The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-21
INVESTIGATION IS ON.
Board of Health Trying to Locate
Responsibility for the Diph-
iberia at Green Ridge.
Witnesses Examined.

For three hours last night a volume
of expert testimony was taken at the
special meeting of the board of health
in the investigation of the diphtheretic
epidemic in the vicinity of No. % school.
One thing was settled beyond doubt.
The identity of the man who cut the
hole in the sewer pipe was established.
He is Charles Heller, of the South Side,
foreman of gang of bricklayers in
the employ of Conrad Schroeder. Mr..
Heller admitted it himself, and said he
did it at the suggestion of George
Clark. foreman of the heating and VEN
tlating department Of the Hunt & Con-
nell Co. Mr.. Clark was not present,
but will be heard from tonight.
The rent in the pipe is irregular and
about large enough to put ones three
fingers in to the second joints. A sec
tion of the pipe a foot long, containing
the hole, was brought to the meeting
for observation.
DIR. Paine, Attorney George 5. Horn,
w. G. OMalley and NJ. j. Kelley We're
the members of the board present. At
torney James H. Torrey appeared in the
interest of Mr.. Schroeder, who was
present; Superintendent Howell and
Attorney D. ]. Reedy represented the
board of control, and the other inter-
ested persons in attendance We're Con-
trollers Jayne, Francois, Jennings and
Walsh: ex-Controller Jacobs, of the
Thirteenth ward; Sanitary officer
Burke, A. f. Hunt, Architect John A.
Duckworth. Charles Heller, David Y.
Roberts. janitor of the school; Plumb
ing Inspector O'Malley, Plumber Thom-
as Cleary, Charles l.. Teeter and Jo-
seph A. Hannick.
Willis d. Coston and Frank ]. Gavan
took stenographic notes of the testi-
mony, the former for some party in
terested. the latter for the board of
health. Mr.. Gavan being a notary pub
lie. administered the oath to the wit
nesses.
The testimony of Plumbing Inspector
OMalley, Thomas Carey, plumber
who worked on the school when it was
constructed, Foreman Heller and Arch
itect DuCkworth, who prepared the
plans for the building, was heard.
Mr.. Schroeder was called and testi-
a report was made to him about water
in the air duct. He referred the mat
ter to his foreman and knew no more
about it until this week. He was
asked if he got a letter from Mr.. Hunt
against tapping the pipe to drain the
duct and said no. His explanation of
how the duct contained water was
that it bubbled from a spring in the
rock into which tie duct was cut
Mr.. Hunt was sworn and his recol-
lection was that the foreman in the
heating department told him about the
water in the duet. It was important
that the duct should be dry as the
presence of water reduced the space
and lessened the volume of air. Stag
nant water in the duct with air sweep
ing over it would work harm to the
air. He was sure he wrote a letter to
Mr.. Schroeder in which he said ii would
not be safe to tap the pipe to get rid
of the water
Controller Jayne. in whose ward the
school is, was sworn to throw some
light on the case. His attention was
called to the fact that there We're two
cases OF diphtheria among families
whose children would be apt to go to
No. 2S.
Secretary Murray read from the rec
Ords that siXty-tiVe cases of diphtheria
have been reported from the vicinity
of No. 2S school since July. 1897, and
forty-seVen of these cases occurred
since school opened this term, fourteen
in September and thirty-three up to
date this month. David y. Roberts.
the janitor, testified that the school
was ready for occupancy about Dec.
last year. He saw the air duct con-
tained water and reported it to Prin-
cipal Burdick. Somebody tapped the
sc cwer pipe four or five weeks later.