Evening star., 1953-09-30
Morse 10 Seek
Potomac Pactto
Curb Pollution
Coils for PIun of
u. S. Aid After
Inspection Trip

Senator Morse, independent, Of
Oregon, took a conducted tour
of the Potomac River yesterday
and then announced he would
push proposal to clean up poll
luton in the river.
'It's the clear obligation Of
Congress to set an example for
the Nation" he declared. This
is a great river. It ought to be
cleaned up"
Senator Morse was the guest
OF honor on the expedition
aboard the District fire boat
William T. Belt.
Engineer Commissioner Louis
PrentisS. Commissioner Samuel
Spencer, Health Officer Daniel
L. Seckinger, Director of Sani-
tary Engineering David v. Auld
and a dozen other city officials
were along. Also present was
Robert Albrook. clerk of the Sem
ate District Committee. of which
Senator Morse is a member.
Participate in Rescue.
In the process of seriously
examining the pollution of the
Potomac River in the District
area, the party had to call on
the Harbor Police for some
rescue work and saw a fire on
the fireboat.
The rescue occurred during
one OF the side trips in a motor
boat belonging to the District
Health Department. The boat
appropriately is named the
Wapollu. Normally it is used by
Gilbert Levine. public health en-
gineer. for Investigations of in.
dustrial pollution of the river.
Under command OF Mr.. Levine,
the Wapollu was exploring sewer
outlets above Key Bridge. Aboard
were Senator Morse. Mr.. AL
brook. Commissioners Spencer
and Prentiss. William Berg,
Senator Morse's assistant; j.
Ebert Tune, a Board of Trade
official, and reporter.
The boat nit a submerged OBJ
ject, disabling the outboard mo-
tor. Mr.. Tune and Mr.. Albrook
grabbed paddles.
Police Boat to Rescue.
Fortunately, a Harbor Police
patrol boat came in sight,
manned by Pvts. Charles Rip
perger and Welt Brazel. The po-
lice towed the Wapollu back to
the fire boat where jeers and
wisecracks greeted the adventure
ers.
The fire came during lunch
aboard the William T. Belt. A
buffet of ham, turkey and other
foods was spread on a platform
aft.
The burner keeping a pot Of
beans hot set fire to a pile of pa
per napkins stacked next to it.
A quick yell of fire brought sew
eral firemen who pitched the
burning mess overheard with the
only loss a table cloth with a
big hole in it.
Senator Morse said he planned
to introduce a bill setting up a
compact between the District,
Maryland and Virginia for fight
ing pollution in the river.
He said it would take money to
get the proper sewage treatment
plants built, proper sewers con-
structed and he thought the Fed
eral Government should contrib
ute a substantial part of it.
Model for Compact.
"It could be a little model Of
a State-Federal compact for
handling bigger problems in
large river basins" he added.
After seeing sewer sludge
measured 10 feet deep on the
bottom, gas bubbles rising from
decomposing matter and raw
sewage pouring into the water,
he commented:
you don't need a doctor to
tell you that you are riding over
a health problem"
Various District officials ex-
planned the problem and the
progress being made in fighting
pollution both in the District and
nearby jurisdictions.
Mr.. Auld described the Ana
costa River as a sluggish stream
and said that during dry weather
the only flow in the Anacostia is
millions of gallons of sewage. He
described it as in dreadful con-
dition. much worse than the Po-
tomac.