Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 48

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1526

USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > Butler > Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th > Part 48

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The water supply of Butler at this time was obtained from two sources. The Mutual Water Company of the Southside supplied a large area in the First Ward from five wells which were drilled at the top of the hill south of the town, in 1891. The main supply for the old part of the

town was obtained from the Butler Water Company, which had a storage dam at Boydstown, and was then constructing a second storage dam on Thorn Run in Oak- land Township. A brief history of the water supply of the town was given by Dr. Batt in his report on the typhoid fever epi- demic at Butler, on the 31st of January, 1904, and may be of interest.

Previous to 1877 the water supply of the town was obtained entirely from drilled wells. The Butler Water Company was chartered November 1, 1877, and built a reservoir at the top of the hill near the old St. Paul's Orphans' Home property, which had a capacity of 3,000,000 gallons of water. The supply was taken from an intake on the Connoquenessing Creek near the pump station. In 1896 the water company experienced some difficulty on account of salt water pollution, which was caused by pumping oil wells along the Connoquenessing Creek Valley below Boydstown. In order to obviate this pollution of the water, the water company built the Boydstown dam, which has a drainage area of 9,000 acres. In July, 1897, the Butler Water Company dis- posed of their plant to the American Water Works and Guaranty Company, who are the present owners. Dur- ing the summer of 1903 the company purchased a large tract of land on Thorn Run in Oakland Township and built the Thorn Run Dam, which was completed the last of October.

The consumption of water in the town increased from one and a quarter million gallons in 1901 to three mil- lion gallons daily in 1903. This sudden increase in con- sumption was caused by the erection of the Standard Steel Car Plant and the rapid increase in population that followed. In 1902 the Water Company installed a large filter plant at the pump station, and the con- sumers were thereafter supplied with filtered water. A succession of heavy rains and consequent high water de- stroyed the Boydstown dam on the 28th of August, 1903, and from that time until the 15th of November the water supply of the town was taken from an emergency intake on the creek above the pump station. This water was filtered and was of a fairly good quality until about the 20th of October, when the filter beds were out of commission for a few days on account of repairs. Dur- ing this time the water supply was taken from the creek and pumped into the reservoir unfiltered. The officers of the State board found on examination of the water sheds of the Boydstown dam, the Thorn Run dam, and the valley of the creek below the Boydstown dam, that a number of typhoid fever cases had existed in farm houses and that the excreta from these dwellings was thrown into the runs that were tributary to the creek. It was also discovered that during the few days that the water supply had been taken from the bed of the creek, unfiltered, the water had been sufficiently con- taminated with typhoid fever germs to cause the fearful epidemic that began about the first of November.

As further evidence of this fact Dr. Batt shows in his report that from 1876 to 1896

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the water supply of the town was taken from the Connoquenessing Creek and pumped into the reservoir unfiltered. From July, 1896, to July, 1897, the supply was obtained from Boydstown dam un- filtered. From July, 1897, to December, 1897, the supply again was taken from the Connoquenessing Creek unfiltered. From July, 1902, to August 28, 1903, the supply was taken from Boydstown dam and filtered. From August 28, 1903, to October 20, 1903, the supply was taken from the emergency intake on the Connoquenessing Creek and filtered. From October 20 to November 2 the supply was taken from the Connoquenessing Creek and the filter beds being out of commission at this time the water was furnished to the consumers unfiltered. From November 2 to Novem- ber 15 the supply was taken from the creek and the filter beds having been repaired the water was filtered before it went to the consumers. On November 15, the Thorn Run dam, which had been completed, was placed in commission and the supply was taken from that source and the water filtered before it was pumped into the reservoir. The result of the investiga- tion proved the contention of the local board of health that the fever was caused by contamination of the water supply.

The conclusion of Dr. Batt's report on the subject of pollution of the water is as follows :

"That following the destruction of the Boydstown dam August 28, 1903, the water for distribution to the people of Butler was taken from Connoquenessing Creek through an emergency intake. An examination of the water of the creek showed that it maintained a fairly constant evidence of pollution and that at various periods the operation of the filter plant was particularly or entirely suspended and that as a result of this polluted water being used for domestic purposes, 1,348 persons were stricken with typhoid fever between October 1, 1903, and January 29, 1904, with 111 fatalities."

The previous records of typhoid fever epidemics were broken at Butler. In 1885 a similar epidemic occurred at Plymouth, Pennsylvania, a town of 8,000 population. The number of cases reported at that time

was 1,104, and the deaths 114. At Ithaca, New York, an epidemic occurred, in May, 1903, in which there were 1,300 cases re- ported, and seventy-eight deaths, among a population of 13,000 people.

