The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-12

 Ing the location of the residences of those dying from typhoid fever in order to ascertain the number of those located upon the area supplied by the Five Mile creek and Cahaba waters respectively. These areas. of course, vary somewhat and we were obliged to disregard most of the hospital cases as their residences were unknown These data as to the dis trihution of typhoid fever on the sumption thnt 1t may have been largely due to the public water, are significant in that they show that fully as many typhoid deaths occurred on the area sup piled from Five Mile creek, as there did on the area supplied from Cahaba river. There being about twice many con- sumcrs on the Cahaba supply as on that from the Five Mile creek, it seems fair to conclude from this evidence that the typhoid fever death rate was in 1900 and 1901 about twice as great for the population on the area supplied from Five Mile creek as for that of the Ca haba area.
 'On the basis that there was a fairly equal distribution throughout the city of other causes of typhoid fever, than the water supply. and without attempt Ing to estimate the ~n ucncc of the sup ply. and without at U.hpting to estimate the influence of the latter factors, we consider that t1lS eN1dDnCe lfllbo Np point against the Five Mile creek water having been uniformly of satisfactory character Regarding the relation Of the typhoid statistics to the Cahaba sup DIV, 1t Is our opinion that while they do not exonerate this water from all sus- picion. the evidence is too indefinite to reflect seriously against its sanitary character"
 Water Sheds.
 They discuss the character of the main Cahaba. East Cahaba and Five Mile creeks and say:
 "Conditions indicate that the Cahaba river had decided advantages as source of water supply over that or the other two streams, which is fully supported by a comparlson of the various analyses or tho SC waters.
 .'The percentage of population In the Five Mile creek water shed IS greater than in either of the other two, as above sta ted besides which there are to be found some additional objectionable foa- lures which tend to create a doubt as to the water from that source being at all tines of that character which would ma Ike 1t a desirable water supply
 As a general proposition we find the condition of these water sheds to be sat isfactory. In fact, they are naturally and ordinarily free from dangerous pollu- tion, although they might accldentally become contaminated.
 By accidental contamination we mean that should a case of typhoid fever ap- pear on the water shed, some feoal dic- charges, in the absence of efficient and systematic patrolling and controlling, might be washed over the si0png ground by heavy rains into O feeder of running water and thence to the main streams
 Discussing the reason for the odor mo- ticed at times in the water they say:
 "As to tastes and odors in the Cahaba water, we found in the stream itself nothing more than the usual earthly taste and odor characteristic of surface water, and we are informed that this Is generally true of the water In the river. During storage in the large reser- Voirs on Shades Mountain for one or two weeks, however, some forms of plant lie grow in the clear water under the influ- ence of sunlight Anabaena, one Of the most common forms of the blue-green Algae, was present during the past month according to the microscopcal examna- ton made for us by Mir. G. c. Whipple, reference to which is made further on, the reports of which. together with de- tailed results of analysis, appear as an appendix to this report.
 'The Cahaba water, when heated has a distinct vegetable and grassy odor. Last autumn, the odor. we are told. was very pronounced and offensive In the water from the reservoir. while no such odor was notiaed when the water was pumped from the stream. While these tastes and odors, caused by the growth of plant life when the water is exposed In reservoirs to the hot southern sun, are not spe- cially injurious they are certainly ob- jectionable and should be eliminated.
 intestinal Bacteria.
 They find that the presence of intesti- nal bacteria discovered in the water by Expert Samuel L. Gray, employed by the Jefferson county sanitary commission, is not such a serious thing The report says:
 "'The presence of intestinal bacteria in a public water supply is no cause for alarm, because these bacteria may come from the fecal discharges of domestic animals and are to be found In all sur face water, provided q sufficient quan- tity of water is examined. In fact. fi- tered water of satisfactory character ire quently contains these germs, as Is shown by the records from the sand fil- ter plants at Lawrence and Albany.
 Tn order to throw more light upon the analytical character of this water we re- uuested Mir. George c. Whipple, the emi-
 
 Brooklyn, to examine nine samples of this water, three samples being collected on each of three different days. One set of samples was collected from the head of the canal, the second from the foot | of the canal near the pumping station and the third from faucet at North Birmingham. These samples were col l lected and shipped in accordance with | the detailed instruction of MT. Whipple. The results of these analyses, together with his brief descriptive statement are appended hereto and form a part of this report.
 Especial attention was given by MT. whipple to determine the volume of wa ter necessary to be tested in order to de- tect the presence of bacillus coli com munis, the leading intestinal germ To detect the presence of this bacterium of these nine samples of Five Mile Creek water, it was necessary to examine tho following respective quantities of the water:
 cubic centimeters fin sample
 10 cubic centimeters in 1 sample
 25 cubic centimeters in samples
 50 cubic centimeters in samples
 800 cubic centimeters in samples
 "While intestinal bacteria were more prevalent in this water at the time when these samples were taken, than Is the case with some surface waters, as that of the Cahaba river, yer the combined chemical, meteorological and microscopi- cal analysis show no proof that these samples were not perfectly safe for all domestic purposes.
 "In case the absence of intestinal bac- teria in all but one of the fifteen sam