Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-08-05
Diphtherla.

The Cause of the Outbreak Seems to BE
the Sewage System--FIve Houses
Qusrant In ed--CrItIcIsm of the Action
of the Voters.
For the past two or three years there
have been a large number of diphtheria
cases in town, which, for time, could not
be accounted for, nor could their source be
traced. The trouble began, so authorities
now say, near the Boston Dairy company s
works on Wells street, near the north end
of the village. For the last few weeks an
alarming number of cases have broken out
in this neighborhood, and the matter is as
Stunning serious aspect. There are at
present five houses which are quarantined.
Six cases and one death have been report
ed in the family of William f. Parsons,
who live in cottage opposite Derby &
| Balls scythesnath works. One case is re-
ported in the family CT Jean Bosely, who
live within few rods of the same place.
and one case is reported in the Adams fam
lily, who live few doors distant.
The trouble seems to arise from the sew
age system, which is particularly defective
at this point. Before the present difficulty
began small stream, which came from
the hill, formed a marsh in the rear of the
houess on Wells street. In order to rene
dy this small dam was built by the cor
poration near Parsons's house aud a pipe
laid from this point across Morgans field
to the river, about quarter of mile dis
tant, to carry off the water.
Then the Boston Dairy company obtain
ed permission to lay pipe from the COM
| panys works to the pipe leading to the riv-
er. In this way the refuse animal matter
gains exit, and as long as the water in the
main pipe is running, the refuse is carried
away, but during the dry weather of the
past two months the water has dried up
| completely, and the decaying refuse has al
most choked the pipe, causing most hor
| rlble stencil to arise, and endangering the
health of the community.
\ short time ago Mr.. Parsons informed
the board of health of the condition of the
sewer. On Sunday he inspected the man
| hole in Morgaus field, and found the place
| filled with matter so foul that he was un-
| able to remain in the vicinity. On Monday
Parsons notified the baiifs that unless the
pipes were cleaned he would sue the cor
poration for damages which he has sustain
ed. On the same day the pipes were aush-
ed, and huge masses of filth rolled out into
the river. The direct cause of the trouble,
SO it has been said 10y those who are in a
position to know, is the foul gas which
naturally arises through the pipe and is
sues from the highest point, which is at
the dam, and it is this gas that is believed
to be responsible for the sickness which
has become so prevalent in this neighbor-
hood
1t seems that the offensive pipe is not a
part of the sewage system As originally
planned, and that the Boston Dairy com
pany is the only building that has pipe
connecting.
The fault seems to lie principally with
the voters of the town, who at a meeting
last fall, refused to 20 to the expense of
hiring a sanitary expert from Boston tc
make an investigation of the sewage sys-
TEN. Previous to that meeting a commit
tee had been appointed to look into the
matter of drainage, and the committee, il
its report, advised that the services Of al
expert be secured.
As such a course would have necesstated
an expense of from 500 to $3.50, the cor
pOration declined to adopt this plan, and
since that time the community has suffered
and will probably continue to do so unit
the matter is investigated and the Difficult
ties adjusted. The board of health and all
the doctors of the village are unanimous il
the opinion that some action should be taken
at once, and a future spread of disease
prevented