George R. Harlow, of Philadelphia, en- gineer and inspector of the State Board of Health, made an official visit to the Boyds- town dam and water shed on the 12th of December, 1903, and reported that eight cases of typhoid fever had been located in the vicinity of Boydstown from the first of August to the date of his visit in that year. This inspection confirmed the belief that the fever epidemic was caused by pol- luted water, and that the cause of the pollution came from the infected houses along the creek valley north of Butler.

In justice to Superintendent M. F. Wright and the American Waterworks & Guaranty Company it is recorded that the company, through its officials in Butler, did everything within its power to assist the State and local boards of health, and spared no expense in their efforts to rem- edy the evils that existed at that time, and to safeguard the health of the community in the future.

FINANCIAL REPORT.

The financial report of the executive committee of the Relief Society which was audited and filed with the other reports of the epidemic show that the committee re- ceived from first to last a total of $65,567.48. The total amount expended by the Relief Society was $58,415.90. The balance of $7,151.58 was turned over to the Butler County General Hospital when the Relief Society closed its books. To the above amount may be added the donations of grocers, and other supplies by mer- chants amounting to $1,039.41, and a large amount of clothing, bedding and other sup- plies on which no value was placed, but which approximates $10,000 or more.

In addition to the above amounts must be considered the report of Burgess Will-

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iam Kennedy. The Burgess received from all sources $12,021.28. Of this amount $9,527.20 was turned over to the Relief Society, and the balance of $2,494.08 was disbursed by him on vouchers, a report of which is on file in the office of the secretary of the town council. This makes the total amount of cash contributions $68,061.56. No account is taken in the financial state- ment of the $3,038 in the hands of the Mayor of Pittsburg, which the Relief Society did not receive, nor is any account taken of the discounts on bills allowed by the grocerymen, the merchants, and the gas companies. Nor is any account taken of the discount amounting to 33 1-3 per cent. allowed by the real estate owners on rentals paid by the relief committee.

THE DIET KITCHEN.

On November 29 the use of the kitchen and dining-room of the Second Presbyte- rian Church was offered by the pastor as a place in which food might be prepared for fever patients. This idea was aban- doned when it became known that there was some difficulty in providing meals for the professional nurses who had come from various parts of the country in re- sponse for help, and under the direction of the Relief Committee this work was un- dertaken at the church. The supervision of the work was committed to the pastor. Rev. E. R. Worrall, Hon. Thomas Hayes, a member of the session, Mrs. C. E. Mc- Intire, president of the Ladies' Aid Soci- ety, and Miss Maude Hayes. About one hundred and forty ladies of Butler partici- pated in this work and all the necessary help was gratuitous with the exception of the cook and errand boy, who were paid by the committee. Meals were served to nurses at the church during a period of seventy-three days, from December 4, 1903, to February 14, 1904, during which time the average number of meals served daily was seventy-one. The average for the first week was fifty-three, and the third

week, one hundred and eighteen, which was the highest average during the time the institution was open.

CLARA BARTON'S VISIT.

On the 14th of December, 1903, Butler was visited by Miss Clara Barton, of the National Red Cross Society, accompanied by Gen. W. H. Sears, J. B. Hubbell and Dr. A. W. Hitt. She was also accompanied by Mrs. J. L. Anderson and Mrs. Mary Chalfant McKee, of the Pittsburg Red Cross. Miss Barton and her staff made a thorough examination of the hospitals, the diet kitchen, the supply department, and the method of conducting the relief work by the relief committee, and expressed themselves so well pleased with the work being done that they thought it was not necessary for the officers of the Red Cross Society to remain in the field. Miss Bar- ton was especially complimentary on the manner in which the relief work was or- ganized in Butler, and said it was the equal of the work done at Galveston and other places where the National Red Cross Society had taken charge.

THE RELIEF FUND.

Acting on the advice of Miss Clara Bar- ton, who said that it would probably take one hundred thousand dollars to meet the expenses of the Relief Committee, the Ex- ecutive Committee held a meeting on the night of December 15, and prepared a statement which was given to the Asso- ciated Press and published in all the news- papers in the United States the following day. As the result of this appeal for aid, the committee received from all sources the sum of $65,567.48. Money poured in from all parts of the country, from towns and cities, from lodges and benevolent societies, and from private individuals. The smallest donation was ten cents from a private individual at Tacoma, Washing- ton, and the largest was $5,000 from a gentleman who had been a former resident of Butler County, but withheld his name.

