236 
TYPHOID FEVEK IH DISTKICT OF COLUMBIA. 
POLLUTION OF THE POTOMAC RIVER. 
In considering the character and sources of the pollution of the 
Potomac attention was given primarily to pollution by sewage. 
Mention is made incidentally of such industrial pollution as is believed 
has an important influence on the character of the water. 
Starting at the Fairfax Stone and proceeding down the North 
Branch the first town to merit consideration is Dobbin, W. Va. 
This town was credited with a population of 581 in 1900. A few of 
the privies, which are here in general use, directly pollute the river. 
Four miles below Dobbin is Bayard, W. Va. This town had a 
population of 540 in 1900. It is without a public water supply. 
Buffalo Creek flows through the town and receives some pollution 
from privies. From the imperfect records available it appears that 
at least three deaths from typhoid fever occurred here in 1905, 
showing a probable occurrence of 30 cases during the same period. 
Between Harrison, W. Va., and Blaine the river is polluted by some 
20 to 25 privies on its edge. 
Blaine, situated on both banks of the river, is a town of about 400 
population, 1 mile below Harrison. It is vdthout public water 
supply or sewerage. Private wells and cisterns are in use and latrines 
are universal, some of which pollute the river and a race which supplies 
power to a woolen mill. In time of freshet the river scours out a 
large proportion of the privies in the low-lying part of the town. 
Savage River joins its waters with that of the North Branch at 
Bloomington. Its chainage area of about 348 square miles is but 
sparsely populated, so that the water, relatively unpolluted and in 
volume nearly equal to that of the. North Branch at this point, dilutes 
the impurities and so greatly improves the character of the latter. 
Luke, Md., is a town that has been built up by the West Virginia 
Pulp and Paper Company, which employes about 800 men, many of 
whom come from the neighboring cities of Westernport and Pied- 
mont. Practicall}^ all of the sewage created at this point, together 
with the waste from the factory, goes into the river. The water 
supply of the town, pumped by the factory, comes from the Savage 
River and is the same as that of Westernport and Piedmont. 
A few cases of typhoid occur annually. One or two cases were 
present at the time of my visit, though no death due to this disease 
has been registered in Luke since June, 1904. 
One mile below Luke are Westernport, Md., and Piedmont, W. Va. 
The three towns really form one community, with a combined popu- 
lation of about 5,000. Both Piedmont and Westernport have sewer- 
age systems, that of the former emptying directly into the river, 
while that of the latter empties into Georges Creek. The two cities 
have a common public water supply pumped from the Savage River 
