New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-15
GUARDING THE WATER.

| Commissioner Oakley and his staff have done
| well in needing The Tribune's warnings of
| abuses in the CrOton Valley. They would have
| done better if they had guarded against such
| abuses and had prevented their occurrence, In
| stead of waiting for them to be developed and
| then to be discovered and exposed by this jour
| nal. Nevertheless, we must give them credit for
| acting promptly. vigorously and with discretion
| the moment the state of affairs was brought TO
| their attention. That they have done much good
| is quite obvious upon cursory inspection Of
| that region. The warning OF offenders and the
sta toninS of special policemen in that region to
guard the streams from pollution are proper
acts, and are materially abating some Of the
evils of which complained.
There is however, still much TO be done.
There are still some grave menaces to the pub
lie health. Between the villages of KGtonah
and Bedford Station there is camp of work
men. living in the rudest and most unsanitary
fashion, directly upon the bank of brook which
flows into Cross River and thence into the Gro
ton. The camp is so close TO the stream and
the lay OF the land is such that it is certain all
the drainage must find its way into the brook.
Last Sunday was washday in the camp. Scores
OF men were seen washing themselves and their
soied clothes, not it is true, directly in the
brook itself but within q few yards OF It.
They got their water supply from the brook,
and when they were done with It they simply
overturned the tubs and buckets and let the
dirty water flow down the slope into the brook
again. That was done in the plain sight of
travellers on the railroad and of passersby on
the wagon road. The workmen in question are
understood not to be in the city's employ and
not to be camped on the city's land; but there
should be some way of abolishing n state OF af
fairs which is certainly revolving to the senses
and might easily become monstrous menace
10 the public health. Much less nuisances COM
mitted by farmers and other residents OF that
region have been speedily aboted.
Speaking ut Atlantic City the other day Dr.
Biggs, OF New-York University and the New
York Health Department, said: THE annual
cost OF typhoid fever in sickness and death
throughout the United States would be com
'puted I'm terms of tens OF millions Of dollars
"All of this loss we know is certainly prevent
able" His words words OF soberness
and truth, and were those when he went OH
TO say that II only small proportion of this
yearly cost OF pestence were expended I'm edu-
cation and in preventive agencies typhoid fever
might soon become rare affection. II would
cost something, no doubt 10 make thoroughly
clean sweep Of all these nuisances In the Croton
region, though. as a matter of fact the expense
should fall upon those responsible for the nui-
sances and not upon the city II would cost
something 10 increase the number Of policemen
and inspectors In that region so nS To guard the
whole water system with MI possible thorough
ness; but such cost would he n hagatolle con
traStcd with the appalling costs and losses that
would be inflicted upon the city by an epidemic
Of typhoid fever. 1t would be the part Of wis.
dom for the city TO take such steps and To go 10
such expense rs may be necessary u give II the
FULLEST possible assurance against such heavier
cost.