The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-09-22
Amazing
CONDITIONS
Water All the Way From
Hyde Park Crib to Indi-
ana Harbor is Bad.
Especial to THE r1Mrsl


Indiana Harbor, Ind, Sept. o.
although it is disgraceful, it is an
absolutely fact that the cities of
Whiting and Hammond at times
drink four-ffths of their own sew
age when they imbibe the waters of
Lake Michigan" said State Water
Chemist ]. H. Brewster to a Times
representative yesterday afternoon.
South Chicago, Indiana Harbor and
East Chicago are also drinking filthy
water.
The statement Is startling and was
made after computation of several
plates of bacciii reduced from Lake
Michigan waters, MIR. Brewster and
Els assistant, w. ID. Maccabee, of In
dinnapOIis, have been engaged i'm the
studying of the sewage conditions of
this locality since Aug. IL. Fifty sam
pling points have been established be-
tween Iudiana Harbor and the Hyde
Park crib in Chicago and ench of these
points, Brewster has daily taken SAM
pies of the polluted water.
Their work will be completed in
rendered to the Lake county officials,
under whose direction the research
work has been prosecuted.
Find 1t Five Miles Out.
Il have found traces of pollution from
sewage conditions as far as nve miles
from shore" continued Mr. Brewster.
The sewage is more distinctly no.
ticeable from the Glucose sewer at Rob-
or&a 81
Harbor and Gary MAINS"
This sewage is of a yellowish tinge
and is very odorous. On certain days.
under certain wind conditions it is pos
sible to locate the dividing point be-
tween the polluted and pure waters by
the color contrasts alone"
On Sept. II. according to reports re-
ceived by Mr.. Brewster it was impos-
sible for residents of Hammond to
open the faucets in their homes The
odor was so great from the prevalence
of the glucose sewage that it pene-
trated even the inside of homes" he
declares
After a study of the currents and pre-
vailing winds, Whiting was located as
the most dangerous point on the south
ern shore of the great lakes THE sit
uation there is unique" said Mr.. Brew
ster. The Standard Oil sewer outlet
is so situation that under easterlv
winds and south -easterly. the sewe ge
is blown directly over the Whiting wa
ter intakes. Four fifths of this nollu
tion, teeming with dangerous baccin is
then passed through the water mains
and disease spread among the homes of
the oil city"
Should Arouse Citizens.
On several occasions, however. Ham
mond and Whiting have We'd with each
other in this respect. According to
computations. water passed through the
mains of these sewers contained the
same number of intestinal baccii a Is
the sewage emitted from the filthy out
let's A startling revelation. to be
sure, and one that should awaken the
better instincts of every citizen inter-
ested in the welfare of the Calumet re-
gion.
South Chicago is in better condition
than Whiting or Hammond, although
the Calumet river sewage is as fire.
quent as that of the Glucose or stand |
ard outlets and equally as dangerous. |
Indiana Harbor APPARENTLY hs the best
of the proposition. THE sewage in
this city comes through the Harbor and
is well disintegrated before 1t reaches |
the 3,o00-foot intake of the Harbor |
water mains"
Even considering this point, Indiana
Harbor citizens, when drinking water |
from Lake Michigan. frequently drink
as high as three e-ffths and usually at
least one-half of their own sewage
Ever the Alert
The water chemist who makes these |,
marvellous discoveries is ever on the
alert From early morning till late in /
the afternoon he goes from sampling
points in Indiana Harbor to the extreme
Chicago points. Il have found the
dangerous intestinal baccilli. which
causes diseases, in every point along
the lake" he declares. He is now
waiting for the equinoxial gales and
currents which usually appear at this
time of the year. These will doubt
less cause flushing of the Calumet
river and lend new problems for So
luton by the states chemist.
A germ incubator has been buiIt