The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-04-26
THE DUAL WATER SYSTEM
HAZARDS PUBLIC HEALTH
City Commissioners Play Into Hands of Big Inter-
ests-StrOng Feeling Exists I'm Favor of
Demanding Referendum Vote.

apOllS, luQ., winnipeg, MAIL, 6uo
Muncie, Ind. In all those cases, tho
check valves failed to work.
Mr.. J. R. Thomas, past president
Of the American Waterworks Asso-
citation, says: where health and
lives Of the people are at stake, reli-
ance should -not--be placed on any
contrivance that operates either au-
tomatically or by hand. The safest
plan Is not to allow any connection,
directly or indirectly, between the
pipes Of public water works system
and the pipes, tanks or pumps Of
private fire service system containing
foreign water"
Mr.. J. N. Chester, hydraulic and
mechanical engineer, Pittsburgh,
Pa, found a check valve that failed
to work not less than half the time
and, in discussing the matter, said:
"The hazard might be reduced by
duplication of valves; but, on the
other hand, check valves are largely
made ineffective by corroding influ-
ences of water and, If there are two
valves, while one is corroding, the
other is probably doing likewise. Can
they, then, be looked upon as the
proper safeguard?"
Mr.. William c. Lounsberry, gen.
eral superintendent of the Superior
Water, Light and Power Company
who Is both a chemist and bacter-
iologist, says: ....
81 do not believe that two check
valves are any better than one. On
the contrary, two check valves are
twice as bad as one, because when
the contrary, two check valves are.
is greater feeling Of safety, which
is not warranted by the facts"
Mr.. Leonard Metcalf, of Boston.
one of the leading sanitary engineers
Of America, says:
eff you have periodic inspection,
the inspectors must know what the
condition Of the valve is; but. even
in that case, If the secondary supply
is much polluted, would not wish
to rely upon a double check valve"
In consideration Of all the fore
going facts and statements, by men
who are real engineers and real ex-
perts, it hardly seems possible that
a man could or would say 1t is all
theory, while the perfect working OF
a nice, newly polished check valve
is perfectly safe practice.
1t costs money to safeguard
health and life, the same as it does
to reduce fire risks. Shall Duluth
reduce the latter at the expense of
the former?
Four out of five city commission
ers, T. w. Hugo Gan employe OF a
big corporation), and a few others
seem to say yes. What the people
say or think, must be heard later.
Many of Duluth's Industrial plants
have not burned during the past ten
years. Is it theory, therefore, to
say that they need no protection for
the next ten years? Or is 1t practi-
cal to do SO? Who can prove that
no cases of sickness in Duluth for
the past ten years have been due to
contaminated water? We have had
cases of typhoid, tuberculosis, gall
stones and other visitations, all OF
which may, to some extent, be con-
tracted through the water supply.
''It may be your child or it may
be mine; it may be you or it may be
me-" says Duluth engineer who
does not trust the uncertain check
valve. "Why should anyone be
called to make the supreme sacri-
fee in order that a few wealthy,
influential, powerful Duluthians may
enjoy reduced fire rates and avoid
paying their pro rata for city water,
as recently decided by the city COM
missioners."
'It is true that the state board Of
health represents the people. May
it also not be true that some Of the
recent opposition to DR.. Bracken
comes from Big Interests in Duluth,
who think more Of reduced insur-
ance rates than they do Of health
and life of the people in general?
"This is a matter of health and 1t
may be of life to every man, woman
or child in this city. 1t should so
be handled"