Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-25
CLOSING OF THE WELLS
Commissioners to Grant Hear
ing Next Thursday.
SPEAKERS MUST BE BRIEF
Protests Filed in Thirty Of the Sixty
Cases.
CERTAIN POINTS ADMITTED
Compilation Of Data Of Different Anal
yses-Matter to Be Con-
sidered in Order.
AIN - POINTS ADMITTED

The thirty residents Of this city who have
filed protests with the Commissioners
against the closing Of the shallow public
wells. as recommended by the United States
public health and marine hospital service,
will be given hearing next Thursday
morning at 10 o'clock. 1t is hoped by the
Commissioners that the hearing will be
concluded that day. AS protests have been
filed In thirty cases out of the sixty pumps
ordered closed, it will be necessary to make
the hearing Of each separate protest brief.
The Commissioners ask the cooperation Of
the protestants to do that. The same gen.
eral arguments are used in all the protests,
namely, that the water is cooler than the
Potomac water; that it is popular with the
Eeighbors and that no case of death has
been traced directly to it. These arguments
are admitted to be correct, so. that the
Commissioners believe that no time need
be spent upon them. The Commissioners
have had compiled the data of the differ.
cnt analyses made by the public health and
marine hospital service, the health depart
ment. the engineer department and the
filtration plant engineers, and they pro-
pose taking up the protests in order, giving
in each case data of that case, and then
asking for any specific arguments which
protsstants may desire to offer, admitting
the general arguments SO that they need
IOl De stated. II is suggested I0dI II Will
save time for the pretestants in each case
to select a spokesman to represent them at
the District building. AS the Commission
ers have the names of those who have
signed protests it will not be necessary for
them to appear at the District building, ex-
cept by their representative or spokesman.
To Be Taken Up in Order.
The protests, 1t is stated will be taken
up in the following order of wells, and the
in he IF
low in the list need not be present at the
opening of the hearings. If necessary, it
is said, the Commissioners will take a re-
cess from l to 2:30 o'clock on Thursday,
and hear the remainder of the protests in
the afternoon.
The recommendation of the public health
and marine hospital service that the shall
low wells should be closed was made as
result of the typhoid fever investigation
undertaken by that service at the request
of the Commissioners last June.
List of Wells.
The order of hearings is: Northwest
Sd street and Indiana avenue, 9th between
F and G streets, 9Th between Fairmont and
Girard streets, 9th and H streets, 10th and
X streets, 10th and Corcoran streets, 2Sth
and o streets, 34th street and Wisconsin
avenue, 35th and Reservoir streets, Massa-
chusetts avenue near Wisconsin avenue,
Wisconsin avenue and Q street, New Jersey
avenue between M and N Streets Newton
street east of Brightwood avenue.
Northeast-2d and streets, Sd and D
streets, 9Th and c streets, 18th and
streets, Seaton between Lincoln and I'd
streets, North Capitol between B and c
streets.
Southeast-3d street and Pennsylvania
avenue, 9th and G streets. 7th between B
and c streets, 18th street and South Caro-
Ina avenue. between 18th and 18th streets.
18th and Harrison streets, Jefferson between
Monroe and Fillmore streets, Jackson and
Fillmore streets, Hamilton road. Stanton
avenue and Pomeroy, Stanton avenue and
Norris road, 10th and Joliet streets.
No Evidence Of Pollution.
= The public health and marine hospital
service has reported that the following wells
show no evidence Of pollution:
Northwest-12th street and Florida avenue,
North Capitol and Randolph streets.
Northeast-Quncy between 18th and 18th
streets.
Protests have been received against closing
the well at 18th street and Florida avenue
northwest, and the well on Quincy between
l2th and 18th streets northeast. In view of
the favorable report Of the public health
and marine hospital service these three
wells will not be closed until some evidence
OF danger of pollution is ascertained and
therefore will not be considered at the hear
ing Thursday.
Statement Of Board Of officers,
Following is the statement of the board
OF officers appointed by the surgeon general,
public health and marine hospital service.
regarding the closing Of the wells taken
from the report to the surgeon general
March 2:
ION general sanitary principles alone
shallow wells and privies have been elimi-
mated from all large cities having an album
dant water supply and sewerage system. We
unhesitatingly subscribe to this view, and
believe that the shallow wells in the Dis
trict of Columbia should be condemned-a
conviction that is abpndantly confirmed by
the results of our chemical and bacterio-
logical examinations.
From the fact that thrty-one Of the
sixty three shallow wells show indications
of sewage pollution. and twenty-nine are
suspicious, we feel justified in recommend
ing the permanent closing OF all the shall
low wells in the District of Columbia and
II for any reason any Of those now regarded
as suspicious should be continued in use
laboratory facilities should be afforded the
health officer of the District to watch them
closely and authority granted him to close
Immediately any such we'll upon the first
indication Of sewage pollution or still bet
ter. close the shallow wells and sink deep
wells in their places"