Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-13
Calls Ii Unwise.

Il deem II exceedingly unWlSe,
wrote Robert B. Morse, chief en-
gineer of the sanitary division, State
Board of Health, to Morris Knowles,
supervising engineer of the water and
sewerage improvements at Camp
Meade. Ito prejudice the question of
water supply at the start by locating
the source at Welchs Bridge"
This was in letter July IL last, in
which Mr.. Morse urged that water be
taken from Savage, higher up on the
Little Patuxent, and give his reasons.
These he repeated as follows:
AT Savage" said he, lis Theological
point of intake Foremost in consid-
Grafton is the sewage from the House
the camp of the Junior Republic near
Annapolis Junction. Granted that the
filtration plant for the camp supply
works properly, who wants to drink
water that he knows is from stream
which passes 100000 gallons of the
worst kind of sewage? And there is
no certainty that all will be right with
the filtration Let there be mechani-
cal failure or improper use of
chemicals and billions of germs will
pass through.
while conditions may be all right
at the House of Correction, ii was
only two or three years ago when a
severe outbreak of typhoid swept
through the Cut" Then there is
always danger of typhoid carrier
coming to Jessups, such as the ia
nous Typhoid Mary Even if typhoid
be absent, there is always the risk of
epidemics from the presence of the
colon bacillus in sewer-tainted
water
Mr.. Moore emphasized today that
he had no desire to exaggerate con-
ditions or possible trouble at the
camp.
Il don't contend" he explained,
that they can't purify the water,
but l do contend that there is no GER
tainty that publication will be done
efficiently at all times. There is such
a thing as a breakdown. The tenn
porary plant would not have all the
refinements of one more permanent.
And even if the water is safe. who
wants to drink ito"
That the men from Camp Meade
will visit in Baltimore, Washington
and Philadelphia, spreading any dis
ease they may contract from the
drinking water. and that there will
be thousands of visitors to the camp
were among the facts brought out by
Mr.. Morse. His protest against the
taking of water from WEIGHS Bridge
was Endorsed by DR.. John S. Fulton,
secretary of the State Board.
Protest Ignored.
And what has been the result of the
protest?
Work has been going on steadily
to construct the impounding dam
at welchs Bridge, and the answer of
the government is that the water will
be drawn as planned.
The reasons given for going on with
the work are. that ii would cost $780,
600 more to draw water from Savage
and that it would take too much time
to make the change.
'.As for the cost" was Mr. Morse's
comment, what is 100000 in camp
which will cost in the millions? And
as for the time, if the change had
been made promptly the delay would
not have been excessive. From Saw
age the water could be drawn by only
one pumping station instead of two
and the lift would have been less"
Perhaps as important as any of the
objections made by the Maryland
health guardians is that Annapolis
junction at present small settle
ment. would undoubtedly grow swift
~ once the cantonment is establish
ed. Hence another source of infection
for the water supply will be opened.