The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-10-12
LOAN FUND BODY
TO BEGIN WORK
!. OF INSPECTION
New Commission To Visit Nuu-
anu Valley Reservoirs
.-l. This Morning
TRIP WILL TAKE THEM
TO OTHER POINTS ALSO
Board Organizes BY Making
Forbes Chairman and Duisen-
It. berg Secretary e..

At nine o'clock this morning the
members Of the Oahu loan fund com.
mission appointed by Governor Pink
ham on October 4 will begin a general
inspection which will take in the Nuu-
anu valley reservoirs, the sewer outlet
in Kakaako and the proposed sewer
system in Puunui. E.<.,er.,.
The commission met yesterday with
Governor Pinkham. Besides the gov.
ernor there were present Charles r.
Forbes, superintendent Of public works,
and Mayor Lane, exoficiO members, and
Commissioners Lester Petrie, 4. @.
Duisenberg and Antonio ID. Castro. Mr..
Forbes was elected chairman and Mr.,
Duisenberg, secretary. Besides the loan
fund commissioners, DIR. J. 8. B. Pratt,
president of the board Of health, and
Harry Il. Murray, superintendent Of the
city water and sewer department, were
there.
Doc tor Pratt Wades In g..
Doctor Pratt was present at the
request Of the Governor and he entered
an energetic protest in regard to the
insanitary condition Of Reservoir No.
4, better known as the Nuuanu Dam.
He said this reservoir had been the
subject of much worry to the board
Of health and that the board had been
constantly watching the water through
frequent meteorological and chemical
analyses. The presence Of bacilh was
shown in alarming numbers in the last
test, Doctor Pratt declared.
The number of bacilh, Doctor Pratt
continued was not quite up to the
danger point.
"But it was very near" he added.
A herd of fourteen cattle had been
seen the day before in the vicinity Of
the headwaters Of the reservoir, Doctor
Pratt went on TO say after he had call
ed attention to the openness Of the
reservoir site and its ease of approach.
| The same herd also had been seen
there the week before when he came
across from the other side of the ISL
and, he added. He reported this to
the city authorities then and repeated
the warning to the keeper of the gate
| Sunday. "
Fishing At the Dam
"'Persons fish along the banks of
the reservoir and roam in parties
through the place." Doctor Pratt con-
timed. " Every bit of wash from the
roads comes down during each heavy
rain. and runs right into the reservoir.
The reserve above Nuuanu dam Is alb
solutely unprotected and there is no
attempt to keep persons and animals
away from it,"
This was to his mind, Doctor Pratt
said. a very dangerous practise.
"Get but one typhoid carrier above
the dam aud we are going to have q
very hard time in Honolulu" he said.
"klI the drainage above this reservoir
empties into it. This should be stop
ped Immediately"
Chlorine Is Not Harmless
Doctor Pratt told Mr.. Murray, in
answer to a question by the latter,
that the use of chlorine, praetised by
the city authorities, was not entirely
harmless
at lessons the danger, to be sure, but
it is not absolutely harmless he said.
"To be sure that no harm would be
done, it would require constant super
vision to see that every gallon Of water
received the proper mixture
Chairman Forbes supported the views
voiced by Doctor Pratt. In his opin'
ion, be said, this condition in Nuuanu
was similar to that which obtains with
the Waikiki water system in the lao
Valleys Maui, although not as bad.
He said that while the last legislature
was in session he and the Governor had
paid visit to the Nuuanu dam on a
day when particularly heavy rains were
falling in the valley.
Pound Reservoir Dirty,
awe found the reservoir very dirty
and full of decayed vegetable mat
ter" Mr.. Forbes added.
The only safe way of dealing with
the water problems there would be
through concrete reservoirs, Mr.. Forbes
thought. He said there had been much
criticism of the Nuuanu dam, although
some of it might appear unjust, yet the
commission would have TO get to work
without loss of time.
of it is our jurisdiction to better
things, right now is the proper time, "
Forbes went ON to say. al believe II
any one was dilatory in the past IT was
only owing to lack of funds. There
has been manifest desire to act, and
act right, at all times"
Mr.. Murray suggested charging the
dam so power might be developed and
furnished for the city's electric light
ing system. even If il was found out
later that the water could not be used
for drinking purposes.
This morning the commission will
visit Reservoirs Nos. 2, and 4, the
last being the Nuuanu dam.
4