New-York tribune., 1909-09-12
INTO TYPHOIDA
DOUBT rs TO THE CAUSE.
Heavy Rainfall in 4ugust Nay Be
ResponMbIe for Mann Gases.

with more 'hsn one thousand typhoid fever cases
reported since July the Health Departments hss
undertaken rigid investigation There IS alarm.
u was said at the department yesterday. but th.
situation justified concern n vas added TIE -
cent average for the quarter. which ends on Csfo-
Der I, has been 10 cases. While there is SONS
refHctance 20 blame The water. 81 believed t-7t
TIE heavy rain IN Angus had much n do with ths
Increase The rainfall was heavy N ~.
Coroton watershed u was nthe ci.y beia7 oafy
about two and one-half inches against avs and
! hau mere But II washed the baked waters ned q
I rs accumulation OF infectious material
The number Of cases OF typhoid reported f1v to
week in this city Up O'Clock yesterday
vas 2Ss as compared with ISL the week before.
Ever since the week ended August q the figures
I have been increasiDz. Then there we're a cases
The next week there 15s followed b. the n
Of the week ended on September Tbere vas an
early belief IN the Health Department that there
vas sons local cause, certain sections ths
disease was more prevalent han others. especial
Is IN the conEsstsd districts nincrease ~ typhoid
IS usually expected N the due 70 returning
vaeationists But the early theory has been large
/ y abandoned
/ In the Offices or the Health Department there -
| typhoid map OF ths city, upon which pins with
/ eolored tops are placed marking the location Of
/ cases The cases are we'll distributes. which II
was said gave ground for the superstition that the
water vas'to blame The districts that show pins
so closely together 20 give little room for nOrs
! are me following: Second avenue TO Avenue q,
/ between 5Sth and sd streets; Park avenue 70
Second avenue, between 18th and S5tb streets. ths
| district bounded by East Houston Delaney Fit
/ and Cannon streets, Eighth to Eleventh.
] avenue between 42d and sd streets and in SD
| street between Ninth and Teuth avenues IN
! Harlem there is liberal sprtnklinz oe pins
| there is less degree on the east and west sides
Of Central Park and south Of % right down 70 the
I Battery
On This map are ~ornparativs figures n J,,iv
and August. 1870 there $40 cases; in 1855 SO;
m l9'" "a in l9o5 57 and in 'ens there were for
\ me two months 50 For the last three weeks SIS
| cases have been reported. The hospitals are not
| especially crowded The four that would nst1rzIly
q contain the most cases save out the uurbsr cf
their typhcid patients last night follows: Fooss-
Vsit. 2. Flower, =. and % outside Presbyterian,
%; Bellevue. s..
ELECTRICITY il was said yesterday that the reservoirs
We're NOT m had shape. although the big Crotc7
one was twenty-on5 feet below the spIllvay- r.
| was explained that this was kept low 50 IL could
take care Of a big rainfall should one Occur Thsrs
is disposition in the department - prevent this
reservoir from losing water the spIlIvay tc-
every gallon that flows over is lost 70 the city.
| The other reservoirs In rhs following ecnd-
tion Boyd's Corner. full; Middle Branch. thr-s
feet below the spiilvay East Branch fifteen fsst
below. Bog Brook fifteen feet below West Branch.
five feet below An1awalk. rvo fser below: Titicus.
eight feet below, and Cross River two feet above.
There is not a. much water in the reservoirs of
/ The Croton watershed as there Vas year sxos
| when conditions were said 20 be alarming Then
there we're stxryntne billion gallons in storage on
August Il. while this year the same time ther-
we're only sixty-stx billion gallons. a supply t-u
DAYS short of year sgo. Conditions have not I'm
! proved since
The watershed inspectors have been urged 20 -
especially vtglant 10 prevent pollution but vh-r-
are many sources Of pollution which the city is
pOwerless 70 stop. Should there be no decrease IN
the number Of typhoid cases city officials viii g.
| 70 the watershed and rrv ind If there IS need
| for = special cheek pollution So far a the
Health Department can learn there is no nnors
| typhoid fever than usual in the watershed.