The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-07-13
SEATTLE WATER SUPPLY.
An Open Letter.


To ,hc City Council and C.tissaS OF Sc.
attic:
The undersigned. a Committee ap,
pointed by toe King County Canal and
Manufacturing Company. take this
method Of ealing your attention to the
objects Of said company, and to 4 mate
ter IN which ali the inhabitants Of this
growing eity are deeply interested.
In April. 1880. the King County Ca
'aal and Manufacturing Company was
incorporated under the laws of the
Territory. having two important ob-
leots In view.
1t, The cutting OF canal between
Lake Union and Lake Washington anc
opening up the outlet between Lake
Union and Salmon Bay, thereby giving
water communication between the
Sound and these lakes, aud by which
means large body OF overfowed lands
would be reclaimed, thereby adding
largely TO the wealth OF King County.
ID. The said company wss also In.
ccrporsted for the purpose of supplying
the City of Seattle with pure water.
Our plan is simply this: By cutting
the canal between the two lakes aud
opening the channel from Lake Union
to Salmon Bay, we will cause the water
of Cedar river, one of the purest noun.
tain streams in this Territory. to flow
into these lakes. thereby keeping the
water Thereof perpetually fresh and
pure. We then propose to adopt the
Holly system of water wJrsa to bring
this water into the c,ty of Seattle. To
carry on this enterprise will require an
ortlay of capital of not less than one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Under the charter the city Of Seattle
may authorize such company as we
represent to build water works and
furnish The city and inhabitants with a
sufficient supply of water. No portion
of the city except that benefited by
such works can he taxed for the water
supply. The City Council and the
company are TO fix the water rent to be
charged to individuals. The city can
grant the right 10 construct and operate
water works for the period Of twenty
five years. We have asked the city to
confer upon our company that right.
With this franchise we will be able not
only 70 supply the city with pure wa
ter, but also tn construct the canal
which all regard as a public necessity.
The city and inhabitants cannot be
taxed in any way for the construction
of these works. They are to pay for
nothing until the company actually
supplies the city with sufficiently
quantity of pure water.
The compensation to be paid is fixed.
definite and certain, and not left to the
will of the company or the uncertain
action of board of arbitrators. The
rights of companies and persons now
supplying water Ia the city. or their
right to supply themselves from other
sources are carefully protected and
guarded. as will be seen FROM the ex-
animation of sections 3 and ii of the
proposed ordinance,
The annual compensation fixed for
supplying the city with water for
municipal purposes does not exceed
that now annually expended in keeping
up incliues and fire cisterns and fire
engines. The benefits conferred are
more than one hundred fold greater
In the single item of insurance more
will be saved annually to the inhabit-
ants OF the city than the compensation
10 be paid to the company.
For the sanitary welfare of the city
water is now required which cannot be
Supplied under the present system.
While the moneyed consideration is an
important one. we should not forget
that the health of the citizens is above
that. We believe our proposition is q
fair one. Our company is composed Of
some of the most responsible men in
King county. We wait the people to
know what we ask before they grant
this privilege or pass on the merits of
our proposition, and hence we call your
attention to the following ordinance,
which will be laid before the Council
at an early day. and ask you to give it
careful consideration. We will be
pleased to receive from any of our citi-
zens further Suggestions on this i'm )or-
tant subject.
Respectfully.