Evening star., 1922-06-13
ROCK CREEK PARK
|. BATHERS IN PERIL
FROM BAD WATER
Chemical Analyses Reveal
Great Amount of FecaI
Contamination.
CHANGE OF SEWAGE
METHODS ARE SOUGHT
Communities Beyond City May Be
Required to Abolish
Dumping.

turks in the waters of Rock creek.
ical analyses made for The Star by
two separate agencies from samples
taken last Thursday and Friday by
Star representative TO be highly
contaminated. Neither of the chemists
was informed as to the source of the
specimens submitted, but both re-
ported the water very high in fecal
contamination and dangerous for hu-
man consumption. The samples were
taken from two places where children
bathe.
While no typhoid germs were found
In the test. 1t was pointed out that the
specimens were high in intestinal
germs. which carry the typhoid. and
therein lay the danger. Maj Willis
P. Baker. Army Medical Corps, who
has charge Of purifying the waters in
the public grounds of Washington. un-
der the office of Lieut.. Col. Clarence o.
Sheriff., officer in charge of public
buildings and grounds. pointed out to-
day that even though the tests did not
develop the presence of any germs Of
the typhoid group there is the possi-
bllity that they always are present.
Tests many times do not bring them
out, he said. and pointed out that some
times the typhoid germ is not shown
until after many analyses have been
made.
Sewage Changes Sought.
Steps have just been taken by Col
Sheriff. to have the Washington SUBJ
urban sanitary commission correct
this disposal of the sewage of the
Maryland towns north of Washing
ton into Rock Creek. He has written
letter to the commission asking
them to take steps to turn the sew
age of kensington, the Bethesda dis
trict and other places. which are now
filing Rock Creek with fecal matter
almost to the point of saturation, in
other directions. ..-
The commission has not yet re-
Piled. Upon the answer to this let
ter will depend further action In the
way of legal steps to force these
| Maryland towns to abate what is
lie health. 1t was believed to be
desira BILE to allow -the-rowns to VOL
unteer action at this time before at
tempting to force it on them by legal
Department and Attorney General
Daugherty, 1t was learned, have been
in correspondence over the matter
and it is the opinion of the legal de-
partment of the federal government
that the towns can be enjoined from
polluting Rock Creek
While awaiting the reply of the
Maryland commission, the evidence
on which to base an injunction is be-
ing worked up under the direction of
Col. Sheriff. by Maj. Baker. who is.an
authority on such matters. II was
pointed out that the United States
owns large riparian rights on the
stream. and that IL the pollution OF
the stream can be proved to be due
to the deposit of sewage, IL is the
opinion that it can be stopped by an
Injunction sued out in a Maryland
court.
Dumping at Remington.
Kensington is said to be the prin-
cipal offender, dumping her sewage
directly into the creek about four
miles before its entrance into Rock
Creek Park. The conditions are
made worse by Kensington. 1t was
pointed out by Maj. Baker. who has
made a personal investigation of the
matter. by the fact that the town
does not have a large water supply.
and therefore the sewage is not flush
ed quickly down the pipe line into the
creek. but moves slowly. developing
II.
In short time the Woodmont sew
erage system will be dumped directly
into the creek, making conditions ma
terally worse. These towns. IL was
pointed out. have seen to 1t that the
waters of the creek as they pass their
towns are kept pure to some extent,
for the pipe lines are carried some
distance down the creek for an out
let.
The federal government officials are
stream as far as possible by the~use
of chlorine. They realize that Rock
Creek Park is the big playground OF
the people and that they are entitled
to the bathing facilities as well as
the other pleasures which the park
is intended to afford, but they are
helpless to stop the pollution until
the Maryland sewerage disposal prob
lem is solved.
A large chlorinating station has
been placed on the bank of the creek
above the second ford, and above any
of the bathing pools, except the one
at the northern entrance to the park,
which is not now used. This station
is operated from 10 o'clock in the
morning until o'clock in the after
noon every day, and bathing is not
supposed to take place outside of
those hours.
Absolute Snfety Dimcult.
1t Is very dl1ncult problem 10
chlorinate a running stream such as
Rock Creek SO that the waters will
be absolutely safe. it was pointed out.
However, there are indications that
the chlorinating is effective to some
extent by the tests made of samples
furnished by The Star. One bottle
was taken at noon on June and
taken Immediately to commercial
agency for analysis The other was
taken at o'clock on the evening OF
June and taken the following morn
ing to a government laboratory. The
first specimen, taken while the
chlorinating was in process. showed
a lower count of bacteria than the
specimen taken at night, when the
eliminating had stopped.
The point made by all the chemists
ia that the sewage pollution Is a
very great danger to any one VINO
absorbs any of the water, and though
the bacteria which really carry and
develop disease such as typhoid may
not be present or may not show on the
chemical analysis. there Is the very
great possibility that they are pres
ent with the bacteria from the human
intestines in which they develop.
The federal officers having charge
of the park and its health conditions
do not make any secret of the fact
that the creek is a source Of great
danger, but they are trying to meet