Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-15
Cause of Epidemic at Waterloo
Is Definitely Located by
Psychologists
SHOW SERIOUS CONTAMINATION
Both the Typhoid and Sewage BacilIi
Found in River Water and After It
Had Passed Thru the FiIters-city
Council to Take Immediate Action to
improve Water Supply.

Waterloo. March 15.--The cause ol
the typhoid fever epidemic from when
Waterloo has suffered the greater part
of the winter and from which many
deaths have occurred, has at last been
found Dr. w. l.. Bierrng and Or.
Henry Albert, the psychologists of tho
University of Iowa. have filed their re-
port of the examinations conducted by
them. and the report, which was re-
oeiyed Yesterday, shows plainly that
the water furnished the city by the
Waterloo Water Company. is the cause
of the trouble and this water is bur-
dened to an alarming extent with ty-
nhoid germs While for some time
the people have feared that the clty
water was the cause of the trouble,
and have been by order of the city
board of health, boiling all water used
for drinking purposes, the finding OF
the typhoid germs to such IN extent
in the city water is a surprise. Ever
since the typhoid came to be OF more
than ordinary prevalence, the health
officers have worked on the case. The
order to boil the water was carried out
in general and the disease gradually
lowered in the number of cases in the
city. A couple of weeks ago, the re-
port showed that there were l9b cases
in the city, but since that time num-
bers have recovered from the disease
and few cases in comparison with the
former number We're found, and 1T is
believed that the epidemic is graa-
ually being driven out.
Water Condemned.
|. The water secured by the water conf
pany from the Cedar river is con-
demned in strong terms by Drs. Bier
ring and Albert. The entire supply II
city water is received from the Cedar
river at an intake about quarter Of
a mile above the dam, in the center Of
the city. There Il no doubt now, after
careful examination made by the bac
terlologists, that the Cedar river IS
filed with typhoid-laden water and
that this water served to the citizens
is the cause OF the epidemic. The we'll
are now pronounced greatly harmful
by the experts who examined samples
Of them as we'll as of buttermilk AMI
other things of every day use.
In their report the PSYCHOLOGISTS
sum the matter UP in the following
terms:
THE archaeological examinations
made indicate that the river is contain
mated with sewage material and con-
tains the germs of typhoid fever; that
these organisms are especially abuna-
ant in the sediment which accumulates
on the surface OF the sand III the inter
during the process Of filtration; that
the stirring of the sand in the filter and
its washing with filtered water does
not. by any means. remove all the or
ganisms present that the water HIST
filtered after the washing of the
alter contains even more microbes than
are found in the pure river water ltse:f-
but the number is rapidly diminished
as the filtration goes on. The hndin3
Gas We have) of typhoid bacilli in the
water soon after it leaves the filter,
means, OF course that these germs
have entered the supply mains and
that the entire water supply OF the city
from the city plant is contaminated.
The number of typhoid bacteria found
in the water taken from the several
taps is so great as to render the water
entirely unpotable."
Council Will Act.
The matter will be taken up by the
city council at their meeting tonight,
and a sanitary engineer will be called
to the city to see what can be done In
securing other water supply. Munici-
pal ownership of the water plant is
strongly urged by many citizens, who
claim that is the only way which to
secure good water The Des Moines
system of sand reservoirs and deep well
is talked of freely, and some action VIII
be taken to secure other water than
that as at present secured from the
river.
All the hotels in the city are serving
imported water ColfaX water ana
water from other health resorts is be-
ing used in all the restaurants and no.
tells of the city, and all families are
taking some means of securing watei.