-advised mistakes of the late
board. Mr.. Fink claims that it is
improperly built, allowing it to leak
and fill his cellar, well and cistern
with foul, black and u~nwholesome
water, that this has caused the
death Of his young daughter, and
the continued sickness Of his fam
lily, and TUNED his former healthy
home into a place unfit to live in,
and caused him to carry the water
he uses for domestic purposes in
his residence, and that his well and
c~istern formerly supplied, a dis
lance of nearly half a mile.
The fact is, a good reservoir can
not be made there at a cost less than
double the sum a modern and safe
stand pipe could be built for. The
facts had as we'll be understood.
To repair the reservoir now and
make it safe, and temporarily water
tight will cost over $1,000, and then
the stagnant water will produce
typhoid germs that are liable to
make the whole town, by sprinkling
Of the streets and lawns with it, a
victim of typhoid epidemics. All
physicians know this, whether they
are willing to acknowledge it or not.
Then, after repairs are once
made they will have to be repeated
probably every year, as the sand
rock foundation, full Of seams and
assures, and the coal and white
clay, will constantly be washing
out, sinking unevenly, and under
mining and cracking the bottom
and sides of the reservoir. Any
engineer of half sense, who has had
experience in such affairs, will bear
out this assertion. A solid sand
stone foundation, or a lime stone
CT granite one, can be used for a
reservoir foundation, but not such
a formation as extends the entire
depth of that hill, as has been
shown by the drill.
The best and most economical
thing the town can do now, woulc
be to abandon that reservoir entire
ly, put up a good stand pipe, 1O(
feet high If necessary, contrac
with drillers, upon the insurance
plan to drill enough wells to furnish
it with an abundance of PURE wa
tel, upon the town lot on Mill street
where the former town house stood
Well drillers are ready to under
take to put down wells and furnisl
sufficient PURE water to keep tn
stand pipe full all the time at thei
W risk, not to be paid for unit
The PURE water is furnished in stuff
cient quantity, and do the work q
a reasonable price. Pure waite
would remove to a large extent, tn
danger constantly present now, G
disease germs, and further suit
against the town when other death
shall occur, like those in Mr.. Fink
family, from the contamination {
the water. These deaths, and r.
sulting suits for damages, are likel
to become more numerous viii
the present water is used even i
sprinkling, as the people becon
more generally informed as to the
legal rights against the corporation
Besides, the pure water would SOC
furnish double the revenue to Il
town it derives from the preseI
water-as it would be used
houses all winter instead OF only
the summer months, as at preser
Every new house would be fit
for the water then, as it would sa
the expense of wells and cistern
and would be more healthful. T
cost Of keeping a supply in I
stand pipe need not be any great
than at present, and the servi
pressure would be much superior
The old saying is thought wit
the dearest" but in this cas-
town should profit by it.