Nos. 482 and 483. These two samples were from two wells on the same premises.-No. 482. From a well eighteen feet deep at the corner of the woodshed, seventy-five feet from the sink drain, fifty feet from the privy and stable. Three years ago a pig-pen twenty feet from the well was removed The water was badly polluted and is not suitable for drinking purposes. No. 483. From a well from two hundred to four hundred feet from the ordinary sources of pollution, nevertheless, the well is situated within the limits of the highway and is overflowed by surface water for a short time each spring. The well is only six feet deep. The chemical results at this time of the year are good. The sample from this well gave much the better results, though the well is badly located and should be protected from surface water if it is to be used. Two cases of typhoid fever have appeared in the family on these premises.

Nos. 485, 490, 491, 492, 558, 559 and 560. The analyses of these samples from various sources were made to aid in the selection of a suitable source for a water supply for the village of Pittsfield. Nos. 485, 492 and 558 were taken from the west branch of the Sebasticook river flowing from Moose pond eight miles away. The stream has the drainage of Hartland village and of a five set woolen mill six miles up stream. No. 490 was from a well dug twenty-five feet, fifty feet from the privy and twenty from the stable. No 491 from a brook flowing through some marshy ground. No. 559 from a well drilled forty-seven feet in solid ledge. At this depth water was struck which flowed from the top of the well. There are no sources of pollution within 200 or 300 feet. No. 560 from a dug well forty feet deep, one hundred feet from privy, fifty feet from stable, and thirty-five feet from barnyard and pig-pen. The following report was made on these samples.

"I enclose three blanks giving the figures which we obtained from the analyses of the three samples of water lately received from you. I have also had tabulated for you, in pencil, the results of the analyses of all of the samples which you have sent. The sample from the Sebasticook river just examined gives results still more unfavorable than those given by the two samples previously received from the same source, as you will see by consulting the tabulation. The brook water sent me May 24th also gave unfavorable results due to the large quantity of organic ammonia, while at the same time the free ammonia was greater than the aver

age in our public water supplies taken from rivers and streams. You will notice also that the sample of well water sent May 24th gave very unfavorable results.

"I am glad to say that the two samples of well water which you lately sent have given very good results. They are a little harder than the samples from the stream. Notwithstanding the good results which I get from the chemical examination of the water from the dug well my judgment would be that the well is not favorably situated for a public water supply. Your description of the surroundings indicates that sources of possible pollution are too On the other hand, as far as I can judge from the description of the drilled well, it is favorably situated and would not be likely to be polluted from privy soakage. There are of course important engineering questions and Mr. Gowing will answer these for you."

near.

No. 486. A spring, or more properly, a public well, dug out eight feet deep. The ordinary sources of pollution about dwelling houses are not less than one hundred feet distant, but there is a cemetery only forty feet away, though it is said that the direct drainage from this is not toward the well. The rains all run into it from the valley above which is thickly settled. The water is polluted and is altogether unfit to be used as a drinking supply.

No. 487. The analysis was desired on account of the prevalence of typhoid fever in the house where it was used. From a well fifteen feet deep. Distance of privy twenty feet, stable and barnyard, sixteen feet, cess-pool ten feet. "The water is a bad one in every way, and is too dangerous ever to be used as a drinking

water."

No. 488. From a well only eight feet deep, distant from the privy, stable, barnyard, pig-pen and sink drain forty-seven, thirty, forty-five, and ten feet, respectively. This water is distinctly polluted. It is much too near sources of pollution.

No. 489. From a spring 195 feet away from any buildings or other source of pollution, except surface water. This is not a good spring water.

No. 493. From a well drawn through thirty-five feet of lead pipe. It was tested for lead and hardness only. It contained a trace of lead.

No. 494. From a drilled well, forty feet deep, cemented around the surface of the ledge so that no surface soakage can get in. "The water is a very good and pure one for drinking purposes."

No. 495. A spring in a pasture forty rods from any dwelling. "If the cattle are kept away from the spring it will be a very good source for a drinking water supply.”

Nos. 496 and 497. These samples were from the Richmond Water Company's supply, the one taken from the river, and the other from the tap, but there was nothing accompanying the samples to indicate which was which.

No. 498. From a well twenty-five feet deep with a ledge underneath inclining from the barn toward the well. Distance of privy from the well forty feet, stable eighty feet, and forty feet from an old barnyard. The water is polluted, though not largely so. "I should regard it as very probable that the polluting matter reaching the well, flows in on the surface of the well. I find quite often that this same condition of things carries the soakage from privies, barnyards, and similar places quite long distances and delivers it into the well."

