REPORTS OF COUNTY AND CITY HEALTH OFFICERS

NASHVILLE, TENN., February 7, 1908.

To the Health Officer:

DEAR DOCTOR-I am anxious to embody in my annual report to the State Board of Health as full information as possible concerning the source or sources from which the water supply of the larger towns in your county is derived. To this end it is requested that you furnish a report upon the water supply of each of the larger towns in your county, giving the source of water supply in each town, whether or not the respective town has a complete or partial sewer system, together with the method adopted in each such town for the disposal of night soil, garbage and other refuse matter. It is earnestly desired that you furnish a full report as above indicated at the earliest date possible. Very respectfully,

STATE BOARD OF HEALTH,

(Signed) J. A. ALBRIGHT, M. D., Secretary and Executive Officer.

BEDFORD COUNTY.

SHELBYVILLE, TENN., February 4, 1908.

Dr. J. A. Albright, Nashville, Tenn.:

DEAR SIR-Yours of recent date asking for source of water supply to hand.

Shelbyville gets its water from wells and cisterns and from the Shelbyville Water Company, which pumps its water from Duck River. The intake of this company's plant is below where fully one-third of the drainage of the town empties into the river-a very unsanitary condition. Shelbyville has a partial sewer system, one owned

by the county and one by the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway, which drains about one fifth of the town. Few have connection with these private sewers, but the rest of the town has old-fashioned privies for disposal of night soil, garbage and other refuse matter.

Wartrace gets its water from wells and a few cisterns and has no sewer, only outdoor privies.

Bell Buckle is supplied with water from wells and cisterns, with no sewerage; only outdoor privies for the disposal of night soil and garbage. Only three towns incorporated in county. Yours respectfully,

F. B. REAGOR,

County Health Officer.

BLOUNT COUNTY.

MARYVILLE, TENN., February 29, 1908.

Dr. J. A. Albright, Nashville, Tenn.:

DEAR DOCTOR-I am in receipt of your letter of recent date requesting information in regard to the water supply of the larger towns of the county. In reply I will state that there are six towns in the county, viz., Maryville, Friendsville, Rockford, Louisville, Walland and Townsend. The water supply of these towns is obtained chiefly from cisterns and springs, and in a few instances from wells. The towns of Walland, Townsend and Rockford are situated on the banks of Little River. The towns of Louisville and Friendsville are situated on or near the Tennessee River. Maryville is an inland town, but bountifully supplied with good water from a number of fine springs. Townsend has a small system of waterworks, this being furnished by a large spring on the side of the mountain near by. This is the only waterworks in the county, except a number of private concerns, and a large system used by Maryville College.

The sewerage system in these towns is deficient to more

or less extent. The interest along this line is considerably on the increase, showing that the people are awakening to the fact that a better sewerage system is an actual necessity. However, the present arrangement, as far as the garbage and night soil are concerned, is to bury it, and this is done in these towns in a fairly satisfactory manner. Very respectfully yours,

J. A. MCCULLOCH, M. D.,

County Health Officer.

BRADLEY COUNTY.

CLEVELAND, TENN., February 12, 1908.

Dr. J. A. Albright, Nashville, Tenn.:

DEAR SIR-Dr. R. L. Bean, County Physician, hands me a letter from you regarding source of water and sewerage system. Our water is derived from a large spring near city and is essentially pure. The city is partly sewered into a small creek running through the southern portion of the city, but a poor system. The city is talking of bonding for a sewer, but I can give no certain opinion regarding it. Yours very respectfully,

J. K. P. MARSHALL, Chairman County Court.

CANNON COUNTY.

WOODBURY, TENN., February 12, 1908.

Dr. J. A. Albright, Nashville, Tenn.:

DEAR DOCTOR-Your letter to hand in regard to source of water supply and disposal of garbage, refuse matter, etc., in the towns of county, and in reply will state that the following will answer for all towns in this county:

Water supply from bored wells per solid rock; no sewer system at all; contents of all privy vaults thrown on gar

dens mostly. As to garbage, etc., this is washed away by rains, as most of the towns are situated on hills, and county in general is well drained.

Yours respectfully,

W. M. MCCRARY,

County Health Officer

CHEATHAM COUNTY.

Dr. J. A. Albright, Nashville, Tenn.:

ASHLAND CITY, February 10, 1908.

DEAR SIR-Your letter of the 7th to hand, with contents noted. In reply will say that in my county there are only three villages of any size, viz., Ashland City (the county seat), Pleasant View and Kingston Springs, which I will discuss separately.

Ashland City, a town of about 1,500 inhabitants, obtains its water almost entirely from wells (drilled wells). The average depth for the water for the town is about 50 feet. Rock is practically at the top of the ground. Out of several wells bored here it is claimed that rock was struck at six feet and drilled through rock the balance of the way. The water is limestone and sulphur. The drainage is, I suppose, the finest natural drainage in the State, the town being hilly and cut up by ravines running into the river, which carry away all the waste matter that accumulates..

Kingston Springs water supply is also from bored wells and is of limestone variety. The sewerage system is artificial and drained by ditches of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway.

Pleasant View's water supply is mostly from cisterns. The drainage is very poor, only having one ravine through the place of five or six hundred inhabitants, and a very small stream to carry off the waste.

Trusting that this will meet your request, I am,

Yours very truly,

J. S. FREEMAN, M. D.,
County Health Officer..

CLAIBORNE COUNTY.

CUMBERLAND GAP, TENN., Feb. 17, 1908.

Dr. J. A. Albright, Nashville, Tenn.:

DEAR DOCTOR-I received your request some days ago, but have had the grip, hence the delay in answering you. I am sending as near as I can what I think you want. If this isn't right let me know and I'll do my best to make it so.

The town of Cumberland Gap is situated on the south side of Cumberland Mountain and is divided into two unequal parts by the Virginia-Tennessee line, the larger portion being in Tennessee. The water supply comes from a spring which issues from the mouth of "King Solomon's Cave' 300 feet above the town on the face of "Pinnacle Mountain," which is on the Virginia side of the State line, and the mouth of the cave is about 1,000 feet air line from the center of Main Street. A tank is placed just below the mouth of the cave (capacity about 5,000 gallons), and a pipe line from it runs due south down the mountain to Main Street, where a main pipe receives it, and is carried west 500 feet and east 2,000 feet, being 8 inches on the start, it is gradually reduced to 2 inches on the extreme eastern end of the line. A main leads off on each street, from which, and on the line above referred to, we all run our private pipes. Each house gets a one-half inch stream of running water, and (no meters) the pressure is about 40 pounds at the highest residence most of the year. A 2-inch main also crosses the ridge two miles south and supplies the houses and grounds of the Lincoln Memorial University. Everybody lets their faucets run all the time and the water is always fresh and cold, so much so that the water boxes we all have will keep milk sweet the hottest days we have.

The plant is owned by the Eastern Kentucky Land Company. They keep up the mains and charge us 50 cents a month for a one-half inch main. We each keep up our own pipes from the main to the discharge faucet.