Pollution of Rivers and Lakes. may, in case of emergency, appoint a substitute or assistants with equal powers and compensation. SEC. 6. Whenever, in the opinion of the State Veterinary Surgeon, the public safety demands the destruction of any stock under the provisions of this act, he shall, unless the owner, or owners, consent to such destruction, notify the governor, who may appoint two competent veterinary surgeons as advisors, and no stock shall be destroyed, except upon the written order of the State Veterinary Surgeon, countersigned by them, and approved by the governor, and the owners of all stock destroyed under the provisions of this act, except as hereinafter provided, shall be entitled to receive a reasonable compensation therefor, but not more than its actual value in its condition when condemned, which shall be ascertained and fixed by the State Veterinary Surgeon, and the nearest justice of the peace, who, if unable to agree, shall jointly select another justice of the peace as umpire, and their judgment shall be final, when the value of the stock does not exceed one hundred dollars, but in all other cases either party shall have the right to appeal to the circuit court, but such appeal shall not delay the destruction of the diseased animals. The State Veterinary Surgeon shall, as soon thereafter as may be, file his written report thereof, with the governor, who shall, if found correct, endorse his finding thereon, whereupon the auditor of the State shall issue his warrant therefor upon the treasurer of State, who shall pay the same out of any moneys at his disposal, under the provisions of this act; provided, that no compensation shall be allowed for any stock destroyed while in transit through or across the State, and that the word stock, as herein used, shall be held to include only neat cattle and horses. Sections 7 and 8 provide an appropriation for expenses of the State Veterinary Surgeon. SEC. 9. Any person, except the veterinary surgeons, called upon under the provisions of this act, shall be allowed, and receive two dollars per day while actually employed. Approved April 14, 1884. POLLUTION OF RIVERS AND LAKES. Early in the year 1889, serious complaints were made by citizens living along the banks of Iowa River of the pollution of that stream by refuse from a glucose factory at Marshalltown. A visit was made to Tama, in the middle of May to examine the condition of the Iowa river there. At various points the opportunity was had of securing the testimony of quite a number of Pollution of Rivers and Lakes. reliable persons, whose occupation and residence, close to the river, made them very competent witnesses. It was learned that at different points along the Iowa river, at Quarry, Montour, Tama and Chelsea in the Fall and Winter of 1887, the water of the river began to smell terribly-that when the ice was cut the odor arising from the water was stifling, that cattle drank it only when compelled by the greatest thirst; that in the Spring of 1888, when the ice went out, the river and ponds supplied with it, were full of dead fish; that from the reservoir at Tama, supplied by the Iowa river, wagon loads of dead fish were taken and buried; and that at all the points named, the same conditions existed-the dead fish and the horrible. odor. The following Spring the same conditions existed, though not to so marked an extent as in 1887 and in 1888, and as this condition of water and fatality, did not exist above Marshalltown, the people affected below that city, naturally inferred that the trouble was caused by some refuse entering the river at Marshalltown. The people at Tama City, so far as seen, were universally and and justly indignant at this altered condition of this river, which had been their pride, and at the wholesale death of their fish. The morning was very unfavorable, as it was raining very hard-it being only a day or two before the rise in the river-the rise being above five feet. First visited the reservoir, which is supplied, by a canal two and one-half miles long, from the Iowa river, and which is utilized for a mill power, and the source whence they procured their ice supply. Found the water emitting a very sickening odor, indescribable, but possessing markedly the odor of dead fish, sulphuretted hydrogen, and of the products of fermentation. This was most plainly perceptible where the water washes through the sluice-way, immediately before it strikes the wheel of the mill, as it leaves the reservoir. There was seen several dead fish in various stages of decomposition. Mr. Hall who has charge of the reservoir, the water supply of the mill, said that some time previously the dead fish passed into this sluiceway and under the wheel in such numbers as to obstruct the wheel and prevent its revolving. Next was examined the water at a point called "guard locks," a half mile or so below where it enters into the canal from the river. Here were found a large number of dead and dying fish. The sick fish were swimming about (principally bull-heads) with their noses out of Pollution of Rivers and Lakes. water. Here, also, mussels that had died, became detached from their shells, and were floating on the water. Here, also, was the same sickening odor. The water here, as well as lower down in the reservoir, was laden with a slimy product that was attached to stones, twigs, dead fish-gelatinous in appearance and feel. The greatest stench, and the largest number, and greatest variety of dead fish were found at the dam, at the point where the water enters this canal before referred to. Here, both above and below the dam, circling in the eddies, and lodged against the brush, were fish of various sizes, and in all stages of decomposition, and a nauseating smell. There were large numbers of dead crawfish upon the sand banks, and sick fish swimming about in the eddies. Even in the swiftest places, as the water ran over the dam, there were long festoons of a semi-transparent gelatinous character, attached to rocks, logs, and twigs. It was thought to be gluten from the starch works, or rather, glucose works at Marshalltown. Samples of water for chemical and microscopic examination, at