: The Problem

York set up two teams for digging. Clyde, Patrick, and Beth were one. Rosie’s brothers were the other. One team dug while the other removed the buckets of dirt. Then they switched.

The teams worked together for hours. The trench between the pump and the cesspool grew deep.

Henry and Dr. Snow arrived and were talking together.

Oscar barked at the edge of the hole.

Beth shoveled dirt into her bucket. So did Clyde. But Patrick filled his bucket with dirt first. Then he handed it to one of Rosie’s brothers.

They gave Patrick back the empty bucket and took Clyde’s full bucket.

Beth stuck her shovel into the dirt again. She hit something hard. It was the brick wall of the cesspool. Water trickled from it. A bad smell escaped with the water.

“Mr. York,” Patrick called. “Beth’s found a leak.”

York bent over the hole. Then he hurried down into the trench.

“Clear this away,” he said. He pointed to dirt along the cesspool bricks.

Clyde dug around them.

York easily pulled a brick out of its place. “That’s not good. This wall is falling apart,” he said.

Clyde dug next to the Broad Street well’s brick wall. Some of the bricks had cracks in them.

Beth stuck her shovel into the ground. “Yuck,” she said. “The ground below here is wet.”

York examined the ground. “Water from the cesspool is leaking. Everyone out.”

The children handed their shovels to Rosie’s brothers. They quickly climbed out of the trench.

Clyde said, “Curate Whitehead and Dr. Snow, we found something.”

York called up, “Dirty water from the cesspool has leaked into the clean well water.” He climbed out of the pit too.

Henry and Dr. Snow hurried over to him.

York said, “The leaking cesspool contaminated the pump’s water. I’ll do a few more tests before I send you both a report.” He waved to Henry and Dr. Snow.

“The mystery is solved,” Henry said. “Dr. Snow, I owe you an apology. You were right. The disease was in the water.”

“I don’t need an apology,” Dr. Snow said. “Please tell the leaders of your church about this. Tell everyone who will listen. Then maybe we can stop the next outbreak of cholera.”

“I will,” Henry said. “I will tell a lot of people. We now know how the disease spread. We can help people around here stay healthy.”

Beth turned to Curate Whitehead. She asked, “Did you find the index case?”

“Yes. I found the first person to get sick,” he said.

“Who was it?” Dr. Snow asked.

Henry sighed. “Mrs. Lewis’s baby was the first to die. Mrs. Lewis probably washed the baby’s diapers. Then she threw the water into the cesspool.”

Beth pointed to the trench. “So the diaper water leaked through the bricks into the well water,” she said.

Henry nodded.

Dr. Snow said, “That makes logical sense.”

Clyde gave a low whistle.

Rosie’s brothers did the same.

Oscar barked.

Beth turned to Patrick. He looked sick to his stomach.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I drank water from this pump. And that dirty water has been leaking into the well. Yuck!” Patrick said. “I might get cholera.”

“Wait. The Imagination Station can cure you,” Beth whispered. “We just need to find the first liquid. Then it will reappear.”

Patrick nodded.

Clyde said, “Soon we can put the handle back on the pump.”

“Once the water is completely clean,” Henry said. “That may take some time. But the handle’s return will mark a good day.”

“Did you know Mrs. Lewis’s husband is sick now?” Patrick asked. “She’ll clean his clothes and dump that water into the cesspool too.”

“The leak from this cesspool will start the sickness again,” Dr. Snow said. “Someone needs to report this cesspool. It must be repaired or removed. No one can drink the water. The pump handle needs to stay off for a while.”

“I’ll tell the board,” Henry said. “They will take action.”

“Very well. Goodbye, then,” Dr. Snow said. He waved and left abruptly.

They all watched Dr. Snow hurry away.

“That’s Dr. Snow’s problem,” Clyde said. “He is smart and dedicated. But his abrupt ways do not make him likable.”

“Dr. Snow did figure things out,” Henry said.

“But you will help everyone understand what caused the cholera outbreak,” Patrick said.

“God put the right people in the right place at the right time,” Beth said.

Cholera would stop spreading and people would stop dying, thanks to Dr. Snow. But the people in London would learn about it from Curate Whitehead.

Just then, Old Willie turned the corner onto Broad Street. “I’ve got you now!” he shouted. Two strong men were on either side of him.