Evening journal., 1908-05-09
STOP POLLUTION
OF BRANDYWINE
City Solicitor Townsend to
Join With Lawyers at West
Chester in Legal Action

City Solicitor Sylvester d. Town
send, Jr, will go to West Chester on
Tuesday morning next to consult with
prominent lawyers there to plan lifi-
cation designed to stop the pollution
of the Brandywine. with a concerted
action on the part OF Mr. Townsend in
behalf of the city of Wilmington, and
lawyers representing the farming in
terests and the fshermen's association
of Chester county, Pa. the prospects
now are that the emptyng Of dye
stuffs from mills about Downlngtown
and West Chester into the Brandywine
and the diverting of sewage from
places in Pennsylvania into the stream
will be stopped.
Mr.. Townsend has long realized tho
necessity OF trying to have contami-
nation of the Brandywine stopped. and
with city officials has made many in
spection trips along that stream. He
has taken the trip several times with
officers OF the Water Department and
the Board of Health. Mr.. Townsend
has appreciated that to take legal
steps against the State of Pennsyi-
lvania or the owners of mills or other
properties from which polluting mat
ter flows into the Brandywine would
mean a big financial expenditure on
the part Of Wilmington. This action
would have to be taken in the United
states Court for the Eastern District
OF Pennsylvania, and some legal lues-
tions would Ie involved -0Elt would
make Wilmington's chances Of win
ming somewhat doubtful.
/ Notwithstanding this. Mr.. Townsend
has been keeping In touch with The
lsituation, and has been in correspond
ence with Thomas w. Baldwin, Rob-
ert S. Gawthrop and w. T. Hunt, we'll
known lawyers of West Chester. about
the situation. Mr. Townsend will go
to West Chester next week to consult
with the lawyers about the form of
litigation that will be taken.
Mr.. Hunt is secretary of the Ches-
ter County Fish and Game Associs-
| tion, which is actively interested in
the crusade TO stop contamination OF
the Brandywine. and he and the other
lawyers named also represent farme.
in the dairymen's association and farm
ers along the Brandywine in Chester
county Farmers there have been COM
planning that their cows cannot drink
the Brandywine water in places be-
cause of the dye that Is dumped int7
the stream from paper mills This
dye and sewage also has depleted the
fish in those sections. which has arous-
ed the anglers. Most of the farmers
are now members of the Dairymen S
Association or the Fish and Game As
lsociation, and it is likely that some OF
them will apply In the Chester County
Courts for an Injunction TO prevent the
mills dumping dyestuffs and other re-
fuse into the BrSndywine.
City Solicitor Townsend has offered
to place inspectors Of IT, Water De
lpartment and the Board Of Health at
work on the case gathering evidence
and he also had notified Messrs. Bald
win. Gawthrop and Hunt that DIR. AL
bert Robin. city bacteriologist, will
make whatever archaeological tests are
necessary 10 show that the water is
contaminated.
Should the suit be brought in the
Chester county courts il would ac-
lcomplish exactly what Wilmington has
long been seeking and at no great ex
lpense. and Mr.. Townsend would join
with the West Chester lawyers in pro-
lsecuting the case