Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-05-24
TWO CENTS
A HALT CALLED.
Investigation of Sanitary Condi-
tons Demanded.

Deaths Due to Typhoid are Preyenta-
ble-Strong but Unsuitable Commune
ication on the Subject -Aotion is line
perative or Further Toll will be
Paid to Folly.
To the Editor OF the New DoMiNroS
DEAR SIR:-A week has already
elapsed since death occurred that
startled the whole community. 1t
becomes high time for somebody to
inquire what we are going to do.
Morgantown is existing in the TWEEN
tleth century and not in the eigh-
tenth. Science has made 1t perfect
ly plain that typhoid fever is pre-
ventable disease. Why don't we
prevent 1t?
| / have no charge to lay at the door
of any one. We are all to blame. We
all know that typhoid fever is due
to bad sewerage or bad water; that
both of these causes are removable;
that death due to them is there
| fore the result of criminal supine-
ness; and yet we have allowed
week more to pile up its victims,
seized by the terrible agonies of fe-
yer and decay.
1t is indisputable too that the dis
ease in this community Is epidemic
and has been epidemic almost con
tinuously for several years; for in
a community the size OF this, when
there is an average of two cases all
the time, it may be conservatively
said to be epidemic What then
shall we say to the fact that there
are seven and one-half per cent of the
cadet corps at present sick with it,
besides other students and towns
people, perhaps fifteen persons?
Is it not evident that the town
will be commercially ruined, and the
University struck staggering blow
by such a condition OF affairs, If it
continues?
Do not accept reports that the wa
ter is pure. Usually the tests are
made very imperfectly and the cause
of typhoid escapes all but the Sc
yerest and most patient investiga-
ton. No thorough test of the water
here for typhoid germs has yet been
made The men who know will all
tell you so. Every bit of it should
be both boiled and Uttered. Any
chemist will tell you that even boil
ing for half an hour fails to destroy
the typhoid germ. That the germ
is in the water is almost certain
from the effect that it has always on
any person who after an absence,
returns here and begins to drink it.
Besides, typhoid is epidemic
throughout this valley, and the one
common thing to all the towns in it
is the water. In the light of such a
calamity as has lately occurred here,
it is at least worth our while to sus-
pect the water and act accordingly.
But the water is not the only pos
sible cause. The town is being gov
erned much like village, and yet
it is not village any longer but a
small city, rapidly growing. Those
in control have usually conducted
themselves as if they we're unaware
that the conditions on which life is
| safe are somewhat different in cities
from what they are in the country
villages. | do not know where the
power lies, and if / had the power
should care less what the cost might
be, but the privies, hogpens. and
hencoops, in the backwards of this
thickly settled district, should be
removed or connected with the sewer
within month. 1t is crying-no,
smelling-disgrace to Morgantown
that these are allowed to exist. On
some of the hills about the town the
order is from the top down the hill
side, privy, well, house. We are not
so ignorant that we do not know
better; we are villagers, not citizens.
Some systematic method of dis
posing of garbage should he institu-
ted at once. The ravines and creeks
about this town should not reek with
decaying filth any longer, in com
munity ofGod fearing people.
The new council seems disposed
to do something. The bond issue is
excellent if the money is used for
this purpose. But much more needs
to be done and the people should
wake up and see that it is done.
Do not believe you must have ty-
| phoid. II it were true, our great
cities would be uninhabitable;yet,in
some of the largest, twenty cases OF
typhoid in year, not uncommon
number here, would cause consterna-
ton. And they would not occur
again, for the cause would he clean
ed up.
If necessary let us have public
| meeting and do somethinu