Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-29
POLLUTION
Senator Cockrell's Bill to Investigate
Its Cause.
POTOMAC RIVER TO Be FIRST
Former Reports That Have Been
Made on the Subject
MEASURE TO BE URGED

| The bill introduced in the Senate by Mr..
| Cockrell on December 6 for the investigation
| OF pollution of water supplies, will receive
| considerable attention during the present
| session. and is of especial interest 10 the
District of Columbia. The bill provides that
| $1,000 be appropriated to enable the Marine
| Hospital service to investigate the sources
| OF contamination of rivers and other nat
| ural sources Of water supply, where the
| sanitary condition of the people of more
| than one state OF territory or the District
| of Columbia is affected threatened to be
affected by such pollution, and to report
| upon what legislation is necessary 10 re
| move or prevent such pollution.
Potomac to Be First Investigated.
| The bill provides that the first investiga-
| ton Shall relate to the Potomac river. This
measure has long been advocated by Sur
| geon General Wyman of the marine hos
| pital service, and he will endeavor to secure
| the passage of this bill, the result of which,
| it is thought, will be so valuable as to dem
| onstrate the necessity for continuing SIM
| liar investiga tons in all parts of the coun-
| try, the states being powerleSS to control
| contamination of water supplies originating
| in an adjoining state. In regard to the Po-
| tomac river there is no doubt that that
stream is polluted al numerous places, and
| were it not for the purifying action OF sun
| shine and atmosphere acting on the stream
| over the many miles of its flow before Ii
| reaches the reservoir to be distributed about
| the city it's for drinking purposes would
| be destroyed. As it is, these sources of con-
! Elimination are comparatively harmless, but
| they nevertheless the cause OF uneasl-
| ness at times to those who are charged
with keeping the drinking water OF the city
| in a pure condition. This contamination
arises from mills and settlements, the
refuse of which is thrown into the upper
| part of the Potomac.
When Surgeon General Wales was at the
| head of the bureau of hygiene he, for a
| number of years, conducted daily eXamina-
| tons of the Potomac water in order 10
| discover promptly any disease germs that
should make their appearance within the
| city, but he was able to discover only six
varieties of germs that are in nearly all
river water, and which were harmless 10
health. For many years sources of con-
tamination this city have been COM
bated. with more less success, by
friendly cooperation with the Maryland
| authorities, but it is not believed that a
proper control of the Potomac water can be
| secured until the federal government eXer-
cises jurisdiction over streams that flow
from one state territory into another.
Former Investigations.
There have been many Investigations of
| the upper Potomac in late years, all made
with a view of discovering dangers that
threaten the purity of the water supply of
the city, Quite a number of reports on
this subject were made to the Senate dur
ing the Fifty-ffth Congress. The director
of the geological survey on January ~
1898, made n report the drainage basin
of the Potomac. with particular reference
to the sources Of pollution and the effect
of such pollution upon the water supply of
the city, in response TO a Senate resolution
In this report Prof. F. H. Newell suggested
that the increase of population in the Po-
tomac basin is constantly increasing the
danger of pollution.
1.-The impurities he said, "are of two
kinds-natural and artificial. The natural |
impurities consist of the finely divided soil |
washed from the agricultural lands of the |
valleys. being for the most part the resid- |
ual matter left by solution of limestone. |
1t exists in such fine particles that while |
the water is in motion it is not deposited |
and it may remain in suspension for days, |
even after the water sample has been put !
in a closed bottle. AT times of low |
water the flow in the river being greatly |
diminished, the proportion of sewage must |
be notably increased. While the natural |
impurities are usually SO apparent and so |
annoying TO the eye, by reason of the dirt |
color and the muddy sediment, the arti- |
fetal impurities are not so readily noted.
The heavier particles of the waste from
the towns and manufacturing establish |
ments washed down the stream slowly |
and are gradually oxidized or pass into |
solution in the form of various organic |
compounds. These, a rule, do not nota-
bly, discolor the water, and some of them |
may even aid in giving it a bright, spar
age, after exposure to light and air, for q |
few hours. may be unobjectionable to the |
eye, though carrying a load of noxious mat
ter and of minute animal or vegetable life"
A report by Edwin G. Paul. assistant
photographer of the geological survey, |
gives a list of 1888 mills and factories To-
Gated the Potomac or its tributaries, |
from about one-haf of which there was |
more or less pollution of the water.
A meteorological Report.
Passed Assistant SurgeonKinyoun of the |
marine hospital service on March 81, 1898,
made a report on a archaeological exami-
nation of water of the Potomac river.
He showed that colon bacillus" were |
found in the water at thirty-two places |
along the Potomac and it's tributaries, and |
that sewage bacteria was found at seven |
places. 1t was pointed out that colon
bacilli,'' while not considered as a spe-
cific cause of disease, are always found |
associated with those that are.
The Game and Fish Protective Associa- |
ton Of the District of Columbia has also |
been active in urging that legislation be |
enacted to prevent the pollution of these |
waters
Congress has now under consideration |
measures for filtering the water of the Po- |
tomac, but this precaution against the dis |
eases that lurk in drinking water will not |
be complete until the watershed of the |
Potomac and tributaries is thoroughly |
guarded against pollutioO |