The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-05-17
!. q q vva,,t, of .water,..f

sl
~ a wsrst or Water siffos
THE WATER Suppl Z AND spE TEL
& anrAs LAKES OF THE NEvADA--PE crLIARl-
TINS or THE DIsY SEASON no a FWATE sls
sNppkY ts ATTAIsABEE, &C. ~ St1tss.sii.i
lt'.s rcortresnpndenee of The Baltimore Sum-
s.s 2FRascrsccp. May i B. - San Francisco
10 1 'arratlv exercfsed with thebduestion OF
water supply. I, Every surfnce stream ON
fhis peninsufa,' and convenient OF access pc
yond. is in possession Of the monopoiists,
who make extraord binary charges, and nave
yearly litigation with the city. The supply
| il scant for: our two hundred and fifty thol-
sand people, and the quality is not sooa.
Dufin q RaIston's lifetime there was scheme.
toring the city into buying the stock atthree
times it's yaiue--say ten millions aor3What
cost three, Various explorations result III
| theeconyictipn that the only reliable sup
niy must come from the great lakes on
the summit of the Nevadas, two hundfea
miles away, involving a cost Of twelve MIL
lions. Nothing so misguides as the incllha-
ton 10 careful inquiry rs TO "noW Iiei w
things East Geologic philosophers caii-
not Gail to see that the natural water system
of California differs so essentially is 10 ~
qaire rejection OF all eastern MODES uau :
ramnlote change of line in our researches.
10 our mind no maritime city has within
Shorter distances supplies OF extra superior
xyater In greater abundance than in San
Francisco. Strangers cannot see It. They!
see in Summer only little threads OF
water. dry creeks "-by the score, feay-
mo here and there shallow pools and
stornant. rounded stones and steep graVel
honks suggestive OF antediuyian TlYcrs
They notice but one river spoken Oh
the Sacramento, and one branch OF Inc same
the San Joachim pronounced san Naukln).
They find them navigable only by nat-pol,
toned steamboats,, that stick fast anu spenu
many an hour in devices TO get atioat. M,
tmroilv they think this is the worst watered
. country on the globe. How can people i've!
siy months. and often eight, and no rain
All. I see: with gold and silver plenty you
buy your food.
If il be in July this is confirmed. Harvest
= over and the landscape, without Dlade
NJ GRASS. looks parched and barren. over
,ybeImed with surprise he may not observe
the well-stuffed sacks piled over the barren
land. "It can't be grain, because 1t Woui1I
not be so exposed" After a while ne VIII
be puzzled to see orchards I'll alive and COW
ercd more richly ,With fruit than usual.
VINEYARDS DER the rolling lands glisteninS
with polished green and bearing heavier
clusters OF grapes tlIan he ever
saw or heard OF. cob! I undstand
that. 1t is simple enough. 1t is irri-
ration.'' On review he sees no water,
no irritating bitches. The WINNER smiles
and saws s'My dear sir, these vines havn,t
tasted a drop OF water, not Il sprinkle OF
rain, from the opening bud to this day, nor
will they till have gathered sure ana
most abundant vintage" ans seems I'M
posing on crcdulitx- and he sets down Can
fornia farmers as frst-class 'stretchers, Dut,
| I, q nlpoSant
remark before departing. 81 canquite I'M
derstand, my friend, how thankful you
would be for good straight down pouring
rain lust at this time" Mortified at the
idea. the vintner replies: "Pray, don't
mention it. Such an untimely visitation
would be the ruin of the country" Sufi-
GENTLY impressed With the conviction that
California is not to be;iudged by other couli-
tries, he is now ready to believe that San
Francisco may he Mrtored by the distant
lakes without the trouble of fetching
stream in canals and aarleducts. .,
The summit of the. Nevadas, two hundred
miles away, and eight thousand feet in
height, is crested with chain OF lakes OF
great depth, and OF many hundred square
miles in area. Between these are many lofty
peaks and deep gorges, where SHOWS take
all summer to melt. More than in other
|
It passes half of the rainfall Of the melting
snow and of the water of every stream to
q regularly constituted system OF subter-
ranean WATERWAYS, through which 1t IS
conducted at no great depth, to the ocean.
EVERYWHERE in the valleys and on the broad
plains artesian watertow is thus cheapiy
got by shallow boring, and deeper
boring would doubtless reveal greater album
dance, with the pressure Of 5000 feet to toss
the water column high above the surface.
Bore almost anywhere in and about San
Francisco, even in the salt marshes, and you
get artesian water. 1t is not too much to
say that quite convenient to San Franaisco,
within its immediate suburbs, and ut depths
unusually shallow. arteslan water for two
millions OF inhabitants will be got at lnsig-
niiicant cost. Then i'll the San Bruno
mountains, which run into town, IS aDun-
dant room for reservoirs.
How strikingly Is illustrated here Hea-
VEINS great law of compensation, by Whlch
even distribution of benetices Is maze
among the children OF men. IL IS 10 protect
from loss by evaporation, where no pre-
Ircipitation gives renewal tor eiSht lnohins'
that creative wisdom WlthdIa"s tne waters
from the surface and puts the rivers under
cover. where they can be got by tapping
when required. Nature having provided
water-works so admirable, and charged
itself to keep them in repair. why shall man
set up needless rivalry? ...
Without any such encouragement the city
of Paris sunk two arterian wells, which
from depts of 1000 to $500 feet threw up
100000 gallons day; and now they are
sinking three more Of larger caibre, count
ing ON 100000 more day. San Fran
Francisco, at one fifth the depth and one
twentieth the cost, can surely realize water
supplies in much greater abundance.
A JUDICIAL CoNFLICT.-Judge Reed, OF
Charleston, S. c., in reply to.a request OF
the bar OF that city to retain his position on
the bench for the full term Of four years, for
which it is claimed he was elected, and not
L. g., +bo no1oral noIitipIaO