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Marshall O. Leighton

Publications and source records attributed to Marshall O. Leighton.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1907

Pollution of Illinois and Mississippi Rivers by Chicago sewage, a digest of the testimony taken in the case of the State of Missouri v. the State of Illinois and the Sanitary District of Chicago

The testimony taken in the suit of the State of Missouri against the State of Illinois and the sanitary district of Chicago comprises the best symposium on river pollution, its biological and chemical aspects, and its general and special sanitary significance that has ever been assembled. The contentions of both parties to the suit' are supported by the most eminently qualified men in the United States. The evidence presented and the discussions recorded are therefore of unique importance. The final record of testimony occupies 8,000 printed pages, much of which is irrelevant. This digest of testimony is the result of an attempt to recover the valuable material and present it in concise form. A consistent endeavor has been made by the reviewer to eliminate all personal opinions with reference to the issue and to make an impartial presentation of so much of the testimony as in his opinion appears to be relevant and of scientific importance. It will be well to remember in this connection that any digest of so large a volume of testimony must be the result of a final exercise of personal opinion by the reviewer as to those parts which may best be excluded. Naturally opinions will differ on this point; therefore it will be strange if many of those familiar with the case do not find that certain portions of testimony which they consider most important are passed over in this digest without reference. Controversies between counsel, objections to the admission of testimony, legal technicalities and quibbles, badgering cross-examination, and in general all the testimony introduced for purposes of mere corroboration have been disregarded. The object has been to present a faithful statement of the scientific phases of the testimony to the exclusion, if need be, of the legal aspect of the case.

Illinois, Missouri↗
USGS1903

Normal and polluted waters in northeastern United States

In order to properly determine the water resources of a country, and to define the limitations of use which apply to various rivers, it becomes necessary to know the character of the water in' each case. Water is a source of wealth by reason of the uses to which it may be put, and these are dependent to a large extent upon the nature of the water. It follows, then, that for each branch of water utilization there is established a standard to which water must reasonably conform, in order that it may properly fulfill the requirements of the particular case. By reason of their physical features and their artificial development, different rivers may possess characteristics which make them very different in their form or kind of utility. Sewage pollution may destroy every resource of one river, yet may not sensibly affect the value of another. One stream may be highly useful as a source of power; another may be best utilized primarily as a commercial highway; still another may serve as a source of water supply. There are waters which are more valuable as a disposal area for manufacturing refuse than they would be if maintained unpolluted as fishing grounds or ice fields. Therefore a thorough hydrographic investigation should serve to indicate the peculiar uses to which a stream is best applicable, and by it we should be able to determine the normal resource in each case and the damage done by unwise or unlawful procedure. Of especial importance is the fact that the utilization of a river in one State may be so damaging to its purity that the people of another State through which the same river flows may be totally deprived of its use, and, under present conditions, with little if any opportunity for redress. Let us glance briefly at the characteristics that are demanded of waters required for different uses.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1903

The Passaic Flood of 1902

Late in February and early in March, 1902, there occured upon the drainage basin of the Passaic River in northeastern New Jersey the most disastrous flood in the history of the region. Not only was the discharge the largest recorded, but the flood was the most destructive to life and property in the settlements ever known along the valley. In the following pages it is proposed to outline the history of this flood, describe the conditions under which it occurred, give the estimated volume of its discharge, and indicate as well as possible the nature and extent of the damage resulting from it. The data and information embodied in the following report were obtained by personal observation while the flood was in progress and after it had subsided and from various water companies, manufacturers, and residents of the flooded areas. Acknowledgments are especially due to Mr. J. II. Cook, of Paterson, engineer for the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures; to Mr. M. R. Sherred, engineer of the water department of the Newark board of public works; to Mr. R. M. Watson, of Wise & Watson, engineers of Passaic; to Mr. C. C. Vermeule, from whose valuable report on the water supply of New Jersey much data have been taken regarding the physical condition of the watersheds, and to others whose help or suggestions have been of value. As the region under discussion, though comparatively restricted, is an important one owing to its dense population and rapidly increasing industrial development, and as the physical and physiographie conditions governing high-water stages on the Passaic watershed are peculiar, it is deemed necessary for a full understanding of the present flood to describe briefly their most important, features.

New Jersey↗