No. 499. From a stream, the so-called Great Works river. The water is pumped into a large iron tank from which it is distributed to a number of houses. This sample contained a large excess of free ammonia and considerably more of organic ammonia than is found in the average of Maine river waters. Other samples were requested, but were not received.

No. 501. From a public well in the village. This sample has a large excess of chlorine, even for one near the seashore, and more free ammonia than it ought to have. A final report was not made as another sample and fuller information about the well were wanted.

No. 504. From a spring which furnishes the water supply of the Empire Grove campground in East Poland. It is reported that there have been various opinions as to the suitability of this water for drinking purposes; some think that it has a laxative and diuretic effect. It is a good and pure spring water containing but little mineral matter and only a slight quantity of organic matter, and is moreover very soft for a spring water. The action of the water upon the bowels and kidneys is undoubtedly due simply to the fact that it is a pure and soft water. A sample received last year from the same source gave still more favorable results: total solids, 3.8; hardness, 1.95; chlorine, .2; free ammonia, .000; organic ammonia, .001.

Nos. 511, 512, 528 and 529. These samples were sent by the Bethel Water Company to help them in making a selection of a source for a public water supply. Nos. 511 and 529 were from the East Branch of Chapman brook, and Nos. 512 and 528 from Chapman brook.

The first two samples were collected August 9th, when there had been no disturbing rainfalls, and the second two samples collected September 3d, were taken just after a heavy rainfall. The two streams are mountain brooks fed very largely by springs, and the disturbing effect of the rainfall is shown to have been but very slight indeed.

"As the figures stand for these analyses the results are rivalled by those from few of the public water supplies in this State as you can easily see by comparison with my report upon the public water supplies for 1888. If the quality of the water in those two streams remains as good for the whole year (and from your description of the conditions I do not see why it may not,) there can be no question that either would be a desirable source of drinking water supply."

No. 520. The reasons which led to the request for the analysis of the sample were similar to those given for No. 504. The sample was taken from a spring which serves as the water supply of a summer hotel, and some of the visitors complained that its use effected the bowels and kidneys. The water is very pure and remarkably soft. As to the possibility of the water containing any medicinal qualities or contents that might account for its effect upon the kidneys, the report on the sample said: "Its total solids are so small in quantity that I should hardly think it possible; on the other hand, I should incline to the belief that the increased action of the kidneys in the users of the water, is due to the softness and purity of the water." Nevertheless, it was deemed well to send a sample of the water to Professor Robinson of Bowdoin College,. for the purpose of having an examination made of the constituents of the total solids. This was done and the Professor's results confirmed the opinion given in the foregoing.

No. 521. From a well sixteen and one-half feet deep, dug through six inches of soil and ten feet of seamy ledge then blasted six feet farther. The privy, a so-called earth closet, fifty feet distant and the cess-pool which is not a tight one only twenty-five feet away. The following is the report made of the sample:

"The enclosed blank will give you the results of the analysis of the sample of water lately received from you. The distance which separates the well from the privy and the sink drainage is too small, and possibly adding to the danger of the pollution of the well, are seams in the ledge. The chemical results are not favorable, for they show a moderate degree of pollution of the water. The discharge of the house drain into the cess-pool so near the well is not safe, and the privy should be of a kind that would absolutely insure against the soakage of it into the ground. Your earth closet if properly managed would give such protection. I should not consider the water from the well safe for drinking purposes, and if typhoid fever excreta should be discharged in the vicinity of the well, its use would be perilous. After boiling it would undoubtedly be safe.

No. 523. From a spring situated on the down-hill side from the house, but from 160 to 200 feet from the buildings and sources of pollution. Sickness has occurred in the family though not of a kind generally ascribed to impure water: "From the lay of the land, I should judge that there might be a possibility of soakage from sources of pollution into the spring, and it would be well to guard against anything of that kind. There is, however, in the results of the analysis nothing whatever to indicate pollution of the water, and the spring when this sample was taken from it at least, was furnishing a good and pure water for drinking purposes.

Nos. 525 and 526. Samples of ice sent by the local board of health of Bath. The following report was made :

"I enclose the results of the two samples of ice; nevertheless, I must caution you against drawing any conclusions from them. Ordinarily, in the process of freezing, water loses the larger part of both its dissolved and suspended matter, consequently, in the examation of samples of ice, we have to deal with very small quantities of total solids, organic matter, etc., and it might very easily happen, as the result of the different conditions under which the freezing takes place, that a sample of ice taken from the more impure of the two bodies of water would give better results than a sample of ice taken from the purer body of water. There would be many

chances for self deception if one should attach too much importance to the results of examinations of single samples. I would, therefore, advise you to send samples of water from the two ponds. by and bye, or about the time they are cutting the ice.