The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-07-30
BERLIN WATER.


The reading in our local papers of
the epidemic of typhoid fever that has
just struck Waterbury, and that the
first efforts of the eminent physicians
and board of health in locating the
cause of this outbreak, are directed to
the examination of the public water
supply may well give the people of
Montpelier food for thought, serious
reflection and prompt action.
1t is universally conceded that the
first essentials to the health of a com
munity are the purity of its water sup
plies, its milk and ice, and a proper
and sanitary disposition of its sewage,
and | believe in the order named
This communication will refer to the
| public water supply from Berlin Pond,
and some of the conditions surround
ing the same. The general statistics
as to the area of the pond, 230 acres
distance from city 4is miles, with "a
miles Of pipe, and a system that has
| cost the city to date over Sl15, 900, are
/ given in superintendent Fosters re-
| port each year, and are familiar to all
who are interested
Nature has done for Berlin Pond and
for Montpelier, when she acquired the
waters of that pond for the inhabit-
ants, all that could be desired in loca-
ton, height, distance from city. and
purity of its waters cold living
sprlngs); but men, notably the men
you have elected year after year to
look after these matters, have neglect
ed and are neglectlng their duty in
this respect until a condition that
could have been easily remedied a
few years ago, at comparatively little
expense, has been growing steadily
worse. Whether this neglect has been
owing to parsimOny or jealousy of
any member of the council who might
try to do his duty to the people, as he
saw it, or because of the fear of in
curing the possible i'll will of any
of the many of our most prominent
and influential citizens who have cot
tages and camps on the shores of the
pond (and spring water in their
homes is not for me to say
The natural scenic beauties sur.
rounding this sheet of water have
made it a popular summer resort
Where twenty years ago there were
two or three summer cottages or
camps, there are now from twenty
five TO fifty and where there We're
then one hundred campers OF visitors,
there are now thousands
The last few years of my service
as town clerk Of Berlin there came to
me for record from one to five deeds
or leases of small parcels of land on
the shores Of the pond for camps
where cottages were TO be erected
This season we have read of this one
or that one building a barn at his
camp. The papers of Montpelier and
Barre have frequently contained a To-.
cal, saying that the members of such
and such society had picnic at
Berlin Pond, and spent the day in
singing, boating and bathing i'll the
pond, About half of these owners
are prominent citizens of Montpelier
the balance, residents of Berlin
Barre, Williamstown, Mortified, etc
The natural drainage and sewage
from these cottages runs directly or Is
washed by the rains into and mingles
with the waters of the pond.
The entire drainage of the Person
farm buildings, barnyard, out house
etc, goes directly into the brook,
just above the outlet, as does the sew
er connected with several houses at
Berlin Corner. The Pearson property
l regard as the worst, of any of.these
nuisances. The council knew last
year that it could be purchased out
right and done away with for $1,000,
and III July, 1901, | introduced re-
solution that the city attorney be
instructed to abate this nuisance by
purchase or condemnation proceed
ings, and no member of the council
would second that motion, so that no
action could be taken. then follow
ed with a motion that the health off.
Ger make An investigation TO ascertain
ii the water supply of the city of
Montpelier is endangered, contamin-
ared, or polluted from sewage or
drainage from cottages or premises on
the shores of the pond, or in other
ways rendered unsafe or undesirable
for use, etc. You remember the result.
The local board of health found the con-
ditions existing such that they thought
it advisable to confer with the State
board which, III its report, after i'll
vesigation, backed up i'll the. fullest de-
| gree my position and claim. Follow
| ing the statement that the analysis of
| the water showed the presence of
! bacillus coli communis, which your
newspaper reporters treat SO lightly
| and loosely, possibly because they
know so little about the serious warn
ing conveyed by its presence, denoting
always the presence of sewage in the
water and from what sewage or class
of sewage it is derived, it further says
lyon only need one factor to develop
a most serious and fatal epidemic
among the users of this water that
is, one case of typhoid fever in one of
the dwellings which drains into the
pond or its outlet With this factor
present the many epidemics would
be repeated, notably that of Windsor,
in this State, and more recently at
New Haven, Conn
This is matter of vital impor-
lance to the people of Montpelier also
TO. the people of the whole State, many
| fNf l.