The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-07-16

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acids and dead fish from ent
Two million gallons of black
sludge, swarming in bacteria, broke
through a levee around a settling
pond of the Ball Brothers straw
board plant at Noblesville and killed
hundreds of fish in addition to max
ing White river unsafe for swim
ming.
We're ssmpling the water at
both Wsrf1eigh and Mcclure
beaches and if the bacteria count is
too high it may be necessary for
me to order both beaches closed,
said DR.. Herman Morgan, city
health officer.
The break. first of serious nature
in years. sent state game wardens
and officials of the indianapolis
Water Company to the scene Sat-
urday.
Federal officers are in a position
to take action, because of a per-
petual injunction issued, according
to water company attorneys, in 1893
against the predecessor company tc
the Ball Brothers, prohibiting the
Noblesville plant from polluting the
river.
Creek POisOns Cows
In the current stream pollution
series in the Indianapolis Times, it
was pointed out that a second plant
of the Ball Brothers, at Eaton, Ind.
is polluting the once beautiful
Mississinewa river with strawboard
wastes.
At the same time that Indianap-
oils and Noblesville water company
officials and sportsmen sought to
block the flow of pollution on the
capital city, a farmer, Fred Hawk,
living on the outskirts of Newcastle,
found eight COWS dead on creek
running through his farm.
officials of the state board of
sanitary engineering rushed to New
castle today to examine the creek.
Waters from Chrysler Motor Cor
poration flow into the creek and it
was suggested that the death of the
livestock was caused by the pouring
of cyanide into the creek. Death
of other cattle on the creek, which
pours into Little Blue river has
been attributed to cyanide wastes
from the motor car plant.
Eight Cows Found Dead
Three cows were found, Mr. Hawk
said, lying in the creek dead and
five near the creek banks. The
eight cows are said to have been
worth about $3.50.
Visceras of the dead cattle were
to be examined by the state
laboratory todaJ.
The Times. in a pollution series
in 1888, told of the cyanide dangers
of Little Blue river.
The Noblesville levee break oc-
Cured early Saturday.
Unpolluted water in the canal
was used Saturday for the citys
drinking supply and sixteen ar
tesian wells we're ready to supple
ment the 250.000,000 gallons in the
canal in case of necessity.
Canal Gates Reopened
When the current of contamina-
ton had flowed past the Broad Rip
pie gates-and on down past War
fleigh and Mcclure beachesAthe
gates to the canal were opened and
river water again was admitted to
the canal
Company officials said this &C.
CURED at Sunday morning.
Temperatures of 90 degrees, how
ever, drove hundreds of men, wom-
en- and children to Mcclure and
Warfleigh beaches with the result
that the pollution streamed past
diving boards and around parties of
aquatic devotees and on to lower
reaches of White river.
May Close Beaches
Describing the slaughter Of game
fish in White river, F. N. Ehlers,
deputy game warden, said, Bass,
catfish, bluegills we're lying on banks
or gasping for air. Even the craw-
dads lay on banks trying to get
oxygen"
Mr.. Ehlers said groups of fisher
men of Noblesville aided the war
denS in saving hsh from the river
by placing them in creeks with
clearer and cleaner waters.
officials of the recreation depart
ment of the city were cooperating
with DR.. Morgan in checking the
condition of the river, in prepare
ton to closing the beaches if neces-