Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1911-11-10

~ 10 sDSo AN~o ~
made the following statement for pub.
lication to put at rest all rumors that
the CITY water might be responsible
for the present slight epidemic.
Hot Springs, South Dakota,
November 7th, 1911.
Editors "Star."
Dear Sirs:-
1 am informed that you have been
questioned quite often recently In re.
gard to the condition of our city water
supply, which might be the cause OF
typhoid fever and deem it but proper
that should make statement con.
cerning these conditions.
Our source of supply comes from
two localities, viz; lst. We pipe the
water from the large cold spring, locat-
cd In the grove just over the railroad
track, from the Chautauqua Grounds.
This spring is walled up with cement.
making it impossible for any impurities
from the surface to get into 1t. End,
We also pipe the water from Hot Brook
stream, in the Chautsuqua Grounds,
Through l5 inch tile pipe. At the In.
take of the pipe, the water is filtered
through several feet of fine gravel be-
fore it reaches the end of the tile.
Then both of these pipe lines run
down into our spring house, located In
the grove, above described and empties
into the spring house into q cemented
compartment, then the water has to be
filtered through two sandstone walls IL
inches thick, with 21s feet Of fine gravel
in between them. When the water
gets through this filter, it runs into
another compartment and on into II
inch cast iron intake pipe, the mouth
of which being covered with fine wire
screen, suoh as is used for screen doors
and windows, making it practically i'm
possible for anything larger than
very small hug to get into the pipe,
underground. the joints of which are
loaded and made tight, the same as our
service pipes and this pipe connects
direct onto our two pumps at the city
power house, distance of something
like 1000 feet from the spring house.
The water is then pumped into our
stone and cement reservoir located on
Evans Heights, 24O feet above the
pumps, where it runs by gravity down
into the mains Of the city. Our reser-
voir is inspected every day in the
} summer time and two or three times q
week in the winter time, and we clean
it out from time to time, as 1t SCENE to
need it. The reservoir was thoroughly
cleaned about one month ago. So 1t
would seem, it would be improbable
that the water could be contaminated
unless it was done Intentionally.
Now, as to the quality of the water
it has been anaiyzed from time to time,
by competent chemists and one of the
reports stated, "It was the best port.
able water," they ever analyzed. have
beer the local manager of the water
= system for nearly fourteen years and
: have taken personal pride in giving
the people Of our little city the very
best water supply possible to be Oh
: tanned in this locality, and also have {
wife aud family, who are drinking thil
water every day just as it comes from
the hydrant and certainly believe 4
v to be pure and wholesome or woult
not permit them to drink it. But /
there is anything the matter with tn
water, we want to know it and we stant
:, ready to do all in our power to correc
the defect.
q Atour request. the Mayor has ahippet
70 sample OF the water to the School o
y Mines at Rapid City, South Dakote
~ for analysis This water was draw
IS from hydrant aud the jug sealed an,
10 shipped by Mayor Bentley himself
10 personally Yours truly,
~ j. F. PARKS,
~ Sunorintandon