Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-25
DEMAND FOR PUBLIC WELLS
CITIZENS EXPRESS INDIGNATION
IN sCATHING TERMS.
Closing of the Wells Condemned and
Appeal to Be Made to
Congress.

! About 100 men and women from various
sections of the city met at 719 9Th street
| northwest last night and in strong terms
denounced the District Commissioners the
health department and the officials of the
United States Public Health and Marine
Hospital Service, for causing the closing of
| the public shallow wells of the District.
There were number of ora:ions in which
| the officials were bitterly scored The news
papers of Washington also came in for
share of roasting at the hands of the irate
| citizens, it being charged that they refused
| to print the req news in connection with
! this outrage
| Aside from the various speeches last
| night the only actual business transacted
was the adoption of resolutions condemn
| ing the officials named; soliciting the help of
other citizens i'll the fight: invoking aid
| from Congress, and the forming of a per-
manent organization. A committee COM
| posed of B. NJ. Mundell, chairman; NJ. 7.
| Davis, a. b. Webb and Sam DeNedrey, was
appointed by J. F. Richards, who presided
| at the meeting. to make arrangements for
mammoth mass melting, which will be
held next week, at which the wells and
other grievances will be the topics of dis
cusSion.
| This committee was also appointed for
| the purpose of financing the agitation
movement. The expenses incident to last
nights meeting were met by passing around
the hat.
Commissioners on Gridiron.
The meeting was called to order by Mr..
Richards who after a brief welcoming adj
dress explained what the meeting was for
and placed the three Commissioners on the
| gridiron, where they remained until the
meeting adjourned and the protesting citi-
| IpfI bali ID IL, -J, H.
the action of the Commissioners in closing
the wells an act of Official vandalism"
1T has resulted" he said "in universal
and widespread suffering, which suffering,
if inflicted upon brutes or dumb animals,
would result in the arrest and punishment
of the perpetrators.
He stated further that people have been
| using water from the condemned wells al
most daily for thirty or forty years and no
one has shown the slightest evidence of dis
ease as the result. He doubted very
much If any of the wells which
had been closed showed the slightest
evidence of contamination or bacteria. He
doubted the ability of the ''so-called spe-
cialists' of the marine hospital service who
| made the meteorological analysis and the
ability of the health officer. He concluded
by telling his auditors that things had come
to pass in the District when some action
is imperative I'VE are being kept down by
tyrants,' he declared, as he sat down.
His last utterance was met with a burst
of applause and the next speaker, ]. w.
Nye of Langdon. D. c., took up the thread
and gave dissertation upon the poor and
unjust government prevailing in the Dis
trict, during which he compared the local
Taxpayers to the poor down-trodden of
Russia and the Commissioners with the
heartless car.
The meeting taking the form Of a
political meeting, with its object the refor-
nation of the local government and suf-
frage, when a gentleman from the vicinity
of Sd street and Indiana avenue. where
there was once a cool, sparkling WELL,
arose and said he did not come to the meet
ing to hear heated orations, but to hear
pl acticai suggestions for some definite ac-
ton by which the wells can be reopened.
A number of others jumped to their feet
and cried, Yes, we want the wells re-
| stored. not speeches"
Legality Questioned.
The legality of the action Of the Com
missioners in ordering the wells closed was
questioned by ]. E. Mitchell, an attorney,
who was the next speaker He declared
that when the pumps and wells were
tablisheI years ago an assessment for
benefits was levied on the owners Of prop
erty in the immediate vicinity. and in view
of this 1t was beyond the province OF the
Commissioners to remove them without the
full consent Of thse who paid the benefits.
B. NJ. Mundell Of Anacostia suggested
that resolution be adopted directing the
appointment of a committee to draft a
letter to President Roosevelt and inform
him Of the injustice that has been done
| the citizens of the National Capital. This
did not materialiZe.
The order Of the Commissioners closing
the public wells of the District was issued
as the result of a recommendation Of the
public health and marine hospital service,
which, after an analysis of the water, de-
clared them to be polluted and a menace
to the health of the community.
Protest being made, the Commissioners
hoo ~spcr ryl,i al
al cuments in favor of the retention of the
wells were presented. but they decided to
adhere to their original order.
In discussing the mass meeting of last
night, one of the Commissioners said yes
terday: I'VE could not possibly disregard
the recommendation of the public health
and marine hospital service, which is re-
garded as the highest medical authority in
the land. Had we done and epidemic
of disease resulted, which, upon investiga-
tion was attributed to the wells, we should
have been severely criticised and rightly
So for not closing them.
Mr.. Macfarland's Comment.
Commissioner mcfarland said today re-
garding the wells:
I'm regard to the closing of the public
pumps upon the recommendation of the
public health and marine hospital service
the position of the Commissioners is that
they could not take the responsibility OF
ignoring the recommendation of the high
est health authority of the national govern
ment as they stated at the public hearing.
where full opportunity was given the pro-
testants to present their arguments. 1t is
simply u question Of public health, and
when the public health and marine hospital
service, in its report to the Commissioners
in March on the typhoid fever investigation,
which the Commissioners had asked in
June Of last year, stated that the water In
all the shallow public wells except three
was dangerous or suspicious the Commits
soners felt that they had no alternative
but to close the wells. especially as the
analyses of the health department, the en-
gineer department and the filtration plant
confirmed the analyses of the public health
and marine hospital service. Since 1878
over three hundred of the city pumps have
been closed similar recommendations
from the health authorities"