Mixed Drinks in Rochester

Through the main streets of Rochester, N. Y. flows the turbulent, muddy Genesee River, carrying drainage from barnyards and outhouses in western New York. In cases of great demand, the river water serves Rochester fire hydrants. Rochester's drinking water comes partly from Lake Ontario, mostly from pure, sparkling Hemlock Lake. Many years ago, the hydrant system was connected to the Hemlock Lake system by valves. But during the past 20 years, most of the valves have been permanently sealed. Only a few remained, connecting the clean Hemlock water with the dirty water from the Genesee. Even the Superintendent of Waterworks, Lewis Kohl, believed that all the connections were closed.

One afternoon last week. Repair Foreman Ernest Jones noticed a leak in one of the river-water pipes. He sent a gang of workmen to repair it. They found a little water oozing out of an old valve, plugged the leak. Then, according to department custom, they opened the valve, to maintain even pressure with 15,000 other valves in the system. Without knowing it, they had opened an old valve connecting the river water with the drinking water.

Next morning. Mr. Jones checked the workmen's reports with a pipe map. Suddenly he saw what had happened. Off he dashed to close the valve. But it was too late. Some four million gallons of filthy water from the thaw-high Genesee had poured into Rochester drinking water. The city faced a typhoid epidemic.

Promptly the State Sanitation Department ordered 150 Ib. of chlorine (ten times the normal amount) to be dumped into the water pipes, the Department of Health set up vaccine clinics to help immunize 300,000 Rochesterians against typhoid. The Telephone Company called up its 95,000 subscribers, warned them to boil their water. The Rochester & Lake Ontario Water Service Corp. offered pure water to all who would fetch it.

Waterworks Superintendent Lewis Kohl was fired, Assistant Jones suspended. Within 72 hours, 5,000 persons had taken the first in a course of three typhoid vaccinations. From Albany the State Department of Health rushed 46,000 doses of vaccine. A thousand citizens fell ill with minor intestinal disturbances. Since the typhoid bacillus takes from seven to 42 days to incubate, the city remained in dreadful suspense.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.