NAMES OF OWNERS OF ANIMALS INOCULATED WITH ANTHRAX VACCINE, LOGAN TOWNSHIP, GLOUCESTER COUNTY, N. J., BETWEEN JULY 15 AND AUGUST 25, 1899.

Reports of Inspection of Sources of

Pollution of Public Water

Supplies.

The following reports relating to the examination of the sources of public water-supplies have been placed before the board during the past year.

REPORT RELATING TO THE WATER-SUPPLY OF THE CITY OF

ORANGE.

To the Board of Health of the State of New Jersey:

GENTLEMEN-Upon request of the board of health of the city of Orange an inspection was made this day of the brook which has its rise near the corner of Ridgway and Northfield avenues, in the township of West Orange, and which empties into the reservoir which supplies water to the city of Orange.

At a point about 125 feet east from said corner of Northfield and Ridgway avenues is located a dwelling owned by Josiah O. Ward. Mr. Ward's postoffice address is 59 High street, Orange. This dwelling is occupied by a family named Wallman. The waste fluids from the dwelling discharge on the surface of the ground near the fence-line, and about 50 feet from the brook which crosses Ridgway avenue, near the corner of Northfield avenue, and flows into the reservoir supplying water to the city of Orange. These waste fluids pass over the surface of the ground and find their way directly into the said brook. The privy-pit on this premises is located 15 feet from the said brook, and at the time of the inspection the filthy contents of the said privy-pit was overflowing directly into the brook. Further down stream is located the premises owned by Joseph Merishoffer. Said premises front on Northfield road, West Orange. On this premises a hog-pen is situated about 50 feet from the said brook. Said hog-pen contains stable manure to a depth of about 4 feet, and the fluids which flow from this mass of filth go into the brook. Still further down stream, and nearly opposite the last-mentioned premises, is a house owned by John Bennett, and occupied by William Blake. A privy-pit on this premises is located about 28 feet from the said brook. It was found that this privy-pit had recently been excavated, and that its filthy contents had been placed upon the surface of the ground near the privy and 26 feet from the brook, and that the recent rains had washed more or less of this material into the brook. Adjoining the last-mentioned place is another premises owned by John Bennett (post-office address, 16 Main street, West Orange). On this

premises a new slaughter-house, 12 x 12 feet, has recently been erected, and the slaughter of calves is carried on there. A privy-pit is situated between the slaughter-house and the brook, the slaughter-house being 40 feet distant from the said brook, and the privy-pit being 12 feet from the said brook. In this locality the ground is low and miry, and filth from both the slaughter-house and the privy gains access to the brook. The brook crosses the two last-mentioned premises between the dwelling-houses and the privies, and much defilement of the waters of the brook is sure to occur as long as the brook in this situation remains open and uncovered.*

Action was taken concerning the conditions above described as follows: 1. Notice to discontinue the pollution of said brook was sent by hand of Wm. Schleur, health officer of the city of Orange, to J. O. Ward, John Bennett, and Joseph Merishoffer.†

2. Notice was sent by mail to James M. Maghee, health officer of West Orange township, advising action by the board of health of West Orange, to require prompt removal of excreta from the banks of said stream.

March 24th, 1899.

Very respectfully,

HENRY MITCHELL,

Secretary.

Following are copies of letters sent Bennett, Ward, and the local board of health of Orange:

OFFICE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH,

TRENTON, N. J., March 30th, 1899. }

Mr. John Bennett, 16 Main Street, West Orange N. J.:

DEAR SIR-An inspection made March 24th, 1899, by officers of the State Board of Health, shows that the overflow from the privy-pit owned by you, situated on Northfield road, opposite the St. Cloud school, in the township of West Orange, passes directly into the brook which flows into the stream supplying the reservoir which furnishes drinking-water to the inhabitants of the city of Orange. Said privy-pit is located within 15 feet of said brook. Said inspection has also shown tbat a new building has recently been erected on the said premises within 40 feet of the said brook, and that said new building is being used as a slaughter-house, and that the surface of the ground beneath and near the slaughter-house is being defiled by the blood and offal from the slaughtered animals, and that the washings from the said slaughter-house flow into the brook above referred to. Your attention is called to the act to secure the purity of the public supplies of potable waters in this State, approved March 17, 1899, and you are hereby notified that the provisions of said act

For map showing location of premises on which pollution of streams supplying waters to city of Orange occurs, see page 133.

+ In response to the notices sent to the parties named in the foregoing report, all of the souces of direct pollution mentioned therein have been removed. During the dry weather of the past summer the small stream, between the slaughter-house and the dwellings owned by John Bennett, has entirely disappeared, but with the fall rains the bed of this brooklet will doubtless again be filled with water, and. the accumulated surface filth will be washed onward toward the reservoir as heretofore.

require that the contents of said privy-pit shall be removed, and that hereafter no polluting material shall be deposited upon the ground along the borders of said brook. Very respectfully,

Mr. Josiah O. Ward, 59 High Street, Orange, N. J.: DEAR SIR-An inspection made March 24th, 1899, by officers of this board, shows that the overflow from the privy-vault and the discharge of filthy fluids from the house-drain on the premises owned by you, situated on Northfield avenue, near the corner of Ridgeway avenue, township of West Orange, flows into the brook which crosses said Ridgeway avenue near the corner of Northfield avenue, and said brook flows into the main stream supplying water to the reservoir which furnishes drinking water for the citizens of Orange. Your attention is called to the act to secure the purity of the public supplies of potable waters in this State, approved March 17th, 1899, and you are hereby notified that the provisions of said act require that the contents of said privy-vault shall be immediately removed, and that there shall be no further deposit of polluting material upon the banks or borders of said brook. Very respectfully,

HENRY MITCHELL,

Secretary.

OFFICE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH,

TRENTON, N. J., March 30th, 1899. }

Mr. William Schleur, Health Officer, Orange, N. J. :

DEAR SIR-An inspection made March 24th, 1899, by officers of this board, disclosed several sources of pollution affecting the waters of the brook flowing nearly parallel with Northfield road, and which also flows into the reservoir supplying drinking-water to the inhabitants of the city of Orange. The law will be enforced to secure the removal of these sources of pollution, but we desire to draw the attention of the authorities of your city to the danger which attaches to the passage of the brook referred to through several dooryards in the vicinity of the dwelling owned by John Bennett. In this situation the brook will, in our judgment, constantly receive more or less polluting matter from the occupants of the dwelling houses, and it is impossible to prevent this defilement of the waters of the brook by any practicable method of sanitary inspection. We believe that an effectual remedy for the pollution of the brook in this locality would be provided if the water was here carried for a few hundred feet through tile pipes of suitable size.

Very respectfully.

HENRY MITCHELL,
Secretary.