1893-1894 - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

HO NORTH CAROLINA DOARD oF ITKALTII.
6. That the water company be urged to purify tlie water as much as
A properly constructed and properly cared for sand and gravel
possible.
filter would probably afford the best means of accomplishing it as things
now stand. But there is a more excellent way, and that would be to
abandon the river altogether and obtain the water for the town from
deep wells bored through the stratum of impervious marl or clay which
underlies your section. We were told that such a well furnishing excellent
water had at one time existed in your city. The very best filters
are not always reliable, and they are very expensive to make properh\
Inferior filters are positively worse than nothing, actually increasing the
danger. Granting that you had dictatorial powers and the greatest
abundance of money, it would be pi'actically impossible for you to
effectually guard from contamination such an area as is drained by
Little river. Granting that the water company would construct the
very best tilters and operate them in the very best manner, you could
never feel entirely safe during the prevalence of cholera or typhoid
fever (a very common disease, Icilling, it is estimated, more than a thousand
of our people every year) up the ri\-er. Water from the deei) wells
referred to could not be contaminated.
It would possess the confidence
of your citizens. It would in all probability be clear and attractive in
appearance. The imagination could not conjure up any horrible possibilities
as to what it might contain. The people would drink it in
preference to your best well water, if wise. If such a water supply could
be obtained we believe that the best thing Goldsboro could do for the
health of its citizens would be to ffU up every surface well in the city
and thereby compel its exclusive use. AVe further believe that the
increased consumption would more than re-imburse the water company
for the outlaj' necessary to obtain it.
We beg to say for ourselves, and we believe the opinion would be
endorsed by our full Board, that Vie earnestly deprecate the use in
malarial regions of surface watei', for the reason that aside from the
difHculty of preserving it from contamination there is good ground for
the belief that it holds and takes with it into the system the malarial
poison. The Board of Health has begun the investigation of this subject
and it hopes in the near future to present to the public the evidence
of our own people as to its truth.
In conclusion, we wish to express our appieciation of the courteous
assistance afforded us by yourself, Mayor Broadhurst and other members
of your Board. Very respectfully,
GEORGE GILLETT THOMAS, M. D.,
RICH'D H. LEWIS, M. D.,
Coiiujuttce.