The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-10-18
State Board Of Health Comes to
Kenosha to Investigate Con-
dition Of Ke6osha River
ALIENS PROMISE RELIEF SOON
Board is Shown That Every Thing Pos
sible is Being Done to Secure the
Dredging of River Harper
Criticizes Sewers


Acting in response to a petition
signed by three hundred tax payers of
Kenosha, President DR.. w. H. Whyte
and Secretary G. "A. Harper, of the
State Board of Health, came to Keno.
sha late Thursday afternoon to make
an investigation Of the Kenosha
river and to take some steps to secure
the removal of the polluted matter
from the stream. Ia the petition sent
to the state board it had been stated
that no efforts had been made by the
local board Of health TO secure the
cleansing Of the river, but when the
officials returned to Madison they
were convinced that everything pos
sible was being done by the local
board and the matter was left in it's
charge.
Doctors Whyte and Harper reached
Kenosha at five O'Clock and were met
at the station by DR.. ]. 3. Spaulding,
secretary of the Kenosha board of
health and Mayor German. They
were taken to the tannery in an auto
mobile and spent a half an hour ex-
aiming the conditions prevailing
about the big plant. Later the state
and city officials were c1oseted for an
hour with Q. W. Allen and M. Werve
and the entire matter was gone over.
The state officials stated that they
must demand that some immediate
steps be taken to dredge the river and
that it be kept clean in the future.
Mr. Alien laid before the two boards
ali the CORES ondence which he had
with the dredging companies and
these letters showed that contracts
for the work had been let months ago
to the Stark Dredging company of
Milwaukee, but that the company had
been SO rushed with business that it
had been impossible for them to carry
out the contract. The Allen people
had been put off from time to time un-
til they had offered to pay almost
double the amount of the sfrst con-
tra It if the dredging people would do
the work at once.
Mr.. Allen stated that he had been
to Milwaukee to see the officials of
the company and that they had,agreed
to send dredge to Kenosha just as
soon as it was possible and that he had
hoped to have the work done by this
time. Mr.. Allen further stated that
the officials Of the tannery we're ready
to give the guarantee that as soon as
the river had been properly cleaned it
would he kept clean as arrangements
had already been made for disposing
of all the refuse which had formerly
gone into ne river.
The state officials were entirely
satisfied with the action that had been
taken by the local board and they APP
peared to be satisfied that the officials
of the tannery were acting in good
faith. However the local board was
ordered to keep close eye on the
matter and to report the work to the
state department of health.
The members of the board made a
little examination of the Kenosha
sewer system during the short stay in
Keuosha and the system met with
criticism. 1t was cl lined that under
the present system of emptying the
sewage into the lake, it was possible
for this sewage to reach the mouth of
the intake and pol1ute the water used
for drinking purposes. DR.. Harper
suggested that on account of the fact
that the current in the lake is toward
the north, it could not be otherwise
that portion Of the sewage reached
the intake and that in order to remedy
this matter it would be necessary to
have the intake built to, the south
rather than to the north Of the city
This will be matter for the consid-
GRAFTON Of the board of water commits
siouers at the time new intake is
built, The state officials also insist
that the sewage should be carried out
into the lake farther.
The state officials returned to Mad
ison late Thursday evening.