Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-07-25

TO MAKE WATER TEST
No Pollution Found in Oyster Beds
Nearly Seventy Miles Below the
City of Alexandria.

Richmond, Va, July 25.-The char
acter of Potoma river oysters will
be fully vindicated in report of a
joint 'cdnimission to be submitted tc
Governor Mann shortly. The report
has been agreed upon, though its full
text will not be made public until it
is submitted to the Governor of Vir-
ginia and the Governor of Mary
land. The report will give in detail.
the results of three inspections of th2
oyster beds at different seasons of the
year. In order to make assurance
doubly sure, Governor Mann has re-
quested Surgeon-General Blue, Of
the United State Public Health ara
Hospital service to have careful
examination made of the water of the
Potomac river, and this is now in pro-
gress, When completed it will form
a valuable basis on which the states
of Virginia and Maryland can go be
fore Congress and ask that proper
equipment to purify or sterilize the
sewerage of Washington city before it
empties into the river.
Meanwhile, the oyster industry on
the Potomac river has been greatly
injured by the agitation. Some months
ago an employe of the United States
Department Of Agriculture, after only
a partial or superficial examination
of the Potomac river oyster beds,
made a report which seriously ques-
toned their healthfulness. Alarmed
by the possible danger to human
health on the one hami, should the r..
port be correct, and by the damage to
a large industry on which many peo-
pie were dependent for living should
il be incorrect, Governor Mann pro-
poses a thorough investigation by
experts representing Virginia, Mary
land and the United States Govern
ment. Governor Goldsborough, Of
Maryland agreed, and the commits
sion was made up of one bacteriolo-
gist and one chemist from each state
and two officers from the United
States Department of Agriculture.
Somewhat to the disgust of the local
authorities, former Secretary of Ag-
riculture Wilson appointed as one of
the government agents the man who
had made the superficial examination
and report which caused the trouble,
thus putting him in position of
Judging his own work.
Three tintes this commission has
gone over the oyster beds on boats
furnished by the Fish Commissioners
of Virginia and Maryland. A great
deal of laboratory work has been
done and many samples examined. Of
course, it required no technical skill
TO know that there was pollutihl in
the Potomac river Immediately below
the mouth of the Washington city
sewers. But the nearest oyster beds
are nearly seventy miles down the
Potomac from Washington, the river
for the greater part of that way being
a wide stretch of water, almost an
arm of Chesapeake Bay.
While the test Of the report is not
vet available for publication, it IS
understood that In the main it will
be an entire vindication Of the Po-
tomac river oyster beds; that it will
recommend line across the river
above which no oysters be taken, and
that it will recommend that no oys-
ters be planted near the mouth of
certain creeks.
The test of Potomac River water
now being made under the direction of
Surgeon General Blue, at the re.
quest of Governor Mann, are without
special reference to the lccct;on of the
oyster beds ami form an entirely diff.
ferent kind of examination from that
just completed by the oyster commits.
sion.