The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-07-26

of the disease was disproportionasely
high among those who lived north of
the avenue.
Process of Elimination
In order to get down to the real
cause of the epidemic DR.. Lumsden
considers in detail all the predomin-
ant factors in the distribution of the
infection. elm mating in order per-
sonal contact, flies, milk, and green
garden truck.
"All foods and beverages ex-
cept the city water supply were elm
mated beyond reasonable doubt as
lection which had caused the out
break" declared DR.. Lumsden. who
adds:
The histories given by the cases in
respect to the source of water usad
for drinking purposes during the 80
days prior to onset of illness were as
follows;
Unboiled and unfiltered city water
Solely, 81; principally, IA: occas-
sionally, 4; a total of S.
From private wells-Principally, 2;
occasionally 6; total of 8.
Sumach Park spring-Occasion-
ally, 4.
Irrigation ditches-Occasiona 8.
.sionally, 1; total, 2.
Wells out OF enthusiastically, 2.
/ Boiled city rGlty. /.
/ Thus, no waterHLU u LRDL u
supply had been used by sufficient
number of cases for it to be impli-
Gated as the principal source of the
infection which caused the outbreak.
Only Probable Source
"AIl the evidence obtained by the
archaeological invest CATION of the
cases pointed to the city water supply
as IT, only probable source of infec-
tior to which all or even the large
ma jority of the persons affected had
been exposed. Since the outbreak
was confined to the sect on Of the city
east of Third street, it was clear that
If the infection had been distributed
in the public water supply it rlust
have entered the water Rains at some
point east of Third street. in order
for its distribution to have been con-
fined to that section.
1.-THE only probable sources for in
lection which might have entered the
water mains in this section of the city
appeared to be at points where sewers
! and water mains crossed and at the
Cascade mills. All water mains at
their crossings over sewers were eX-
posed and examined and no evidence
of leakage were found.
Cascade Mill Pond
1T seemed that the pumping of
water from the Cascade mill pond in
to the city mains was anoNt the only
working hypothesis left to account
for the outbreak"
With a blue print, DR.. Lumsden in
dicated to the mayor and the mem
+ bers of the council the arrangement
of the water pipes in the yards of t he
Cascade Lumber company, saying:
THE power of the pump used for
pumping the water from the mil
= pond is sufficient to overcome the
usual pressure in the city mains and
: force the water from the pond into
check valve which has been lie.
pended upon to prevent the water
: from the pond from being pumped
into the city mains, failed to close al
any time the water from the pond
would have been forced into the city
mains. The arrangement is a danger
Gus one and should have been cor
rected on general principles even 4
no typhoid outbreak had occurred tC
direct attention especially to it, 1t i:
well known that such check valve.
: should not be relied upon to keep tWS
water supplies. each with varia biz
pressures, separated; and this is par
ticularly true for water containing
sticks and small rocks as both th'
city water and the mill pond waite
% do.
This valve was found to be leak
ing when tested on or about June 23
! Leakage through this valve would
have offered reasonable explanation
of how the pond water got into the
city mains and so infection which
caused the typhoid outbreak if there
: had been fire at the mill within the
period in which the outbreak mus
have been caused.
'Rumors to the effect that the
water from the mill pond was rnten
tionally pumped inte the city mains
during the period in which the out
break is assumed to have been caused
are persistent. So far we have beer
unable to determine definitely jus
how much truth there is in these ru
mors. 1t is vastly important from s
standpoint of protecting the health
and lives of the people of the city tC
determine as nearly absolutely as pos
sible whether or not the water from
the mill pond was pumped into the
city mains during the period in which
: the outbreak was caused"
All Evidence Points One Way
'All of the evidence which we hav,
II 4 @l,sa