The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-08-03
vox PoPULI
,~~~~~~~~~~~~A~~S
THINKS COMMISSIONERS DID
WISE IN OPENING PARK

Editor Pensacola Journal.
In my opinion the city commiss-
toner's are pursuing a wise and prac-
teal course in demanding the use of
Bayview park and its bathing facil-
tiles for the benefit of the people. The
park authorities certainly did right to
close the park when the contamina-
ton was discovered, but we should adj
n1ire their courage in dealing with the
situation promptly.
But now that the main source of
contamination is remedied, I feel sure
that the park should be again opened
for general use.
/ do not believe that Bayou Texar,
especially in the neighborhood of
Bayview park receives any contami-
nation from any sewage that empties
into the bay front at Muscogee pier.
The bayou entrance is so narrow,
the flow of tide so slight, the difficulty
of sewage going upstream against the
bayou current that comes down from
Carpenter creek is so great, that l
feel sure the water at Bayview park
is protected.
do not wish to minimize the SPLEEN
did work done by our psychologists
and sanitarians generally. They are
Transforming this old earth from a
former pest hole of disease into fit
place for clean people to live. We
would all be better off in health, IN
property and in morals, if we fol-
lowed more closely what the science
of microbes has to teach US.
feel free to say this because
twenty years ago I was very en-
thusiastic student and teacher of mi
crobe knowledge and have watched
closely the world Transformation that
has been going on ever since.
But respectfully submit that there
is a source of microbe growth in
Bayou Texar that has not been men
toned in print. refer to the patches
of decaying vegetation in certain
areas of the bayou bottom as shown
by the presence of black Shiny muck.
This is especially noticeable close to
the shore on the ladies side of the
| pavilion. How far it extends / can
not say, because l have only investi-
gated small portion of the bottom.
It is quite likely, in my opinion,
that the harmless microbes coming
from this decaying sea weed have
been counted in with the other mil
lions of breeding ones, and
thus misled the very capable gentle
rlen that have made and are making
these Investigations.
In all practical affairs we must dis
tinguish between harmful microbes
and beneficial ones. 1t is a fact not
generally known that out of over 900
kinds of microbes that have so far
been investigated, only about half are
disease producers.
The others perform necessary fune-
tons in promoting chemical changes
in decomposition processes. In fact,
human life would not be possible if
we did not carry with US at all times
a certain proportion of harmless, BEN
efcial microbes to keep down the
| growth of the harmful ones.
Therefore, as I view the situation
at Bayview park, l think the chief
problem now is how to control that
Shiny black muck. presume a sand
sucker could be put to work removing
it, but / believe it would be more
practical and cheaper to haul several
scow loads of clean sand from some
/ clean situation like the Santa Rosa
peninsula beach and cover up the
Shiny muck.
This would give a good bathing
floor and extend the available swim
ming area considerably and especially
on the ladies' side. We don't have to
encourage the boys to go in swim
ming. Most of them take to the water
i like young ducks.
i But by making the conditions more
favorable and agreeable for the ladies
and girls, we can expect more of them
to learn to swim and thus develop
greater self-reliance in them. We
know that all great water calamities
have been aggravated by the help
lessness of non-swimmers.
/ HENRY BORST, M. D.