IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 
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dropping from the engines and cars into the river; that all neces- 
sary precaution should be taken during the construction of the 
railway. It was provided further that the living quarters of any 
and all employees engaged in the care and maintenance of the road 
should be located at such distances from the river as directed by 
the city, and that no stations should be established or maintained 
between the city intake and easterly terminus. The city was 
further authorized to employ the services of an inspector during the 
process of construction. The ordinance was duly signed by the 
mayor. The King’s County Medical Society protested, stating that 
the city water supply in spite of all precautions would become con- 
taminated. Somewhat later the State Board of Health also took 
up the matter and protested. It was thought best to have a thor- 
ough examination made of the water supply to decide this question. 
The ordinance on suggestion of some of the experts was amended so 
as to provide for filtration areas and for the appointment of a 
sanitary engineer subject to the approval of the State Board of 
Health. Said engineer to have full control in all matters pertaining 
to sanitation and power to prescribe sanitary regulations for man 
and animals; to employ one or more inspectors who shall enforce 
such regulations and rules, and shall have special police powers. 
These, rules shall have the approval of the State Board of Health. 
He shall employ one or more competent physicians who shall ex- 
amine and report to the city and State Board of Health upon all 
cases of illness and shall cause the immediate removal from the 
watershed any afflicted with a communicable disease. The salaries 
and compensations of all persons so employed shall be paid by the 
grantee, successors, or assignees. The ordinance further provides 
that while trains are being operated over the right of way granted 
by the city of Seattle, all closets shall be locked or provided with 
receptacles to prevent human waste from falling upon the road bed, 
whenever so required by the State Board of Health. 
In order to properly discuss this matter, it will be necessary 
to look at the conditions found elsewhere in the country. It is 
almost impossible to find a watershed in the more settled portions 
of the United States but what is traversed by railways, and in 
many, these railroads follow the streams for miles, in many in- 
stances a few feet from the edge of the water, but so far as I know, 
no complaint has been made that railroads pollute the water. A 
notable illustration is the city of Altoona, Pennsylvania; at this 
point the Pennsylvania Railroad has four extensive shops. There 
are four tracks, and thousands of passengers are carried over these 
tracks every day, besides an enormous amount of freight. The 
