The Washington herald., 1907-02-24
TRAFFIC IN JORDAN WATER
Remarkable Enterprise Entered
Upon by Kentucky Colonel.
Aaua PuFa Scaled In Casks and
Shipped Hero, W here 1t Sells
for n Gallon.

A Blue Grass colonel is engaged in the
business Of shipping water into the United
States, Kentucky is the last place ~
which such a venture might be expected
to have its inception says the Boston
Globe. This alone would make the enter
prise OF Col Clifford +. Nadaud remark
able, but there are other features that
add To- its interest The water must make
a journey from the other side Of the world.
from far-of Jerusalem. II comes from a
country which is so far behind the rest Of
the world that il has no casks. no wagons
TO do the hauling to the nearest seaport,
seventy miles away. Yet al the obstacles
have been overcome. the venture is d sue
cess, and soon the devout OF the United
States can have for purposes Of religious
worship water shipped directly from the
River Jordan.
Thousands Of Christians from all parts
Of the world. yearly make the pilgrimage
10 the Jordan TO receive the blessing that
is believed 90 come from bathing there.
Many Of these take away filled bottles TO
give 60 relatives, friends, and officers Of
The church at home, 50 that they, too.
may share the blessing. Now the enter
prise of Col Nadaud makes this pilgrim
age unnecessary. He brings the river to
the very door Of the faithful in the United
States, and he sells it for 81 a gallon. The
whole project IS almost without d parallel.
Tt is a startling union OF the practical
and devoGt- The iaceptor of the move
meat regards it purely as commercial
enterprise. yet many wo-shipers win look
upon him as "a benefactor.
Col Nadaud-he gets his title from the
fact that be is q colonel on the governor 5
staff-hrst got his idea when he saw visi-
tors TO the Jordan carrying away the
wafer in bottles and other vessels. He
planned Immediately TO ship it 10 the
United States in bulk but even the most
casual investigation disclosed innumera bic
difficulties in the way. He began Oy form
ing the International River Jordan Water
Company. Next he went TO the Turkish
authorities at ConstantnOple and out
lined his scheme. These had no objection
to the removal OF the water. but pointed
out that the number OF obstacles would
make the plan commercially infeasible. In
no wise discouraged, the doughty colonel
went 10 the scene OF operations 10 study
the local conditions.
From the Jordan TO the nearest seacOast
port, at Jaffa. is seventy miles, and TO
make the journey the mountains OF
Judea have to be crossed. These are
about 2G,9 feet above the level of the
Mediterranean. and $500 feet higher than
the Jordan itself OF itself this would
mean little, but taken in connection with
the primitive transportation facilities,
serious problem was presented.
The lack Of casks was remedied by
bringing wood from Asia Minor and
making suitable vessels in which 20 carry
the water. TO supply the lack of wagons,
special trucks were built This met the
first needs The next thing TO be consid-
cred was the employment OF such sani-
tary methods as would make il possible
10 guarantee the absolute purity of the
water q the end Of its long journey.
Here the natural conditions helped. The
Jordan IS one OF the purest OF rivers. In
its entire length Of 160 miles it has not
one source of pollution. There is no vii
lagc or settlement along its shores. The
natives drink from the river at any point.
and the draft is as perfect as water can
be. Assured that the water was all right,
it only remained TO cleanse the vessels
scientifically The fifty-three casks com
BiAoAtis tA'@ iii - SittbiiA1ttt a JUN OL dbbui
thirty-twO tons Of Jordan water were
first cleaned with cold water. then hot
then steam and soda As a final precau-
ton q disinfeCtant was sent through
every cask to make it germ-proof.
The water for shipment was taken from
the place that tradition assigns as the
spot where John baptized the Saviour II
was first placed In large vessels TO settle
and boiled in large caldrons to insure
the death of any live matter that might
exist there. Then, so that the aUthen-
ticity OF the water might be established
the sealing of tho casks was made an
elaborate public function.