New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-02-21
SCHURMAN'S STATEMENT.
REPORTS UNE4IR, HE 81 Us
Euery Effort Made to Improve Con-
dlfiOns at Cornell
tRT TELEGRAPH TO TEE TRIBUNE-l

tRT TELEGRAPH TO TEE TRIBUNE-l
Ithaca Feb 2o-President Schurman said TO
Tribune correspondent this afternoon that the
statements published in New-York and other
newspapers regarding the treatment of the situ-
alton here old great injustice to the university
authorities
1T not true he said, that there is any rea-
son TO suspect the purity of the university's own
supply Of water. Not single case OF typhoFu
fever has occurred among those who nave useu
that water alone It does not seem 10 pe Se"
orally known that there are dormitor1s for
men students at Cornell, and that they fall I'VE
IN private houses outside of the university
property and scattered over miles o<the etys
territory These houses II get thS<n water from
the city water company's synsf1y- The university
has no control over the2h or over the water they
use, 1t is not trus<that the university OWNS
stock in this com9kny or that any member of
its executive SsSlnmittee Of the board of
trustees is S.<s,oekholder The universitys only
interesH in If i that II 4 comparatively
small tpart of that company's bonds. just as it
holdg the bonds of other water companies all
the United States
ywhile the university has no legal right to con-
trol the action of the proorietors of the board
sng houses in which the students live it has
fbeen doing all that was possible to insure proper
precautions by those proprietors 1t has
secured written pledges from more than two
hundred of such proprietors that water will
he used in these houses unless it is first thor
oughly boiled. SO as to remove all possibility Of
danger from it, and il is taking pains to Sc
cure the fulflment of these pledges.
1t is not true. has been widely published
and adversely commented upon. that the trus
tees have turned deaf ear a request of the
senior class 10 he supplied with pure water. A
resolution was passed at class meeting ask
distribute pure water to all the student board
ing houses in the city The executive committee
considered the proposal most carefully, but
finally decided that the difficulties were so
great as to make it impracticable Of eX-
ecution. Another reason was that they
had already inaugurated a system of sup
DIV Of pure water that was thought TO be
more efficient and practical That system they
have been putting into execution. Every build
ing on the university property is now supplied
with tanks of artesian we'll water. from which
the students may draw freely. either to drink on
the premises or to take away with them, and
the establishment of other depots for the distri-
button of artesian water is going on as fast as
possible The trustees also authorized the presi-
dent TO announce. as have done, that the stu
dents could purchase the pure water that is
sold and easily procurable throughout the city,
and wherever the students desired the univer-
tborities not only will consider but heartily vel
come suggestions and plans presented by stu
dents and all friends Of the university, and will
do their utmost to avail themselves of every
opportunity TO add to the protection now al
forded to the students Beyond that the mat
fer is in the hands Of the individual students
themselves"
one thousand students Of Cornell University.
probably half of all who have remained In
Ithaca through the present epidemic of typhoid
fever, held a mass meeting on the campus at
noon to-day Resolutions expressing complete
confidence in President Schurman and the board
of trustees were unanimously adopted
A committee of five appointed to CO.
operate with the trustees in supplying pure
water for the students This committee will add
its guarantee TO that of the president and the
trustees that the water furnished is absolutely
pure and safe. A resolution. literally incen-
diary was passed asking the nm ediate burn
ing of the shacks on Six Mile Creek recently
occupied by Italian dam builders employed by
the Ithaca Water Company. The carelessness
Of these workmen who lived in filth the
banks of the creek which was the chief source
of Ithaca's water supply is blamed for the cpl
dernic There was some talk Of the students
taking the burning of these ShaCks into their
own hands. hui it viii probably be left 10 the
proper authorities.
There was a meeting Of the executive COM
nittee of the board of trustees which lasted all
the afternoon. Several trustees from out OF
town were present. though the regular mid
winter meeting does not occur until tomorrow.
The trustees feel the necessity of prompt &C
ton. and completed their arrangements TO fur
rish to the students pure water
The situation to-day in the fever stricken
colony Of both the town and university is fav
orable. One death occurred. that of j. A. Maher,
2 freshman. Eight cases were reported,
mostly among the town people.
The feature of the student mass meeting,
which was characterized by remarkable calm
ness under the circumstances was the drub-
bling which the Ithaca Water Company and the
Ithaca Board Of Health received from the stu
dents