El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-16
JERUSALEM IS
REGENERATED
Water Supply Is Provided;
Sanitation Commenced;
Hospitals Instituted.

Jerusalem, Oct let is doubtful
whether the population of any city
within the zones of war has profited
so much at the hands of the conqueror
as that Of Jerusalem. In a little more
than half a year a wondrous change
has been effected in the condition Of
the people.
One Of the biggest blots upon the
Turkish governments Of the city was
the total failure TO provide an ade-
quate water supply. What they could
not, or would not. do in their rule of
400 s years his majesty's royal en-
gineers accomplished in a little more
than two months. The picturesque
water carrier is passing into the limbo
OF forgotten things The germs that
infected his leathern water bags will
no longer endanger the lives Of the
citizens. and the deadly perils which
lurk in cisteru water have been to
a large extent removed.
To supplement the cistern supply
the Mosque of Omar reservoir halved
with Bethlehem the water which
flowed from near Solomon's pool down
an aqueduct constructed by Roman
engineers under Herod before the Sa-
viOr was born This was not nearly
sufficient. nor was it so constant a
supply as that provided by our army
engineers. They went farther afield.
They found a group Of springheads in
an absolutely clean gathering ground
on the hills yielding some 1900 gal
Ions an hour. and this water. which
was running 10 waste. is lifted to the
top of n hill, from which IL flows by
gravity through a long pipe line into
Jerusalem Supplies run direct TO the
hospitals, and at standpipes all over
the city the inhabitants take as much
as they desire. The water consump-
tion Of the people has become ten
times what II was last year.
Many miles of pipe line had to be
laid and a powerful pumping plant
erected, but water was being deliv-
cred to the people Of Jerusalem on
June IS There has not been a stop
page or a hitch.
Health Greatly Improved.
a medical authority tells me the
health Of the community is wonder
fully good, and there is no suspicion
Of cholera, outbreaks Of which were
frequent under the Turkish regime.
Government hospitals are established
IN all large centers, and frequent
medical treatment is given to the in
digent- Many thousands Of natives in
the past few months have come for
ward Of their own free will to be vac
cinated- Typhus and relapsing fever,
many victims. but the figures are fall
ing very rapidly. due largely. no
doubt. to the full use TO which disin-
fecting plants are put in all areas in
occupied territory
In Jerusalem an infants welfare bu-
reau has been instituted. where moth
ers are seen before and after child
birth. infants clinics are being estab-
lished. a body Of health visitors is in
process OF formation. and a kitchen is
about 10 be open 10 provide food for
babies and the poor. The nurses are
mainly local subjects, who have to
undergo a thorough training, and
there is no one here who does not
confidently predict a rapid fall in the
infant mortality rate, which was fully
a dozen times that Of the highest Of
English towns.
Some voluntary societies are now
assisting, and the enthusiasm of the
American Red Cross units. which have
recently arrived with an admirable
equipment. viii enable all to carry
on a great and beneficient work.