Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-10-11
RESERVOIRNQ 4
FAST BECOMING
DANGER IOCFY
Continued from page one,

his way to and from the other side of
the island, where he has a cottage.
Reservoir No. 4 has been the sub
ject Of a good deal Of worry to the
board of health" said DIR. Pratt, and
we have been on the watch constantly
with meteorological and chemical
analyses Of the water. The last exam
nation that we made showed the pres
ence OF bacilli in rather alarming num-
beFs.
The number Of these" continued
standard placed by high authorities
as the danger point, but 1t was very
near to it,
Making a brief review OF the open
ness of the place and its ease Of ap-
proach to animals and men. me doctor
stated that only yesterday he had
seen a herd OF IA cattle in the vicinity
of the headwaters Of the reservoir.
Cattle There Week Age.
mot only that" said the doctor,
but the same cattle were there a
week ago, when l came down. i re-
ported the case to the authorities In
the city on that date, and / repeated
the warning to the gatekeeper at the
reservoir yesterday. 800.
EVERY bit OF wash from the roads
comes down during a heavy rain" "
continued DR.. Pratt, "and runs direct
ly into the reservoir. People fish
along the banks and go In parties
through the place The reserve above
No. reservoir is absolutely uRpro-
tected and people are not shut out
from 1t.
in my mind this Is q very danger.
GUS practise, the doctor. went on.
You get but one typhoid carrier above
The reservoir and immediately We are
going to have hard time here in Ho-
nolulu., All draihage above the reser-
yoir comes down to empty into 1t.
The doctor said that he did not con-
slider that No. had ever been proper!
~ constructed, and that the vegetation
had never been removed from il ex-'
cept ii the lower end As the water
rises and falls, he explained that the
vegetation became alternately wet and!
dry. s 49, e.
cit is this condition that tends TO.
make 1t rot" he said This rotting
condition viii certainly not improve
the water supply of Honolulu. l be-,
lieve that there is less danger IN Nos.
3 and 3 than In No. 4. In especially
heavy rains some filth gets into these,
lower ones, but No. 4 is more than
COMMONLY open. rs
Mayor Lane interposed a question
here, asking DIR. Pratt what he would
propose as . means Of overcoming the.
filthy condition Of things. sas. : z
Suggests Ditch system.
well, replied the doctor, the pre-
sent condition could be greatly remed-
led by going hack from the govern
ment road and putting In intercepting
bitches, This would be q great an
proyement, to say the least 3
In reply TO a question which Gen
eral Manager Murray put to the doc.
tor as to whether or not the use OF
chlorine, which is pFactised by the
city, did not render the water abso-
luteIy harmless, the water manager
received negative answer. 81 .,s.
aNo, not ABSOLUTELY, was the reply,
cit lessons the danger, to be sure, but
it is not absolute, To be. SO it would
REQUIRE constant and absolute super.
vision to see that every gallon OF
water had received the proper m alS
ture. ,s,y 60. 5s<e,.,s,e { IL -. s.
Charles r. Forbes, superintendent
of public works, and chairmarl Of the
commission. then made b statement
similar to those of Dr.. Pratt. In my
opinlon,' said Mr.. Forbes this con-
dition is exactly identical with that
of the Wailulm system on Maui. Per.
haps this may be little less dan
gerous than Mauis problem,
sDuriHg the last session of the leg
islature,'' continued Mr.. Forbes, the
governor and / paid q visit to No. A
reservoir on day when if was rain,
ing especially hard. The reservoir
was very dirty and full of decayed
vegetation" -.. =,
Forbes stated that he believed a !
concrete reservoir was the only thins
to build in Nuuanu,
BIames Lack of Funds.
There has been great deal OF
criticism of this reservoir" said Chair |
man Forbes. Maybe some of II has |
been unjust, but we have got to get
to work just the same. If 1t is In our |
jurisdiction to better the condition OF |
things right cow is the time. be-
lieye that IL anyone has been dilatoFy
in the past 1t has been because OF the I
lack of funds, rather than because OF
negligence. The desire to act has
been present at all times, too.
Harry Murray. general manager of
the water system, took the stand that
the proposed project OF charging Nu-
uanu should be put through on the
grounds that it would furnish power
for the .citY's electric plant, even in
case it was declared to, be unfit for
use by the drinking public. ....
Mr.. Murray showed figures whereby
the cost of electricity would be great
" reduced in case of such use of the
water Governor Pinkham stated in
reply that he had thought the water
ought to be for potable purposes at all
times.
The governor did not take an active
part in the discussion this morning,
save to enter in with a thought now