OCR Text |
Show Shallow Wells Unsafe LIFE Is conUinedinsome form of eed, named germs In case of disease, und spores in other forms of bacteria. Disease Is supposed sup-posed to lurk in shallow wells, nnd many who have not made a study of germ life be--lleve Ih&t because a well la shallow and open at the top disease is always present therein. Such is not the case. A well not tightly closed at the surface and Insufficiently deep to contain any but surfaco water Is likely to be contaminated through pollution on the surface oll. An long as germs of disease dis-ease aro not actually carrieel to the well tho water Is safe. Rut who can tell? The transportation trans-portation of germs so small tho nrikoel eyo is unable to detect them Is done In a thousand thou-sand different ways. Dust blown from the street or from the sickroom laden with germs easily finds its way through tho cracks in the covering of an open well. Rains collect the bacteria and wash them through' the brick walla of the well, riles, birds, milk palls washed with water from and close to the well and other agents too numerous to mention help to disseminate disease The only safe supply of water Is n deep drilled well which penetrates the rock layers many feet below the surface of the ground. It Is free from disease ge rms, as all life has been removed by percolation of water through' many feet of sand and cljy. A shallow, brlck-llneel well is decidedly unsafe, not rdono duo to the fact that It Is a contijlncr of surfaco sur-faco water, but because It can be easily contaminated con-taminated with disease germs and the subs-lances on which germs feed organic matter, mat-ter, decomposing vegetable and animal sub-ttatv""' |