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On January 11, 1904, a meeting of the general relief and executive committees was held at which a complete and exhaus- tive discussion relative to the funds re- ceived up to that time, took place, and a second statement was given to the Asso- ciated Press for publication stating that the relief committee felt satisfied that with the funds received up to that time they would have sufficient money to pay all debts contracted for, and which might be incurred thereafter, providing no unfore- seen contingencies occurred; and that fur- ther contributions on the part of the pub- lic would be unnecessary.

About the time the second statement was given out setting forth that the Relief Committee had sufficient funds in hand to finish the relief work in Butler, there re- mained in the hands of the Mayor of Pitts- burg, $3,067.20, which had been sent to him as custodian of the Butler Relief fund, and which had not been forwarded to But- ler. About this time the frightful disaster at the Harwick mines in Allegheny County took place, in which one hundred and sev- enty men lost their lives. At a meeting of the executive committee, a motion was unanimously adopted instructing the sec- retary to wire the Mayor of Pittsburg as follows :

"Hon. W. B. Hayes, Mayor of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania:

"I have been authorized to wire you as follows: That it is the sense of this executive committee and the gen- eral relief committee that the officers of both com- mittees, while still claiming their legal and moral right to the balance of the funds in your hands, we now re- quest that it be transferred to the proper authorities for the benefit of the Harwick sufferers; and in addition we wish to say to you that, notwithstanding the fact that we are still in the throes of the typhoid fever epidemic here, this relief committee and the citizens of Butler generally stand ready to aid in any way they can in this disaster of our sister county." Signed, R. B. Broad- head, secretary.

The work performed by the Relief Soci- ety of Butler in connection with the epi- demic of typhoid fever was of such great importance and so effective in its results as to play a very important part in secur- ing the rapid abatement of the disease as

well as relieving suffering and want. The work was of such magnitude that the de- tails cannot be given here. The manner in which the affairs of the Relief Society were administered testify eloquently to the intelligence and integrity and the un- selfishness of those who devoted both of their time and substance to the relief of the stricken fellow towns-people.

Nor should the personal sacrifices of in- dividuals be passed unnoticed. Dr. John E. Byers, county medical inspector, had an extensive practice in Butler. While vis- iting a fever patient in January, 1904, he was stricken with cerebral hemorrhage and died in a few hours. Dr. William H. Brown contracted a disease from exposure during the winter that caused his death in June, 1905. Miss Gertrude Vanderlin, daughter of Attorney J. C. Vanderlin, of Butler, who was one of the first volunteer nurses, attended a poor family where there were four children ill with fever. She became infected with the disease and died in December when the epidemic was at its height. For performing deeds of valor on the field of battle and in time of war, men and women have had their names written on marble and bronze. The men and women who faced the Grim Reaper during the long weeks of the epidemic, nursing the sick and comforting the dying to be themselves stricken and finally give up their lives, are of heroic mould, and their memories will long be cherished by a grateful people. Of them it can be writ- ten: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

BUTLER COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL.

The movement to build a hospital in Butler as a public charity and also for the care of private cases, had its inception in the fall of 1896. The deaths of two young men from fever under circumstances that were particularly sad, and a number of serious railroad accidents of the previous

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summer, attracted public attention to the matter of taking care of the sick strangers in our midst and enlisted the sympathies of the women of the town who were en- gaged in charitable work. As in every good cause, the women were the first to make a move. Mrs. Elizabeth McCandless, now deceased, Mrs. Harriet Cooper and Mrs. T. J. Steen prepared a letter setting forth the needs of the town, which they sent to An- drew Carnegie, and was the means of se- curing from him the promise of a check for $1,500.00 for the building of a hospital whenever the people of Butler showed their good faith by affecting an organiza- tion and raising a fund for the enterprise. Following this a meeting of the women of the town who were interested in the hospi- tal movement was held in the Y. M. C. A. building on November 17, 1896, at which Mrs. W. D. Brandon presided, with Mrs. C. E. Herr as secretary. This meeting was attended by about eighty women, rep- resenting all of the churches of the town, and the various women's societies. Mrs. M. S. Templeton, Mrs. J. B. Black, and Mrs. W. C. Thompson were appointed a committee to prepare a constitution and by-laws, and present them for adoption at the next meeting.

At a meeting held on the 24th of Novem- ber a regular organization was affected by the election of Mrs. W. D. Brandon, presi- dent; Mrs. J. S. McKee, vice-president; Mrs. C. E. Herr, secretary ; and Mrs. John S. Campbell, treasurer. A committee on finance was appointed consisting of Mrs. John S. Campbell, president; Mrs. N. B. Jacobs, Mrs. R. P. Scott, Mrs. William Aland, Mrs. J. V. Ritts, Mrs. William Cooper, Mrs. H. W. Christie, Mrs. Alfred Wick, Mrs. W. C. Thompson, Mrs. A. W. Mccullough, Miss Allie Collins, and Miss Mary McKee.

