The Ghost Stories of the City Reservoir
While typhoid fever rages in Tacoma, the city council struggles to address public panic over rumors of bodies dumped in the water supply.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Councilman Giblett moved at the city council meeting last night that the health officer be instructed to make a thorough investigation of the city water supply to determine if it is the cause of the outbreak of typhoid fever in the city. The motion was seconded by Councilman Hawley and passed unanimously. The matter was brought up at the end of a long session, but Councilman Giblett noted, 'There have been all sorts of rumors circulated about the city water. One story I heard was that the bodies of three dead babies had been found in one of the reservoirs, and the latest story is that the body of a Chinaman was found there.' A petition signed by prominent citizens was presented to the council, urging a rigid investigation of the source of the city's water supply due to seventy cases of typhoid reported in January.
Public trust in municipal infrastructure remains a volatile issue in Tacoma. While today's water quality concerns are more likely to revolve around contaminants like PFAS or aging pipes, this 1904 account highlights how quickly scientific crises devolve into urban legends when communication gaps exist between City Hall and the public.
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