New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-04
WAR on PULP MILLS.
They Are Said To Be Poisoning the
Waters in Lake Cham plain Section.


Strong pressure IS being brought to hear on TIE
State authorities to close the pulp mills whose
refuse is said be poisoning the waters OF Lake
Champlain. the Boquet and Ausable rivers and
the waters OF AuSabIe Chasm The warfare be-
tween the Lake Champlain residents and the OWL
ers OF the PULP mills has been or for over ten
years now, and the latter have invariably won out.
their mills never ceasing TO grind despite all die
turns CT the law.
Meanwhile hundreds of tons q FISH. according to
an accredited authority. have been killed either
being thrown UP on the shore or remaining in the
lake. still further adding 70 Ia pollution. It Is
asserted by property owners along the lake that
poisonous substances from the mills are being
discharged into II II such large quantities that
unless the practice is stopped fishing IN the lake
viii be ruined within few years. Added 70 this,
the shore line for many miles or the New-York
side Of the lake, it IS reported has been rendered
unsiEhuy by accUmula tons of noxious slime. 70
say nothing Of the destruction of the grand his
toric forests in the interests Of the OF the
pulp mills
made 70 the State authorities by riparian owners
on the lake. and. in response 70 their representa-
tons, Professor DIN H. Landreth OF Schenectady.
consulting engineer Of the State Department Of
Health has finished an Official investigation. which,
it is said, Will result in definitely establishing the
fact that the water. Of Lake ChaupIain are poll
luted by the slUdge from the two mills 1t Is pc
leved that the basis Of the report that will
soon ne maze 70 Governor gleL DE PROFESSOR
Landreth the Governor can proceed, under Section
Of the Public Health law. TO force the local OF
Gals 70 abate the nuisance.
On his tour Of investigation Professor Landreth
was accompanied by Edward Hatch. il, Of the
firm o9 Lord & Taylor Of this civ who as large
property owner in the Lake Champaign section. has
been active in the fight against the pulp mill
nuisance. When seen BY reporter Mr.. Hatch
said he thought that the evidence obtained by Pro
lessor Landreth was conclusive in substantiatng
-T1-
the lake we first looked into the pollution Of the
Boquet River said Mr.. Hatch, ny what is called
the soda mill Of the NeN-Tork and Pennsylvania
Company. one OF the chief offenders in this 6rec-
ton. This company uses poplar logs, and the
refuse Of the tons Of chemicals is carried into
the lake. Professor Landreth made scundings 70
find out about the banks in the lake formed -y this
refUse-a gray precpitate. These banks are agtatsd
and spread through the water every time a strong
wind blows. He also took samples OF the slime
that was to be found on the banks.
From the neighborhood of the Boquet River
We went along 10 Veusboro Bay, and on the shores
and the point found the same conditions Of
pollution apparent. The Ausable River water
looked like coffee, and has such fetid odor that
II made one Of the women in the party i'll. dog
We had with refused 10 drink The water. and
eIea the cattle We are told. viii not drink il.
The hack drivers at Ausaole Chasn told Us
that visitors were now noticing the odOr from the
water L is now We'll known fact that the dis
saole River has left sediment in the ohssm which
throws of extremely offensive 0dOr. kills veEs
tstiCu. and coats the rocks with slime. This sub
stance collects on the eod.es OF the river. where
IL pours through The cLasm. and has practically
ruined its arrraCtIyeress as resort
The water mains or tho village Of heeSevIle
are known 10 become SO closged with the refuse
from the mills that rnra Of the force Of the water
has been lost. The attention Of the insurance COM
Uaues has been called 70 this feature Of the case.
arE their representa- lives are now making
animation with the view TO calcelurE policies or
The position q the mill owners Is simply one OF
dollars and cents. Il Is conceded that the refuse
can be disposed Of fl other but in I'd
50 cheapIv as dumping il into the stream which
the mills are located. and 50 for financial reasons
they are likely 70 continue the practice until con-
The waters Of lake Cham7Iair. once 50 noted
for their purity viii in few years be polluted
beyond redemption The enormous amount Of i'm
uur'ties that are dumped into the lake by the
WeEsboro and AUsable pulp mills for At leas- ten
years has pretty nearly converted ua-- o. the
lake into c huge sinkhole
As I said before, the chemical deposit Is not
soluble II Il q precipitate, and sinks into the
the slightest disturbance Of ire water will sus-
pend H. and send il 70 discOlor and befo-l the
The state chemist Of Vermont tells ne that af-
ashore. and the peculiar odOr and taste Of
water in Burlington are due the same cause The
stones the shore Of Four Brothers lands aD5
WeIsboro Point are covered with slime. and 7
itself II a milky way On its travels down the
lake.
As the two mills are daily dumping tons o. i'm
purities in waters Of the lake. il is seIf-evi-
thing Is done the whole body OF water VIII
become a ceSspOol INN eGlate action must be
taken to preserve the water that history and
nature have made famous throughout the world