New-York tribune., 1899-07-12
SOvE CITIES AND SOME RIVERS.

The familiar item of news comes to hand
that a commission appointed by the Governor
Of New-Jerscy is considering ways and means
for purifying the Passaic River. That means,
OF course, not so much purifying MS stopping
and preventing the pollution of the river. The
river Itself Is pure enough until the cities along
It's course begin to pour their filth into IT. Pat
erson. with It's 100000 population and its
Inerous factories is the worst offender, II be-
ing reckoned that at certain times about 10
per cent Of the flow Of the river below that
city Is discharged from It's sewers. Passaic,
with 10000 inhabitants. and some lesser places
add to the offence and the total result is that
from Paterson down the river Is merely an
open sewer. in which fish cannot live, from
which cattle will not drink, and near the shores
of which 1t is impossible to live without ser-
ous discomfort and no little menace to health.
The nuisance Is n monstrous one, and should
be abated. It would probably have been abated
before this had not Paterson, the chief offend
er under the lead Of its present adminstra-
ton, also been the chief obstructionst against
reform. It Is earnestly to be hoped that the
present Commission will do It's work thoroughly
and effect the purpose for which It was ap-
pointed.
another city about another river Chicago, like
Paterson, declines to dispose Of its sewage in
n rational and enlightened manner. and per-
sists in pouring it into some adjacent water.
For n long time it poured it into Lake Mich-
gan. and then pumped II up again, in diluted
form, for drinking and other uses. That proc
ess was found TO be calculated TO promote
typhoid fever rather than the growth OF the
city's population to the 100000 mark. So
the city decided to pour the foul food In the
other direction, and send II reeklng across the
State. befouling the waters OF the Des PLANES
and Illinois rivers. and finally adding to the
uncleanness Of the Mississippi River. A drain
age canal otherwise an open sewer. was there
fore constructed. and Is about to he put into
full use II will receive the discharges Of the
sewers and carry them back from the lake to
the Des PLANES River. The sewage will, they
say he sufficiently diluted with water. from
the lake to make 1t entirely fluid and compara
lively inoffensive. And OF course there are
lots of experts who will prove beyond
shadow Of doubt that the river receiving the
filthy food will not be perceptlbly contain.
mated thereby.
Nevertheless-and here Is the gist Of the
whole matter-the opinion Is rapidly gaining
ground among the best Informed that the Des
PLANES and Chicago rivers will be so fouled
that Chicago will become liable for vast in
IDENTITIES to those whose property will thus
be injured. and that the only way out Of the
scrape will be for the State, or. more prob
ably the Federal Government. to perform the
great and costly work of enlarging the canal
and rivers In question into so large a stream
that the sewage will be lost In IL. That Is TO
say. the Des PLANES and Illinois rivers must
be made rival OF the ST. Lawrence ms an
outlet from the Great Lakes The present un-
dertaklng has cost Chicago something more