The evening world., 1902-12-03
Chemist Asserts 1t Is Poisoned
by Acids and Filth from Salt
Marshes and Contains Much
Solid Matter.
INQUEST ON AN EXPLOSION.
Chemicals In II, It Is Maintained,
Ate Into Boilers of Pumping sta
tIon, Causing Them to Blow Up
and Kill Two Men.

VI TWO IlOu q UGC1 SuppAlSu " JSuAo
! to the residents OF the Astoria a2&
Steinway sections of the Borough OF
Queens may be proved tonight at an
inquest to be held in Long Island City.
This inquest is to fx the blame for the
explosion OF one of the boilers IN Pump
ing Station No. ?, at Steinway. on Sun
day, Nov. .. when Engineer william
Dighby n Fireman James Nelson
were blown to pieces.
There have been already W sessions
of the inquest. 1t has been shown that
when the men went IN duty in the
morning the fires were In good shape.
there wac sufficient water in the boilers.
and to the experienced judgment of the
engineer there was no possibility Of 81
explosion.
Poisonous Chemicals in Water.
It is expected thai the testimony of
chemists VIII show hat the water in
the boilers-the same water pumped to
by the cfty-was so impreg-
mated with poisonous chemicals that 1t
ate away the hues and gave oppor-
tunity for the explosion.
When Patrick Jerome Gleason was
Mayor of Long Island City he shut down
= ONALlO ~ - 400 hN
: averred that his action was the result
of his ownership OF the Woodside Water
Company and his desire hat that con-
cern should sell water to the city. The
appalling record OF deaths in the As
toria and Steinway sections from dis
eases resulting from impure water sup
ply after Station No. 2 resumed business
4 shows that Gleason's contention that
the water was unfit for use was sound.
/ Politics Is blamed by the residents of
\ Queens Borough for the heavy death
rate as we'll a. for the explosion that
wrecked the pumping plant. That few
men might be kept at work and because
the owners OF private water companies
refused to be seen" water rocking with
poison was pumped into thousands OF
homes-the homes Of the wealthy as
well a. the homes Of the poor.
Had to Purify Il.
For months preceding the sxpADsGon
manufacturing plants in the district
supplied by Station No. 2 found It necss-
sary to purify the water BY chemical
means before 1t could be used. Con-
sumers who had not the facilities OF the
manufacturers were compelled to use
the Shiny nuid as It was served to
them.
Among the chemists who have been
sailed by Coroner Samuel Mutt n the
District Attorney OF Queens County to
testify to the quality of the water served
from Pumping Station No. Q Ii +. 8.
rolman, who has his laboratory in Stein
way. Mr.. Tolman made the following
statement to an Evening World reporter
to-day:
The worst water furnished by the city
came from Pumping Station No. .. Stu
ated as the station was. in = hollow
with salt marsh lands surrounding It,
\ the pumping station was a Disgrace 10
y the city. int I have no doubt hat
It was the means by which hundreds
died.
Dangerous to Lfe.
Tho chemists of the various. Health
Boards. prior to and since consolidation.
made analysis Of the water pumped
Acm S1s aztea.sa wells which ware Scnl:
IN close proximity to the marsh lands
: and pronounced the water taken from
h wells and pumped throughout this
section as dangerous to the health of
our people.
~ have made daily analysis OF the
water from Station No. 2. and prior to
the explosion of three weeks g my
analysis showed that there were from
70 to $50 per cent. of solid matter to
every gallon Of water pumped through
that station, or. in other words, we
were being compelled to drink some
clear water mixed with salt water from
the sea and that was brackish. hard
and Shiny. The water was totally NIT
for household use. and for use in boilers
It was also unfit.
att was the same to the human syB-
tenn to give an invalid or a weak person
a drink of that water as It would have
been to inject a dose OF poison. I nave
no hesitancy in saying that the water
from those wells when pumped into the
boiler which exploded was the real cause
of the explosion, and the killing of the
engineer and brennan.
Ate Into Boiler Surface.
The lime. chloride Of sodium and
murlatic acid would attack the boiler
and eat out its pits. which means tina
the acids would eat off its surface. thus
weakening the boiler. which was per-
mitted to carry ninety pounds Of steam
TO the square inch.
About seventy pounds pressure was.
in fact. on when the weakened boiler
exploded.
When Pumping Station No. Q was
drst started 1 made daily analysis OF
the water and found only from six to
eight grains of solid matter. but that
was under old Long Island City, when
there were only 10000 gallons in each
twenty-four hours pumped from the
wells. But since consolidation there
have been $4,000 o gallons pumped
through the station each day. OF course
as the water rolled down the hills from
the highlands the pumps. IL they did
not exceed the supply from the hills
and were kept going In conformity with
the water which flowed into the wells,
delivered pure water, but when the wells
could not deliver enough to keep the
pumping station going the sea waters
mixed in with the pure water. and both
combined We're distributed In thousands
OF homes n the results were appalling.
"It,4is absolutely necessary that we
have pure water, n for that reason
make daily analysis of the supply,
and IL would he of great bpnanf IN fhIa