Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-13

| river water. The statistics gathered
| by us showed that there was less sick
| ness among the people who used onl,
the devine water in their houses. Tn,
| classification was made to show VIVA
waters the typhoid patients used an,
does show that river water was uset
| by . larger proportion than another.
| made TWO analyses Of water from
! Weber pond, and judge it to b,
! unobjectioEable from n sanitary stand
! point. Also made sanitary survey o
| the ponds surrounding. Found >
, population to the square mile popu
| latioIl on the water shed. Fairly low
population under all the circumstances
| and consider it Very safe rate for lax.
| of that kind Character of shores show
| stony places. some Hat, some woody
some muddy. Does not affect tn,
water from sanitary standpoint Mad
no Investigation as to its supply-bu
| think it Would bc ample.
| In the microscopic examination of thy
water. our calculations show the pres.
| eiICc Of Il Substance which indicates the
presence of sewage: the color varies a,
different times OF year. not harmful,
highly colored al times of examinations
AS To color of the river water. l con-
slider il slightly above what is called I
| safe average. Think it rather a dirty
water. compared with standard. Don;
| have to strain your eyes to See the sedi-
| meEt which settles Think turbidity OF
this water is greater than is desirable
for a public water supply. Think it sc
for a large part Of the year. 1t varies
III different seasons and conditions
The Y. tier is usrre?bly soft 1t would
be practicable to filter it by slow sand
Or mechanical processes.
ON re-3irrct--ColOr has nothing to dc
with sanitary coniitiOnS; bears almost
wholly on filtration: turbidity con
Sidercd in same way: alkalinity the
same.
Know that water at Lewiston and
Bangor up to short time was taken
from Androscoggin and PenobscOt
rivers. Also at Brunswick, from the
AndroscCggin. BiddefOrd and Saco
have river supplies.
The bacteria in the sample of Ken
nebec water we examined we simply
counted them. The weight and whole
force of our researches is that when
we find large numbers of bacillus COLI.
the water is polluted. We found that.
The conditions show a dangerous or in
fected water.
The water carrying large number
of bacteria and large numbers of
bacillus COLI shows that if the danger
of infection exists up river, the oppor-
tuni;y Of danger is present.
The next proposition is to show that
the water has become infected from the
conditions above us.
Stopped our fluctuations about Jan.
|. Our investigation indicates to me
that the water above us has not been
polluted this winter. Very little typhoid
in Augusta and Waterville. Last year
epidenics in both places.
The blank used in the water canvass
in the typhoid epidemic in Augusta,
was introduced as evidence and denti-
fled IS one prepared by Mr.. Whipple,
who stated that from these blanks he
made w the water canvass statistics.
Witness made correction of pre-
vious statement as to the division of
people found 10 be using river water
only. river and spring. or from other
sources wholly, being simply a correc-
ton of figures.
The whole tabulation was to show
only what places of supply people had
for water in their homes, not in places
of business OF elsewhere.
III typhoid death cases examination
was to try to show the connection of
the different waters drunk by the pa
ticnts at home and other places. Eleven
deaths out of AL cases where river
alone was used. .-:>
With our calculations, and epidemics
in Waterville and Augusta, Il year ago.
and the people now trying more spring
water, that would go to show that the
change was partly the cause.
Inquired to find why the death rate
had increased in late years. At Insane
hospital. found an increase. These
deaths are included in city clerk 3
records and are included in the city's
rate.