The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-08-30
TYPHOID in WATER
Many Employees of the
Clark Thread Works
Stricken.
WELLS ARE THE CAUSE
Some Think They Are Pol
luted by the Passaic.

Especial 10 1.-THE Jersey City News.''1
NEWARK, Aug. 30 5000 many cases
OF typhoid fever have been reported to
the Board of Health during the last six
weeks among the employees of the Clark
Thread Works, on both sides Of the
river, that the officers of the board are
endeavoring by every means to discover
the cause Eight cases In all have de-
veioped among the women employed in
the three factories, none of which, how
ever. has as yet resulted fatally. The
sick are:-Charlotte Quinn, OF No. 1ol
Cutler street; Stella Reilly. Of No. 81
| Boyden street; Mamie Allen, OF No. rs
High street; Della Morrison, of No. 2s
High street; Katie Scbar, Of No. COS
North Seventh street; Emma Lippert Of
No. 90 Sheffield street; Catharine Morris.
of No. 4S Mt. Prospect avenue, and Kate
| Jefs, of No. 50 High street
AS is usual In tracing the cause Of
| typhoid cases. the water drunk by the
patients was examined by DR.. r. N. Con-
nelly. the city bacteriologist, by samples
taken from the wells in the factories
| from which the drinking water of ths
operatives is drawn.
| In his report DR.. Connolly says that this
| water used in the factory on the Newark
| side of the river was Comparatively
| GOOD but there were distinct evidences
/ Of pollution in the water used in the
| Kearny factory, colonies of baciIh having
been obtained from it which closely re-
| sembled those of typhoid fever. AS it
| would take some days to fully identity
! the suspicious germs, he could net make
| positive assertion. This morning, when
| asked about the matter, Dr Connolly said
{ he was fully convinced Of his original
i theory.
! When Superintendent J. H Abereon-
| bic, of the Clark works, heard OF the re-
suit of the analysis. he immediately or
dered the discontinuance of the wells
use. and offered to put city water in all
the factories with his OWE men, as they
could do the work more rapidly than the
| city. He even offered to close the works
for forty-eight hours so that the work
might be expedited. City water will be
/ used hereafter.
Today Inspector Thomas E. Freeman.
of the Health Department, will get q
sample of the well water used In the Mar
| shall works for similar analysis.
/ 1t is thought that the pollution Of the
| wells in the factories may be caused BY
| their close proximity to the Passaic River.
but Health Officer D. D. Chandler said
this morning that he hardly thought so.
as the nearest one was $50 feet from the
river.
OF course, the cause Of the typhoid cases
among the Clark employees is not def
nitely laid to the use of the water pro-
| vided, as a number of sinilar cases have
| occurred throughout the city; in fact,
number large enough to cause the Health
Department some concern. Typhoid cases
| are looked for in considerable numbers
around the middle of September. but this
| summer they have begun to be reported
much earlier than usual. beginning early
in July. People returning from the coun-
try after drinking from old wells fire.
quently bring the germs with them, which
develop here and cause enteric fevers.
To prevent any possible spread of the
disease, Health Officer Chandler is caus-
| ing ARCHAEOLOGICAL tests to be made of all
the ice, soda water, ginger ale and other
| soft drinks sold about the city, milk and
ice cream and city water. so that Dr. Com
| nely's laboratory is greatly rushed with
| work. Everything possible is being done
to prevent the appearance OF fresh eases
| of fever