South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-08-06
WATER NECESSARY
TO FIGHTING MAN
Many Experts Busy Purifying
Drinking Supply For the
Tommy and POiIu.

LONDON. Aug. s-CCorrespond-
snce I'm all wars that have pre-
osded this war OF the world. sickness
has been responsible for a big per
centaEe Of the total casualties. But
in the struggle which is now going
on IN various parts OF the earth the
surprising fact is that sickness il
playing a very small part indeed.
Many things have com bined in max
.ng this an accomplished fact; sani-
tation has been brought 20 a fine art.
for one thing, but the most import
ant OF all Is, says a statement from
a British official source, that EN-
pire Tommy has been particularly
well looked after in respect 70 his
drinking water.
Water means everything 20 the
lighting man. Impure water, and
then sickness. Water properly dealt
with and treated. and there is very
little sickness. And for the way in
which Tommy has obtained his
drinking water as he has done. there
81 one branch Of the service that has
20 be thanked. That Is the royal
engineers. They dug wells at Gallip-
oil, they looked after the tanks away
in the desert on either side Of
Egypt. they solved the water prob
lens IN Mesopotamia, and in France
they did everything that was 70 be
done in this connection.
Plenty Of Water in France.
There has been plenty of water in
France, IN the villages, and far too
much, not Of the drinking variety. in
the trenches at times The problem
has been TO take 1t where IL was
wanted and remove II from where il
was a burden. The system is now as
near perfect as 10 can be. But every
drop OF drinking water has had TO be
passed by the medical officer before
It has been drunk by the soldiers
On thousands OF wells today are the
little notice boards:
This water is mt for washing"
This water must be boiled before
being drunk"
This water must not be used UNI
less treated as ordersd."
The royal engineers have worked
day and night in making things right
Tor the boys. This has been done
all over France behind the British
front, and the water supply has been
Kept right on the heels Of the ad-
Vancing troops all the while.
Water carts have carried the
water right up to the support lines.
ON hundreds OF occasions. The water
has been chiorinated in these carts,
ard the goods have been delivered
exactly to time. Chlorinated water
is not pleasant stuff TO drink at all
times, even tea viii not always dis
Ruise it's taste, but its purity is
Guaranteed. That is the principal
hing. for when a soldiers tongue is
hanl-ing out OF his mouth with thirst
ne is inclined 10 chance things, and
90 drink anything that may come
his way.
Care for Horses, Too.
Horses. too, as we'll as men. re-
uuire water. For them, huge can
vas tanks have beer erected and
ulled from a small iron pipe, run
ming, perhaps, from point seven or
eight miles away. Steam pumps for
deep wells have had 70 be brought
BID and fixed. and thousands of petrol
tins. carefully cleaned and filed with
water, have had 10 be stored in the
trenches I'm case of any sudden
Emergency arising.
The Hun. too. is not idle. He cuts
the water supply whenever possible.
'.PIunk" comes a "a on the top OF a
pipe. and "whoosh" away goes the
water. The repair has TO be done at
once and IL IS done. Up comes the
EapDers at the run and the break is
either plugged or the fractured pipe
l. cut out and another piece fitted
iu its place. -