St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-05-17
Village Meeting.
A Matter Of an Improved Water SYSTEM
Left With the Trustees for their Re-
cOmmenda lion.


A Matter of an Improved Water System
Left With Ihe Trustees fer their Re.
commentator.
The special village meeting was largely
attended last Wednesday evening and
the Armory was filled with citizens who
were interested in the water question.
After the call was read by the clerk, the
the president of the village called on DR..
T. r. Stiles of the State Board of Health
to address the voters. DR. Stiles read the
letter to the citizens from the State
Board OF Health, which was printed in
last weeks CALIFORNIAN, and also read
the Vermont Statutes governing action
in such cases. He then introduced DR..
Henry D. Holton of Brattleboro, secre-
tary of the State Board of Health, who
spoke Tor an hour on the necessity OF
having pure water in community and
what the village Of st. Johnsbury might
do to get better system. He said the
village was now getting polluted water
and cited in proof the sewage that came
into the river from above the intake.
He spoke>of how bacteria got into the
human system and how they produced
disease and sometimes death.
He said the State Board Of Health bad
no system to recommend to the voters;
that was the citizens duty, to find out
the best system and then get it. But he
mentioned three ways. Pure water
could be obtained from mountain brook
stream or pond which can be piped into
this village. Second, wells could be
driven and the water gathered in a cen
trail reservoir. If the driven we'll system
was successful it would probably be the
least expensive. Third, filter could be |
added to the present system and the |
deadly bacteria removed. This would
cost about SIS, 900.
DR.. Holton exhibited couple OF charts
from which it appeared that st. Johns
bury had had 1874 cases of typhoid fever |
in 40 months, including II deaths, which |
was at the rate OF 1913 in 10000 popula-
ton. In the same period the city OF
Lawrence had only three deaths from the
same disease in 10000 population. Law
renee got its water supply from the Merri-
mac river, but used a filter which de- |
stroyed the dangerous bacteria.
Asked about the water furnished by the |
st. Johnsbury Aqueduct Company, DR.. |
Hoton said the past spring it's taste and
smell were bad, but that it was not un-
healthy. He said he could make some |
that would improve |
conditions, but he considered this water |
far superior to the river system.
c. A. Ray, president of the Artesian |
Well & Supply Company, was present |
and said he had nothing to say at this
time, except if the village adopted a
driven well system his company could do
the work. He offered to drive well 200
feet for $1,000 and said he believed he
could get good water at that depth. He
said he should locate this well near the
river on the road to St. Johnsbury Centre,
On motion of Lawyer Howe it was
voted to leave the matter with the trus
tees to report to the voters at an early
date. This motion was amended by
Lawyer Dunnett asking TIE trustees to
report at this adjourned meeting what
methods could be taken for preventing
the contamination of our present water
above the intake. The meeting then adj
journed subject to the call of the trustees.