Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-12-17
THE TYPHOID sCOURGE.

| number of cases reported up to Sunday
was 1,254
| 1t has been a remarkable scourge, and
all due, apparently, to the impure water
pumped into the reservoir directly from
the creek, for several days after the
dam broke, and before the new dam
was completed, during which time the
banks of the creek below the old dam
was lying full of dead and rotting hsh-
| A warning at that time would have
saved some lives in Butler, and thou
sands of dollars, but who ever dreamt
of typhoid.
The Relief committees continue their
work of relieving those in distress; some
of the members giving their entire time
to the work; and the State Board OF
Health has representatives here examln-
ing into every detail of our water sup
ply, and distributing disenfectants to
the eight hundred houses. in which
cases of typhoid have appeared.
Conditions at the Thorn Run dam and
watershed are now said to be perfect,
and the reservoir is to be emptied and
purified. In this connection, however,
the question arises-Should not every
town or water company own its own
watershed, as New York does to-day, |
or else secure its supply from arteslan
wells, as some larger towns than Butler
are doing to-day.
Yesterday. the General Committee
issued the following statement:
1.-THE population Of Butler and Lyn-
dors, adjoining. is $4,000. A conserva-
tive estimate of those dependent upon
daily wages is $4,000. We have no
means of ascertaining expected cases OF |
typhoid fever except reports by ward
committees, which for the past week
have averaged 12 new cases a day. Inc
nature Of relief work thus far consists |
in furnishing nurses and hospital sup
plies and providing for all temporal
wants where the bread winners or any |
other needy or deserving persons have
been stricken with the disease
Our town has been prosperous and we
have fair number of well-to-do citizens
who have contributed generously to The
relief fund Thus far the recent add1-
ton of large manufacturing interests IN |
the town and the consequent influx of |
large foreign population, representing |
various nationaIities, and who are only |
moderate wage earners, have necessarily
caused the draft made upon the gen
erosity of the citizens.
The present organization, founded for
the relief of sufferers, is composed OF
general committee, elected by the
citizens at mass meeting held in our
court house Sunday. November 30, with
and under whom are working various |
auxiliary and ward committees, and all |
of whom are and have been devoting |
their undivided time and attention to |
the work of relief This committee has |
appointed subcommittee in each ward |
to look after the sufferers therein, and
supplies ordered after investigation as |
may be required. AS to the estimate |
of money required, we can only say this |
is the first experience of an epidemic in |
the history of onr municipality. and our
inexperience led us as first to suppose
that our own resources were sufficient
to meet the emergency.
Typhoid experts and eminent physi-
clans who have had large experience in |
epidemics of this character insist that
we are confronted with siege that in
all human probability will continue to
a greater or lesser degree for period
of from two to three months from this
date, and that will involve an expendi-
ture of from $75, 600 to 100000 before |
the scourge will be completely eradicat-
ed and the normal condition of our
community restored. The present con-
tributions aggregate $4,000. Our
records show that up to date there has
been expended for general relief pur-
poses $4,000 in a period of IA days,
leaving balance of $1,000, which Will
be exhausted within one week. The
extensive sanitary work made necessary
by the existence of the epidemic has
been assumed by the state board of
health of Pennsylvania, thereby reliev-
| ing our committee of all expense and
an xiety in this direction, and every
dollar thus received or to be received
will be applied directly to the actual
necessities of the deserving sick and
suffering.
And in view of the fact that our mu-
nicipality at present has bonded in
debtedness practically up to the limit
| allowed by law, we cannot bond the
town to meet the emergency and are de-
pendent entirely upon the continued
generosity of our own citizens, supple
mented by the lovers of humanity else
where. In view of this condition of af-
fairs, the citizens Of Butler, through
their committees and burgess, appeal to
| the generosity of the people of the
United States for contributions of cash
to aid them in fighting the epidemic.
| All contributions should be made to
| Thomas J. Shufflin, treasurer Of the re-
lief committee"
At the meeting of the general COM
mittee Tuesday evening Andrew w.
Mccullough resigned as chairman of the
Fourth ward committee, stating that
the long hours of work and the scenes
of suffering, pain and want which he
witnessed every day had reduced him to
the verge of nervous prostration. The
resignation was reluctantly accepted
and George Evans was elected Mr.. Nc
Collough's successor. The latter re-
mains member of the executive COM
mittee and committee on cases.
But five cases were returned Tuesday
by physicians to the board of health,
the names of those having taken sick
being j. A. Elmer, Second street, Mil
ton Cottrell South street; Theodore
Zimmerman, Millerstown road: Anna
Ligon, Elm street and Clyde Young of
Institute hill.
Among those who are said to be dan
gerously i'll today are David w. Austin
J of the South Penn Oil Company; Perry
M. Starr and Miss Margaret Brandon
oSeveral nice subscriptions have been
l racaiuoI duripx bo moot foxy daxyc on1