The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-17
sEWAop DrsPOsAL.
An EoOnomiO and aanatAry Problem Of
PRESSING Importance.


To THE EDIToB OF TIE sUE-9r: There
10 no economic problem Of more Importance
for the people Of this country TO solve Thai
that which concerns the common sense dis
position Of sewage. tn present system 10
not only wGsteful. but it is the cause OF Tors
Of life 10 a degree 90 alarming that II ts little
short of criminal. Instead OF using sewage
' for purposes Of fertilization. thereby not only
| disposlnR Of II In q harmless way but In
c~reasing the products OF the soil three or four
fold, in all of our large and most Of our smal
communities Il Is poured through sewers into
the waterways. polluting the general supply.
It seems an almost hopeless task to impress
on even the more intelligent among m
beings the fact that the secret OF success
In protecting, public health In Graduating
typhoid fever and many other fatal diseases
which are conveyed by water Is 70 prevent
the pollution Of the water by sewage.
The newspapers Of yesterday published an
item 10 the effect that tw enty-seven new
cases OF typhoid fever had been reported
In Pittsburg within twenty-four hours. The
despatch said q serious epidemic was feared
and that a general warning had been sent
out cautIoninR the people 20 boil all drinking
water. The boiling OF all drinking water and
eating Of only fresh cooked articles OF food
would put an end forever to typhoid fever
and numerous other serious diseases which
attack the body through the alimentary canal.
but this will never be 80 generally adopted
that IL will stamp out these diseases.
In a series Of reports recently made from
the New York Academy of Medicine IL was
shown that the typhoid epidemic at Scranton
Pa. was caused directly by sewage flowing
into a stream that fed a single reservoir. those
portions OF the city escaping which were
supplied from other sources. The sewage
Of this stricken city drained into a river the
water OF which was used by another city
some " twenty-five miles away. where n ty-
phoid epidemic developed promptly.
At this meeting the health oflcer Of Pitts
burg submitted a report of the condition ms pre-
vailinR In that continuously typhoid infected
centre. II appeared that all the water OF
the Monongehela River in the dry season
Is pumped out several times for Use in the
various towns along its border. and after
being used is poured back through the sewers
into the river bed TO be ca rried again and
again into the homes and bodies Of human
beings.
| am informed that a corporation OF un-
limited means. managed by practical men OF
affairs. is building on the shores OF one Of
our great lakes a city Of factories and homes
for employees and others who vii, be
attracted thither. In the establishment Of
this community these men have an oppor-
tunity to give an object lesson which should
prove of inestlma BILE value to mankind. They
have it In their power to build q city where
every element Of disease which may posi-
bly, be avoided might be eliminated. and
where there may be realized the full value
OF contented labor.
Let us'hope that they will build thus wisely.
that every safeguard known to science and
common sense may at least be thrown about
the water supply. Let us hope that unlike
nearly all other great communities the sew
age will not be poured into the source of sup
ply. TO be pumped back TO the houses from
which it came or into the homes OF others.
This problem has been solved successfully
and proftably at Berlin and in other civ
ilized centres, and II we do not profit by the
lesson they are teaching us we should con-
slider ourselves open TO the charge OF orimi-
nal stupidity. JOHN A. WYETH, NJ. d.
NEW YORK, June is.