five different points in the reservoir, canal, and river above and below the dam, were obtained. As showing the irritating quality of the water, three or four days previous a party of young folks were below the dam referred to. Three of them who drank of the water became very sick with vomiting and diarrhoea. The Indians living on their reservation, and farming the land lying along the river and between the river and the canal, claim to have lost an unusual number of their ponies, and attribute it to drinking the water of the river. Farmers along the river also said that their cows, when driven by thirst to drink the water, showed a marked tendency to "drop" their calves. On return to Des Moines the facts were laid before Goveruor Larrabee who kindly requested Hon. E. D. Carlton, State Fish Commissioner, to go to Marshalltown to further investigate the matter. A meeting was arranged for one week from the time of the Tama visit. In the meantime heavy rains had fallen and the Iowa river had risen, as previously stated, five feet. This doubtless very favorably modified the condition of the water. A little stream called Linn creek runs towards the east on the south side of the railroads. This creek is a tortuous, sluggish stream with but little water, and during the last two or three years owing to the Pollution of Rivers and Lakes. light rain fall almost dried up. It is made the receptacle for two sewers carrying about three-fourths of the sewerage of the city, the refuse from the glucose works, the canning factory, and the packing houses, and after winding about two or three miles, empties into the Iowa river. Wednesday, May 22d, at Marshalltown, with Mr. Carlton, Mr. Ames, mayor; Dr. Kibby, chairman of the health committee of the local board of health for that city, and Mr. Carney attorney for the glucose works, a visit was made to this creek at the points where the upper sewer, the glucose refuse, the discharges from the feed stables and the lower sewer enter this creek, and supplies of the water for examination were obtained. We then went to the river at a bridge, one-half mile above the mouth of Linn creek, and rowed down the river. The water was clear and free from bad odor, and some parties were fishing under the bridge. So soon as we came opposite the entrance of Linn creek we detected it by the foul odor--a strong sour-mash smell. We went into the mouth of the creek. The banks were lined with a thick deposit of corn bran and gluten which was in active fermentation, and giving off, not only there, but at all points along the river as far as we went, gases, and a very disagreeable odor. We saw no dead fish. We saw at several points where some parties had been fishing, some indications of fish, but did not, however, actually see a fish or a frog, large or small, along the river. We did see some turtles on some logs. All along, so far as we went, we found the same gelatinous masses attached to twigs, logs, the banks in mid stream and on shore, as we had found in the river at Tama city; and it seemed to increase in quantity as we went down the river. There was no appearance of it in the river above the point where Linn creek empties in its contents. We obtained some water at the mouth of this creek, and also at the lowest point we went down the river, which was about five miles below Marshalltown, at what is known as the Main street bridge over the Iowa river. Here we also obtained a bottle of this gelatinous substance for examination. The bottle containing the tenacious, ropy substance so abundant at Tama and at other points below Linn creek, was brought to this office. Owing to the illness of Prof. Davis, chemist of the Board, no chemical analysis of the samples was made. A sample was sent to * * Pollution of Rivers and Lakes. * Prof. McBride of the botany department at the Iowa State University, who says: "The Beggiatoa present appears to be the Beggiatoa alba. This species is found in filthy water-water which comes in the over-flow from factories, and in warm sulphurous springs." * "As to the fish, I am of the opinion that the supply of oxygen in the water, under the circumstances, is inadequate to support animal life. Beggiatoa being chlorophyless, is a consumer of oxygen, and an exhaler of carbonic acid, therefore, a rival of the fish for the small amount of oxygen contained in the water, and as the result shows, seems a successful rival." Specimens were also sent to Prof. Pammel, bacteriologist at the Agricultural College, Ames, and were examined by him microscopically. He says: "The greyish or blackish gelatinous masses contain great numbers of one of the largest of the bacteria, Beggiatoa alba, which as is well-known, occurs in sulphur springs; in the waters that flow from manufacturing establishments, such as tanneries and sugar works, and at times causing the destruction of life by the evolution of poisonous gases." * This gas (sulphuretted hydrogen) may have an injurious effect on the animals inhabiting it when in sufficient quantity. In Europe a bay is known which has received the appellation of "Dead Ground," because it is avoided by fish, but not by all animals. It is formed by a species of Beggiatoa. * * This same bacteria, Beggiatoa alba in good abundance was found in the Des Moines river, below the entrance of the sewers, from the starch factories, at Des Moines. There is none in the Des Moines river above this point. So the conclusion is, that the starch refuse is responsible. It is, perhaps, known to few, that in the manufacture of glucose, the corn is first converted into starch by the same processes that are used in the regular starch-making establishments. Within the last few years, the large wooden tanks, holding hundreds of bushels of corn, in which the corn is soaked, are disinfected by fumes of sulphur, instead of by white-washing with lime as formerly. The sulphur is burned outside the building in a special furnace, and the fumes are conducted by pipes within these tanks, and are allowed to remain in contact with all parts of the tank until they are thoroughly disinfected. Then they are washed out. This water used in washing out these tanks heavily charged with |