Evening journal., 1907-01-15
TYPHOID EPIDEMIC
DUE TO WATER
Or. Robins Opinion After an
Investigation Of SCOurge
at Scranton
AN EXHAUSTIVE REPORT

demlc Of typhoid fever in that stricken
city. He made an exhaustive investigation
Of the situation and his report covers
series Of similar epidemlcs in various
places in Pennsylvania since 1885.
Mr. Robin gays the Scranton epidemic
is due to the water supply, and that for
some time the authorities. since the first
appearance Of typhoid. has not used the
/ Elmhurst storage reservoir, and the city
is now supplied from Lake Scranton. Ao-
/ cordng to Chief Engineer Lelsen Of the
Water Department, however the supply
from this lake is running so low that 1t
will be only a question Of "a few days
when the Elmhurst basin viii again have
to be resorted 10 for water. He said tho
water in the Scranton Lake has dropped
eleven feet since Saturday.
Report on The Subject.
DIR. Robins report which was read all
,he meeting Of the water board yester-
day afternoon follows:
Wilmington. Del, Jan. 8, 1907
To tie Board of Water Commissioners:
Gentlemen: 1t appears that che unfor-
tl'nate State Of Pennsylvania is destined
to serve as an object lesson to other mu-
inequalities in epldemiology especially
with reference 70 the relation Of the
water supply to typhoid epidemics.
The oft-quoted epidemic of TYPHOID fever
/ IN Plymouth, Pa, in 1855. resulted from
the contamination Of the water supply
with the focal discharges from a single
patient afflicted with the disease This
epidemic has stricken down /, 104 persons,
causing ia deaths.
The frequent and periodical epidemics of
! typhoid fever in pittsburg and Allegheny,
and in philadelphia, resulting from the
| pollution Of their respective water sup
\ plies, are too well known to be dwelt
/ upon in detail Just ait present the city OF
Pittsburg is in the throes Of a typhoid
epidemic which Dr. J. f. Edwards, the
i Superintendent OF The Bureau Of Health.
j characterlzes as lone of the worst cpl
denies in the cl.y s history" one thous-
and persons arc down with the disease,
and the hospitals are unable to care for
tile sick
The typhoid epidemic in Butler. Pa.
which occurred In 1903. is stu fresh in
our memory. That epidemic resulted from
a temporary suspension OF the operation
Cf the mechanical filter. for a period OF
nine days. the private water company not
having notified the citizens of the break
down and Of the fact that unhltered water
was being supplied. The Butler epidemic
anected 1,34S persons, of whom Ill died.
The most notable epidemic since. rs the
. one raging at present in Scranton, Pa
This unfortunate city Is battling with
mighty foe, and already about 1000 casel
and 60 deaths. are on record. with bu
slight indications Of abatement
In compliance with your instruction
1 visited Scranton on the It'll inst, an,
made a thorough investigation OF the ST
uation.
A visit to the Bureau Of Health Shove,
at glance the seriousness of the condi
, tons as well as the determined effort o.
the part of the officials to meet uhen
successfully. Every desk in the office hat
behind it a busy worker. Dr. Keller, tn
. superintendent. was busily engaged re
ceiving reports and giving orders Ever
4, few minutes a messenger police officer, @
: Inspector, came in with a report and 70
instructions. Physicians came in for in
q formation, and the Telephones were. 4
constant use. The whole aspect reminde
one Of army headquarters during an i'm
portant battle.
did not feel JUSTIFIED in claiming ID
Keuer's time. and after a brief intervie,
ard with some available records. / wen
90 The temporary ofncss OF the rep es n
tatfes OF the State Commissioners C
Health. at the Hotel Jermyn. There / me
i5r johnson, the chief medical inspect0.
and MIR. F. II. Snow. Chief Engineer q
: The Pennsylvania Department OF HEATH
, from whom / obtained most Of the infoI
nation contained in the sub-ioined repor
History of the Epidemic.
on December g. 1906. hve cases Of ty
phoid fever were reported TO the Burea
OF Health. From that date TO Decembs
! Eth, 20 cases were reported. There is ever
reason to suppose that typhoid cases oS
CURED prior to that date, and in large
numbers than were reported, the attend
ing physicians having diagnosed them q
grippe" On December 18th, q cases wer
reported. and from that date up TO Jant
airy 5th. 1907. the number Of cases report
ed reached $40 with a deaths attributed
! Of which IS were officially reported.
The cases of typhoid fever are practical
ly confined to the central part Of the CT,
n and West Scranton, which were supple
4 with high service from the Elmhuri
I. reservoir. The disease does not appear {
- be confined to any particular class {
Z. people the rich and poor suffering alik
o nor is there any relation of the ep'dem
s TO the sanitary conditions of certain SCI
s tions Of the city While the poor suff'
g most on account OF n lack Of means. an
s their sufferings are more In evidence, II
wel-to-do and the rich contribute the
e fun quota TO the morbdity and mortaiit
s list. The deaths Of many prominent me
o and women have already been chronicle
n and many happy home has been sha
tered by this dread disease.
= The Source Of The Epidemic.
a The concensus OF opinion Of all the o
N iciais. local as well as State, with Il
II exception Of the Scranton Gas and Wat'
z Company is that the water supply Is
v blame for the epidemic The city
= Scranton. with population Of about l2C
I 900, is supplied with water obtained fro
e mountain streams. These are intercepts
s. by four small storage reservoirs OF aboi
100000 gallons each. and merge into viii
y is known as Roaring Brook. The latt
l. empties into the Elmhurst Storage Re
a ervoir OF a capacity Of 1,oo0oOocoo gallon
II and from this overlooking a dam. pass'
a through a pipe to No. Z reservoir. FRO
which the city is ordinarily supplied
= pipeline also passes from the Elmhur
y reservoir TO lake Scranton n stora,