The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-03
Patrons of Water Company Therefore
Warned TO Boil Water Before Using
for Drinking or Cooking.
MR.. DAVIS MEETS THE BOARD
HE CLAIMS 1T DID NOT PROCEED
UNDER THE CONTRACT.
DIR. Whites Analyses, He Says, DO Not
Agree with Reports Made to
the Company.

Board of Health yesterday evening the city
drinking water. furnished by the Indian
apolis Water Company, is infected with
colon bacilh and should not be used for
drinking or culinary purposes without first
being boiled. DR.. William Charles White.
the boards bacteriologfst, so reported and
on his report the board issued its warn
ing.
The board met at $3.50 o'clock with Mayor
Bookwalter and City sanitarian Buehler.
DIR. White presented his report. which was
read and the board adopted resolution OF
warning. The report of DIR. White was
only partial and was as follows:
I'm compliance with your commission. I
terial examinations on the water Supplied
10 the homes of the city OF Indianapolis at
its source of supply and at it's discharge IN
the city.
These examinations are not vet conn.,
plete. and consequently finished report
cannot yet be presented; but from the fact
that the water IN the main reservoir, which
is the chief source of supply for the city is
found to be infected with intestinal bac-
terra, OF which the bacillus coli communis
has been isolated, IL is thought better at
this time in the interest OF the public
health of the city, TO recommend that the
water used by the citizens be boiled before
ration.
This especially applies to the northern
half of the city, from the construction
and the points of discharge OF the water
from the reservoir into the city mains,
there is greater possibility of infection of
! the water going 10 this part OF the city
than of the water going to the southern
part.
in this report, since "a ne time of the
first examination of thu water from the
reservoir il found necessary TO use
some appliances obtained at the pumping
cta in tolri fhn 1oCf ranIo
gallery on that day; and hence there was
possibility of contamination of the cul-
lures made from this specimen. IL was
necessary in fairness, TO make a further
examination WHEN the risk of contamina-
tion could be reduced 10 a minimum; this
has since been done and the infection OF
''The complete report will be handed to
your board as soon as IL is possible to COM
plete it,
RESOLUTION OF WARNING.
The resolution warning the public
adopted b. the board was as follows:
After a careful and thorough investiga-
tion as TO the purity OF the water supply OF
the city. including the partial chemical and
meteorological report OF DR.. William
Charles White, the expert In the employ OF
the Board of Health. we deem IL wise TO ad-
wise the boiling OF water used for drinking
and culinary purposes, especially on the
existing conditions can be remedied There
is no epidemic Of typhoid fever In the city.
The situation is improving daily, as can
''January-Fifty cases and six deaths.
"February-Thirty-si cases and ten
deaths.
However with the presence Of colc.s
bacill in the water, we deem IL best 10 adj
wise the above precautionary measure.
1t is estimated that there are 10000 users
of city water in the city and this warning
is addressed to them.
FORMER REPORT VERIFIED.
1t had been known for several days that
DIR. White would submit a partial report
yesterday. The report merely verified the
account Of his work that leaked out
March IT, Between March IL and April 2
the Board of Health has not warned peo-
pie against colon bacilli. The leak has
alone warned them of the contamination
disclosed by DR.. Whites examination The
preliminary meeting of the board and the
mayor was private. DR.. whites report
was read and discussed. Then the doors
were thrown open and the newspaper men
invited an Before this was done Vice
President Davis, OF the water company
was requested by telephone TO attend the
board meeting. stenographer was also
President House of the board explained
that the board had not relied on the news
paper analysis made by A r. Moffatt. but
| had employed DIR. White to examine the
water. He was about TO read DIR. Whites
stating that DR.. Whites examination. ac-
| cording TO his views, was not made in ac-
cordance with the contract Of the water
company and had not been made at the
request of the water company. He read
the letter from City Sanitarian Buehler
notifying the company of DR. Whites ap-
pointment. He then read the section or
| the contract concerning questions as to
| the purity of the water and construed IL 20
mean that the city and the company should
act jointly in order TO make the result
binding on both. He said notice under the
! contract had not been given
DIR. Lash took the position that Mr.. Da-
| yiss presence at the meeting where the
| appointment OF an expert was decided on
1 and the subsequent notice OF DR.. Buehier.
/ secretary of the board, was sufficient He
| said the contract did not require the city
| to select its expert and then walt for him
/ TO work with the water company's. IL
meant that each should appoint one. and
| their work was 10 be done separately and
their conclusions judged by both
PUBLIC HEALTH AT STAKE.
Mayor Bookwalter said he did not be-
lieve In standing on technfcaiities when the
health OF the public was at stake. He
| thought the notice sufficient and the duty
of the board under the contract discharged.
The examination OF the water had been
| done at least I'm the spirit OF the contract
| and the thing 10 do was TO provide a REM
edy for what was deemed a dangerous
| condition.
Mr.. Davis did not dispute the right OF the
board TO make investigation, but asserted
that the conclusion was not binding on the
| company. He said the company had re-
| ceived analyses from Dr. Edmund u. Clark.
! former city sanitarian. and DR. John +.
Gels showing that & the water was potable
its chemists held one way and the city.s
| the other and the Investigations were not
according 10 the contract?
This brought back the question OF the
interest OF the public. and DR.. House said tt