Evening journal., 1915-12-11
TYPHOID NOT DUE TO
Polluted CITY Water
Health Officials Find Supply
90 Per Cent. Pure, With
Little Bacteria
MILK ALSO IS
FREE OF GERMS

"By no stretch OF imagination can
the existence Of typhoid in this city
be charged to the city's drinking wa
ter" was the statement made by DR..
Albert Robin, at conference held at
the Porter reservoir Offices of the
Water Department this morning This
statement was made by DR.. Robin,
formerly bacteriologist for the Water
Department, following his checking
up of analyses made of the city water
by the Water Department and DR..
II. j. Watson, bacteriologist for the
State Board OF Health at the State
Laboratory at Newark. According to
DR. Robins statement the city water
is 90 per cent pure with less bac-
terra than pure spring water.
Edgar NJ. Hopes, Jr., chief engi-
neer of the Water Department stated
that the object of the conference was
TO show what was being done by the
Water Department to furnish pure
water TO the citizens and also to an
nounce that the Water Department
was anxious to acquaint the public
with everything that the department
is doing, and to assure them that the
department would Immediately warn
the public if the water became
polluted.
Among those at the conference
were: T. Allen Hilles, president of
the Board of Water Commissioners;
Chief Engineer Edgar NJ Hopes. Jr.
DR.. Albert Robin, DR.. A. E. Frantz
secretary OF the State Board Of Health;
j. Austin Ellison. secretary Of the
Wilmington Board Of Health; DR.. II.
J. Watson, State bacteriologist; DR..
V. NJ Myers. city physician and bac-
teriologist.
Prior to the conference a conves-
sation was carried on among the rep
resentative guardians of the health Of
the city and state as TO the many
ways that typhoid could be contracted.
It was shown by Mr.. Ellison that the
housing OF people on the East Side
between the Christiana and Brandy
wine creeks was poor in some in
stances. He said in some
houses he had found q men. and in
others %. etc They live in anything
but q sanitary manner, he said.
Mr.. Ellison said that there had been
so far but seven deaths from typhoid
fever in the city this year and that
three of them were out-of-town cases
DR. Robin scid he would willingly
contribute towards having photo
graphs taken of the housing conditions
referred to by Mr.. Ellison.
Mr.. Ellison also aid during his talk
! that the milk supply of this city was
constantly under inspection by the
health department and was not &C
countable for typhoid.
It was shown that typhoid could be
contracted from milk, oysters and raw
! vegetables
/ Following the checking OFF of the
analysis President Hilles said that II
was a remarkable result from an in
ferior equipment.
"In my opinion the city is very near
the danger line i'm its water depart
ment because of the need of more I'll
tering and storage capacity. Should
an accident happen to the equipment
IL would be a serious thing. Extra i'll
tering plants and storage is what is
needed" Mr.. Hilles said also that
the public would be notified at once
should the drinking water become pol
| luted.
DIR. A. +. Frantz, in discussing the
tvphoid cases also declared that il
could not be charged to the drinking
\ water.
"From the examinations of the bac
THEOLOGICAL tests made of the city
water" he ssid. which data is here
and has been checked up, it is our
opinion that the water that has been
supplied by the Water Department has
been and is as free from typhoid con
tamination as IL is possible to have
| the same. It is my opinion that any
tvphoid fever that has existed in vii
/ mington has not had its origin from
the city drinking water
'The present equipment of the Wa
/ ter Department, so far as hltratloi
beds and storage capacity at the Por
ter Reservoir plant is inadequate II
respect to a permanent supply OF pur'
water to the city in case of any break
down or accident to the present plant
The filtration plant should at least b.
doubled and the same should apply L
the storage reservoirs. There is Du
one large main carrying filtered wa
ter to the pumping~plan Ther
should be an additional main from tn
filtration plant to the pumping sta
ton to guard against any break in tn
supply of pure water in case of acci
dent to the present single main. Tn
city has been fortunate in not hav
ing had any serious accident to tn
single delivery pipe. The Water De
partment has protected the Whining
ton water supply as well as it is pos
sible for any department so to dc
Their meteorological tests have heel
checked up and found satisfactory"
Mr.. Ellison, of the city Board O
Health, said;
people are needlessly alarmed owe
typhoid fever at this time. There ar
less eases now than there were at thi
time last year. and most of them com
from out OF the city. During the wee
ending November 20. twelve cases weT
reported eight of' them from QUITO
town. November 27. ten cases reporte,
seven from out-of-town; December
seven eases reported. two were from oui
of-town; December II, seven cases r.,
ported and one OF them was from on
oi-town.
SIN the opinion OF the board, aft.
thoroughly investigating the water an
milk supply of the city, we are perfect
satisfied that what typhoid we ha,
cannot be attributed 20 the abO'
sources. From the record in each cas-
the said records being Made from info
nation obtained from the patients
someone in close touch with them, TIA
in > large majority of the cases q
people either work out of the city al
live in Wilmington or whose busine
t..- -o,,,;rod then, IN be ont of tow