At the same time a board of manage- ment was elected, consisting of two repre- sentatives from each of the churches in the town. This board was as follows:

Baptist Church-Mrs. W. H. Collins.

St. Paul's Catholic Church - Mrs. Charles Duffy, Mrs. Joseph Vanderlin.

St. Peter's Catholic Church - Mrs. Harry Grieb, Mrs. William Aland.

Church of God-Mrs. J. W. Davis.

Grace Lutheran Church-Mrs. Eli Mil- ler.

Free Methodist Church-Mrs. L. C. Wick.

First Presbyterian Church-Mrs. D. B. Campbell, Mrs. R. C. McAboy.

United Presbyterian Church-Mrs. Jos. L. Purvis, Mrs. R. H. Pillow.

St. Peter's Episcopal Church-Mrs. J. B. Black.

First English Lutheran Church-Miss Lena Reiber, and Mrs. Elizabeth Smith.

St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church -Mrs. Theodore Vogeley, and Mrs. Jacob Lawall.

Bethany Reformed Church-Mrs. T. Klingensmith.

St. Paul's Reformed Church-Mrs. D. N. Harnish.

Members at large-Miss Isabelle White, Mrs. J. M. Greer, Mrs. J. H. De Wolf, Mrs. J. S. McKee, Mrs. J. Henry Troutman, Mrs. J. S. Campbell, Mrs. Chas. E. Herr.

Committee on site - Mrs. J. Henry Troutman, Mrs. R. C. McAboy, and Mrs. L. O. Purvis.

The title adopted was the Ladies' Hospi- tal Association.

There have been few changes in the offi- cers of the association since its first organ- ization. Mrs. R. P. Scott was appointed donation secretary after the hospital was opened, and Mrs. J. B. Black succeeded Mrs. C. E. Herr as recording secretary. In 1908 the association had over fifty mem- bers who were working for the interests of the hospital through the various commit- tees. The officers were as follows:

President, Mrs. J. Henry Troutman; vice-president, Mrs. C. G. Christie; dona- tion secretary, Mrs. B. C. Huselton; re- cording secretary, Mrs. J. B. Black.

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The following committees were fully or- ganized and doing excellent work:

Executive committee: Mrs. R. C. Mc- Aboy, Mrs. R. P. Scott, Miss Isabel White.

Purchasing committee: Mrs. R. C. Mc- Aboy, Mrs. N. M. Hoover, Mrs. W. D. Brandon.

Entertainment committee: Mrs. Jno. S. Campbell, Mrs. R. P. Scott, Mrs. C. N. Boyd.

Flower committee: Mrs. W. H. Goeh- ring, Mrs. W. C. Thompson, Mrs. Frank Beidenbach, Mrs. W. H. Miller, Mrs. J. B. Black, Miss Anna White.

Needle-work committee: Miss Isabel White, Mrs. Louis B. Stein, Mrs. Chas. E. Herr, Mrs. T. C. Campbell, Mrs. Alfred Wick, Mrs. J. D. McJunkin, Mrs. Jas. Hey- drick, Mrs. W. H. Heydrick, and Miss Allie Harper.

The first advisory board consisted of L. O. Purvis, John S. Campbell, Alfred Wick, Joseph Hartman, J. M. Galbreath, W. T. Mechling, Dr. A. M. Neyman, L. R. Schmertz, and Daniel Younkins.

In January, 1897, a joint meeting of the Ladies' Hospital Association, the advisory board, and others interested in the project was held in the Y. M. C. A. Building at which an organization was formed, the object of which was to maintain a general hospital, as a public charity at Butler, Pennsylvania, to be known as "The Butler County General Hospital." In order to carry out the purposes and object of the corporation, it was decided to apply for a charter, which was granted on the 18th day of January, 1897, and the following board of directors was named for the first year: William T. Mechling, president; Thos. J. Shufflin, vice-president; J. V. Ritts, treasurer; A. E. Reiber, secretary ; - and L. O. Purvis, Amos Steelsmith, Jos. W. Aland, Watt Tait, L. R. Schmertz, Mrs. Theodore Vogeley, Mrs. C. D. Green- lee, Mrs. N. M. Hoover, Mrs. T. J. Steen, Mrs. Harry Grieb, Mrs. J. Henry Trout- man.

In addition to the above directory, the following committees were appointed: Ex- ecutive committee, A. E. Reiber, W. F. Tait, Amos Steelsmith, Mrs. J. Henry Troutman, Mrs. N. M. Hoover.

