The San Francisco call., 1905-04-18
TONOP All STAYS
DREAD DISEASE
Epidemic in Which Many
Were Carried Off in Past
Thirty Days Now Abating
CAMP is DISINFECTED
Citizens Committee Takes
the Matter in Hand and
Success Crowns Efforts

Emil Sutro of Sutro & Co., mining
brokers in Tonopah, arrived in this
city yesterday from the new camp and
says the disease that has caused many
deaths recently in the district has
abated and that all fear is past. The
epidemic, according to medical ex-
perts. resulted from germs that were
conveyed from decayed vegetable mat
ter to the food and water. Within the
past few days. and since the citizens
Of the place organized for the pur-
pose Of disfnfecting the camp, there
have been no deaths, and measures for
eradicatlng the disease will be con-
tinued.
THE citizens of Tonopah organized
last Thursday night said Sutro. "and
$1,000 was soon collected for the pur-
pose of cleaning up the camp. The
town was, divided into six sections and
a squad of four men placed in each
section to do the work. The citizens
of the place gave every assistance to
the committee and each night a large
quantity of garbage was destroyed by
fire. Wells. Fargo & Co. transported
a carload of disinfectants into the
camp free Of charge and great prog
ress was made. 1t was agreed that
after cleaning the town thoroughly
sewer system should be installed. and
capital for that object has already
been promised.
THE disease. to which about thirty
succumbed between March 15 and
April 15. Is a form of pneumonia and
seems to attack every organ of the
body. It results in great extent from
carelessness and exposure. People
have been warned not to drink any
water from barrels used by horses and
cold storage meats have been pre-
scribed. The period of alarm has
passed and the camp will be booming
within three months"
j. c. Ralston, the well-known min
eralogist and recent arrival from
Tonopah, when seen yesterday at his
apartments In the Palace Hotel, dis
cussed the case of the unusual number
of deaths which occurred in Tonopah
of late. He said:
1t is not plague that is prevalent in Tono-
pneumonia. Three years ago 1 investigated
the potability of the desert waters. particularly
those Of the Tonopah district. 1t was found
that some of the infiltrated waters contained a
small amount of the albuminoid of ammonia.
This compound. Is generally derived from an
organic or vegetable source, but it may also
have its genesis in certain volcanic rocks
that is, IL may have mineral origin.
1t is not necessary here to show the miner
illogical sources from which II be derived.
other than to say that such conditions and
mediums of generation present In many of
the disintegrating products OF vulcanism-va
rious volcanic rocks
1t is known that waters which contain
about sixteen parts of this albumnate to the
million poisonous and to certain persons
organically predisposed fatal
Some of the waters I examined contained
fifteen parts, thus almost reaching the fatal
quantity It Is easy to understand that the
accumulation of such communicating com
pound could take place within certain water
bearing strata, and that go long the level
of the water which being consumed re-
mained in such stratus. the dangerous In
subterTanean supplies reservoirs seldom re-
mains at the same level. but rises and falls
accordingly the supply is great small
Consequently the particular level at which
raised lowered If raised the posons be-
come diluted and thus harmless. or IL lowered
then they may become concentrated so that
those dangerous conditions, IL present at all,
not stable. but vary, and this either
largely disappears becomes so far diluted
that there Is danger.
No doubt supply being
used In Tonopah has lately reached the fatal
level. AS to the result on the victims, be-
lieve tina. II Is known that the action Of this
compound Is dangerous and violent on the
liver and kidneys. Severe swelling and con-
eestion results. Functional inaction super
venes and results fatally II not quickly re-
lieved. Such a swelling must necessarily react
on the lungs by pushing up the intervening
system and thus severely COMPRISING the
breathing appara atus-just az the accumulation
OF internal gases due to indigestion often COM
presses the lungs
1t is due to this that the Tonopah victims
ascribe their malady TO pneumonia-since in
resembles the symptoms of that dread disease.
THUG it is that autopsy reveals swollen and
blackened internal organs. and hence they give
1t the name of black plague.