The record-union., 1898-08-09
T1E WATER SUPPLY REPORT AT
LAST.


LAST.
There was filed with the Board Of
Trustees last night one Of the most
important reports ever submitted by
committee Of any municipality. It is
the report Of the joint committee OF
the City Board Of Health and the City
Board Of Trustees, and it relates to
the causes for the late epidemic of
typhoid fever in this city, and the
methods necessary to be employed to
prevent recurrence of such disasters.
The committee is singularly happy
in combining a great deal of valuable
information and marked conciseness of
report. This document appears in full
in our local columns this morning, and
should be read by all citizens having
the welfare Of their families and the
municipality at heart 1t is a very
positive report and is unanimous.
The facts are found to be that the
fever is induced mainly by drinking
water contaminated by the germs of
typhoid. That rarely it may be COM
municated by other means, but so rare
ly as to justify the casting Of such
means out Of account That in Sac
ramento the source Of the epidemic
was due to contamination of the do
mestic supply of drinking water. That
such contamination is likely to recur,
and that 1t may be prevented by any
one of three methods, filtration through
certain systems of filtration, use Of
boiled water only, or by procuring a
new water supply source, one that is
uncontaminated. The committee is
agreed that so far as a domestic sup
ply is concerned it may be made pure
may be had pure from deep driven
wells protected amply. AS between
these two methods it makes no choice,
it being without the duty of the COM
mittee to pass upon that matter.
So, here we have the result Of long,
laborious and perfectly conscientious
inquiry and deep research. One of the
committee is skilled bacteriologist
and physician; another is a doctor who
has given much study TO the germ
theory, and especially to the subject Of
water contamination. Another is also
a physician who has made the sub
ject matter one of profound inquiry,
exclusive of his research upon this
committee. The other members are of
the Board Of Trustees, and are con-
vineed by the array of testimony pro-
duced by their colleagues and by their
own Investigations, that the conclusions
we have outlined are impregnable
This ought to settle once and for all
the old-time debate about the water
supply and bring US down to the simple,
easily understood question of costly
river supply through sand filtration, or
deep driven well supply without filtra-
ton The people have once decided
in favor of the latter.
We have inexhaustible supplies of
water on the east of the city. They
lie deep beneath the surface and are
free from communicating influences.
They lie at the right end of our pipe
system, while the river source is at
the wrong end. The latter requires sand
filtration, which we do not believe pos
sible within the financial ability Of
this city. and under the peculiar silt
conditions of the Sacramento and
American Rivers. and the periodical
food conditions which affect them.
The well supply Is easily tested as to
capacity and character, and 1t elm
mates the enormous cost Of great sand
bank filters, with their continuing
heavy expense for maintenance and
their liability to flooding and clayey
silt filling
1t is TO be hoped that the Trustees
viii give the subterranean supply a
fair trial, and now, when all waters
are low. If it is defective that matter
is put out Of the way forever; if it is
pure and ample, then economy is con-
served and the ends all desire Will have
been attained. This people stand ready
on the drop Of the handkerchief to
vote obligations sufficient to establish
q new system. OF that there cannot
be a moments doubt.
we are now 1ace 70 race with facts
that are indisputable. The old forty
years '-use-and- didn't -hurt-me" doctrine
is exploded and gone. Science has
knocked 1t in the head, and the dis
tressing number OF freshly lettered
headstones in our cemeteries have
given it the stroke OF mercy. In the
name of common intelligence, let no
man insult his fellows by ever advanc-
ing ii again.
DEPT TOP APTE1 NI,CI TGENCE