Finance committee, J. V. Ritts, L. R. Schmertz, T. J. Shufflin, Mrs. C. D. Green- lee, Mrs. T. J. Steen.

Auditing committee, Jos. W. Aland, Mrs. Theodore Vogeley, Mrs. Harry Grieb.

Building committee, L. O. Purvis, A. E. Reiber, Mrs. J. H. Troutman.

At the annual meeting held on January 20, 1898, the above named committees were continued, and in 1899 T. J. Shufflin suc- ceeded W. T. Mechling as president, and Mrs. J. Henry Troutman was elected presi- dent. The secretary and treasurer were continued. There were no changes in offi- cials until the annual meeting of 1901, when W. F. Rumberger was chosen secre- tary to succeed Mr. Reiber. In July, 1905, Mr. Rumberger resigned as secretary and L. B. Stein acted as secretary until the an- nual meeting in 1906, when Jos. W. Aland was elected.

In 1908 the board of directors consisted of T. J. Shufflin, president; Mrs. J. H. Troutman, vice-president; Louis B. Stein, treasurer; Jos. W. Aland, secretary; and Miss Isabella White, Mrs. N. M. Hoover, Mrs. J. S. Campbell, Capt. Thos. Hays, A. E. Reiber, J. V. Ritts, L. S. McJunkin, and M. F. Wright.

In 1897 the building committee secured a site from the John Muntz estate south of the Connoquenessing Creek at the foot of Main Street, and the contract was let for a two-story brick building that would meet the needs of the time. The building was erected and equipped at a cost of about $25,000. With the exception of the dona- tion made by Andrew Carnegie, the money for this purpose was contributed by the people of Butler and Butler County. For several years after the hospital was opened it was maintained by the benevo- lence of the people of the community, but

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in 1902 State aid was secured and the leg- islature of 1907 made an appropriation of $10,000 for building purposes, and a sim- ilar amount for maintenance for the two succeeding years.

When the building was ready for occu- pancy the Masonic order of Butler fur- nished and equipped the dining-room, and the four private rooms were furnished by the B. P. O. E., the Woodmen of the World, the I. O. O. F., and the C. M. B. A., respectively.

The hospital takes a leading rank among the public institutions of the State, and has performed a noble work in the community. During the typhoid fever epidemic of the winter of 1903-4 the institution received and cared for sixty-five patients from No- vember until the first of March. At the time of the explosion at the carwheel foun- dry on the night of October 8, 1907, forty- one of the victims were taken to the hospi- tal and properly cared for, although the capacity of the institution was only twenty beds.

On the anniversary of this catastrophe in October, 1908, the Standard Steel Car Company through their treasurer, Mr. Gil- lespie, sent the Hospital Association a check for $5,000 as a donation in apprecia- tion of the services rendered at the time of the accident at the mill.

The first matron and superintendent of the hospital was Miss Emma Walker; she was succeeded by Miss Emma Limberg; and Mrs. A. M. Reinhardt, the present superintendent, came to the institution in November, 1902. Miss Cook and Miss Anderson filled the position of matron for short periods during 1901 and 1902.

THE NURSES' TRAINING SCHOOL.

The training school for nurses was es- tablished in 1901, and the first class was graduated in 1903. The graduates that year were Miss Elizabeth Ammon, and

Miss Lue Donaldson. The latter died dur- ing the winter of the epidemic in Butler.

The class of 1904 was composed of Miss Anna Pifer, Mrs. Jennie Murphy, Miss Mabel Campbell, and Miss Florence Hal- derman.

The class of 1905 consisted of Miss Jes- sie Ray, Miss Amy Pifer, and Miss Sara Kline.

The class of 1906 was composed of Miss Margaret Walter, Miss Susan Borford, Miss Carrie Kline, Miss Stella Campbell, Miss Emma Fuhrer, Miss Rachel Zufall, Miss May Soper. The class of 1907 was composed of Miss Anna Brown, Miss Alice McQuillan, Miss Stella Gilson, Miss Rose Whitney and Miss Phoebe Pasch.

Eleven nurses were in training in 1908 of whom five were on probation.

The alumni association was formed in October, 1908, with eleven members and the following officers: Mrs. Jennie Mur- phy, president; Miss Florence Halderman, secretary ; Miss Amy Pifer, treasurer; and Miss Stella Campbell, vice-president.

The official staff of the hospital in 1908 was composed of Mrs. A. M. Reinhardt, superintendent; Miss M. E. Foster, head nurse; Miss Ruth Woodworth, dietician; and Miss Margaret Annaeker, of Pittsburg instructor in massage.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 48

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1526

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1526