Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-08-28
Water for the Soldiers.

In all wars that have preceded this war
of the world, sickness has been respon-
sible for very big percentage 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 is playing very small part
indeed. Many things have combined In
making this an accomplished fact; sani.
tation has been brought to fine art, for
one thing, but the most important of ell
| is, says q statement from q British off,
cial source, that "Empire Tommy" has
been particularly we'll looked after in
respect to his drinking water.
Water means everything to the fight
ing men. Impure water and then you
get sickness. Water properly dealt with
and treated, and there is very little sick.
ness. And for the way In which Tom
my has obtained bis drinking water as
| he has done, there is one branch OF the
service that has to be thanked. That is
the Royal Engineers. They dug wells
at Gallipoli, they looked after the tanks
away In the desert on either side of
Egypt, they solved the water problems
in Mesopotamis, and in France they did
everything that was to be done In this
connection.
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 It where 1t was wanted and
remove 1t from where 1t was burden.
The system Is ss near perfect as 1t can
be. But every drop Of drinking water
has had to be passed by the medical Of
flcer before It has been drunk BY the
soldiers. On thousands OF wells to-day
are the little notice boards:
This water is f1t for washing.
This water must be boiled before be.
ing drunk.
This water must not be used unless
| treated as ordered.
The Royal Engineers have worked day
and night In making things right for 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 advancing troops all the
while.
Water carts have carried the water
right up to the support lines, on hun
dreds Of occasions. The water has been
chlorinated in these carts, and the goods
have been delivered exactly to time.
Chlorinated water Is not pleasant stuff
to drink at all times; even tea will not
always disguise Its taste, but Its purity
is guaranteed. That is the principal
thing, for when q soldiers tongue Is
hanging out of his mouth with thirst
he is inclined to chance things, and to
drink anything that may come bis way.
Horses, too, as we'll as men, require
water. For them, huge canvas tanks
have been erected and filed from small
iron pipe, running, perhaps, from point
seven or eight miles away. Steam pumps
for deep wells have had to be brought up
and fixed, and thousands of petrol tins,
carefully cleaned and filled with water,
have had to be stored In the trenches In
case of any sudden emergency arising.
The Hun, too, is not idle. He cuts
the water supply whenever possible.
"Plunk" come q 40 on the top OF pipe,
and "swoosh," away goes the water:
| The repair has to be done at once and 1t
| is done. Up come the snappers at the
run and the break is either plugged or
tho fractured pipe IL cut out and
another piece fitted In its place. 1t all
depends upon how hot the shelling
NAV be, but not much time is wasted.
That is how Tommy gets his water at
the front.