The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-11-18
Despite ReasSuranCes of
HarmleSSnesS VIII
Not Drink Ii.
ALGAE-TAINTED SUPPLY
SAFE, CHANDLER SAYS
Health Officer Tells Mothers
Fear for Babies Is I'm
warranted.
OIL GETS INTO THE
PEQUANNOCK SHED
Standard Oil Pipes Leak, II Is
F0und-SCare Makes Busi-
ness Brisk for BottEers.

Practically every household In the
city today raised vigorous protest
against tainted water. Assurances
that the disngreeabIe, nshy. oily.
earthy taste YVES harmless did NOT re-
iievc the unpieasantness arising from
the usc of the winter.
So strong and bad tasting is the
water considered that thousands of
families have feared to use 1t. many
thinking that 1t carries poisonous
germs, and have resorted to. spring
water purchased in the markets. There
mas been an unprecedented demand IN
the last few days for bottled waters
This interruption of a supply of
water that has been declared .he
finest and purest of any city in the
country has recalled the panic of 1899,
when big main leading from the
reservoir broke and the city used Pas
sale river water for nine days, the re j.
suit being 147 deaths from typhoid
fever.
All of the city's water, and health
authorities say that there In nothing
unheaitbfuI in the water supply, nI-
though ii does smell and tnste pecu-
IIarly.
1t has been discovered that the fshy
taste and oaIor come from that form of
subaqueous vegetation known as algae,
weeds growing on the bottoms of
streams and lakes that feed the source
of the Newark water supply. There
Il. dad g. Isx.
this, although the taste and smell is
unpleasant.
Oil Leaks Into watershed.
But a more startling discovery is
made that oil from the pipe lines of
the Standard Oil Company has leaked
into the Pequannock at Newfound-
land.
This accounts for the oily taste and
smell in the water The authorities
have taken immediate steps to check
this, but they say there Is no way in
which to rid the water of the algae;
that the people must simply wait until
1t washes itself out, which may be
several days yet.
Calls City's Supply Purest.
"There is absolutely no danger. Our
water is the purest in the world" de-
clared Health officer Chandler. "1f
there was any danger l would imme-
diately tell the people through the
papers to boil the water, as did last
year. The pipes of the Standard Oil
Company have been leaking, we know.
but the oil floats on top Of the water
and does not get into the lakes. If
there was any danger we would not be
sitting around here. but would be out
hustling. The present condition will
exist for possibly eight or ten days and
will then cease.
"The algae is merely the decomposed
vegetable matter washed down the
beds of streams practically dry in the
summer, and Is absolutely harmless.
"If you need any further proof look
at our reports on typhoid fever; we
have only half the cases we had at this
time last year"
Mr. Chandler said that the city bac-
teriologist took the samples of water
that Water Inspector Brady brought
down last night and after the tests de-
clared that II was pure and healthful.
was oil in the water, but stated that
1T f1oated on top and did not get into
the water.
Inspector Brady and Superintendent
Briggs went over the entire system yes
terday and then visited Cedar Grove.
In his report from the latter place,
Brady says he never saw the water in
better condition.
Inspects BeIIeyiiIc Hydrants.
Inspector Brady isa today inspecting
Belleville reservoir. and will also make
tests from water drawn from hydrants
BY order OF the Board of Works water
department employees have been flush
ing out all pipes from the fire hydrants.
Complaints continue to come to the
health office and the Board of Works
Mr.. Chandler has told anxious mothers
that the water will not lnjure babies.
1t is thought that most of the algae
comes from the Clinton river, now an
angry torrent, but during the summer
the bed of the river was dry.