Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-03-03
Total water surface . .4,6l7

Total water surface 4.6i7
Assuming that this entire surface could be
drawn three feet, it would give 4 total reserve
OF COB millions of cubic feet or over 4, 500 mil
lions of gallons. After exhausting these
lakes in the series of dry years, they would in
the natural order of things, be refilled by
series of wet years. Taking all these matters
into consideration, this project may be pro-
nounced satisfactory as regards the supply OF
water.
The adoption of Vadnais removes the OBJ
lection which applies so much force
| to Phalen, liability to deflement in
the future. The lake may become
an attractive place for summer residences, but
no dense population need ever be looked for IN
its vicinity. A similar remark applies to
Forest Lake. No part of the drainage ground
experiment to this system is ever likely to be
densely populated. The great size of these
reservoirs is also favorable to the freedom OF
the water from another kind of contamination
to which water in reservoirs is table, e., the
marvelously rapid Development, at times, of
certain forms of vegetable growth. In fact, a
kind of fermentation of the water. Great an.
noyance has been experienced on this account
by many cities using reservoirs, especially
Albany, N. Y, and Boston, Mass.
The dam on Gervais creek controlling Vad
nais would be at Little Canada. The conduits
or pipes leading from that point to town might
follow the natural water course to the outlet
of Phalen, and thence the line of the present
supply. This would be quite circutous and
give the line a development of over eight
miles to the corner of Wabashaw and Seventh
streets. Moreover, no use could be made of
the water cOmpany's pipes from Phalen to the
plow works, they not being designed to sus
tain any pressure. l have accordingly looked
for shorter line through the high ground
between the Phalen water course and the val
n q rnr1f hrnn nfi hot fora
animation, that tunnel would be necessary.
| found a remarkable popularity of conforma
ton which admits of the complishment of
this object without tunnel. The water can
be led in an open channel to Sandy Lake, which
is only a mile and half from the city limits
This channel leaves the valley of the creek at
Little Canada, passes through an intervening
ridge, the crest of which is thrty-four feet
high, into Savage Lake, little sheet of water
ten or fifteen acres in area, which it drains,
going nineteen feet below the surface; thence
cuts through narrow ridge thirty eight feet
deep at the summit, and enters marsh which
it follows for 5000 feet, with little or no
cutting, the earth taken from the ridges
forming an embankment; thence cutting
through two low ridges it enters a marsh ad-
joining Sandy Lake.
Sandy Lake contains something like fifty
acres, including the marsh. 1t is surrounded
by high bold shores, and its vicinity is en-
trely uninhabited. 1t has no natural outlet.
An attempt was made several years ago to
draw water from it for mills on the Trout brook
which resulted in the emptying of the lake.
The channel was closed and the lake is partly
refil1ed. Its present surface is twelve feet be-
low that of Vadnais. Toward the south end
the shores approach each other within $50
feet, at the water surface. Here an embank-
ment might be made to raise the water twenty
feet il required, converting the lake into res
ervoir of over 100000 gallons.
From Sandy Lake, the water would have to
be brought to the city in an iron pipe. line
has been surveyed for such pipe. Com
mencing with gate chamber on the up stream
side of the embankment, it lies, for length
of 500 feet, partly in culvert, aud partly in a
cut, in the natural ground, in cutting of
trench below frost. 1t enters Rice street
twenty-five feet maximum depth; thence
it energies into the valley of the
little this side of McCarron's Lake, and fol-
lows it all the way to town, no part OF this
street being higher than Sandy Lake. The
total length of the pipe, TO the Seven Corners,
is $4,000 feet, or about four and quarter
miles. With full reservoir a thirty six inch
pipe would deliver six million gallons day
at a height of 20J feet above the low water
level of the river. Nine millions at 1875 feet
and twelve millions at 1SS feet.
There are two mills on Phalen's Greek, be-
low Phalen Lake, one with a fall of about
thirty feet, the other with something like six
teen. These were in operation when the water
works were commenced. They were never
able to run continuously, the flow of the
stream being usually stopped by the drouth in
the summer, and often by frost in the winter.
/ understand that the owners are entitled, I'M
der their agreement with the company, to draw
from the several reservoirs at will, whenever
they can, that is, while the lakes are high
enough to admit discharge through their nat
ural outlets. The company, of course, exer-
else the right to draw to a lower level, through
their artificial sluices. The mill owners affirm
that the company has not performed its stipu-
lations and have recently commenced suits,
laying damages at something like Sl2O,O0O
The city, on assuming control of these works,
would, of course, take the place of the water
company in relation to the mill owners. The
existence of such rights on the part of the
mill owners would be wholly inconsistent with
the proposed use of Vadnas and Pleasant
Lakes. 1t would, no doubt, be in the power
of the city to offer the mill owners an equally
or more advantageous arrangement, as, after
completion of the works for diversion of Rice
creek, a large quantity of water must run to
waste for many years. AS the wants of the
city increase, however, such rights will be-
come fruitful source of embarrassment and
litigation, and they will ultimately have to be
extinguished. should think it quite proba-
BILE that the power derivable from the stream
on the fall above named, and uEder the eondl-
tions stated, might amount to forty horse
power for hree-fourths of the year. Full
compensation for the loss of this power
would consist of an annual allowance suffi-
Gent to replace it by steam. The cost of steam
power here would probably be about 500 per
annum per horse power. Say SIS for three
fourths of the year, amounting to $1,000 per
annum, the reversion of which at five per cent
is SEC, 600. This may be assumed as the value
of these rights, but as would in the natural
course of things to twelve or fifteen years
before it would be necessary for the water 10 be
withheld from the mills, we may assume that
half this sum, or $1,000, paid down would be
sufficient. Ra
mill has been recently built on Gervais
creek between Gervais and Vadnais lakes. 1t
Is understood to use the water on suffrance,
having no rights as against the water COM
pany, or against the city, should the latter as
sumo the company's liabilities.
If this project is adopted, it would be advisa
BILE for the city to secure, as soon as possbleall
the rights pertaining to the possession and
diversion of the several sources of water as
the multiplication of these rights and their
increase of value will amount to great deal
more than the interest on the outlay.
THE DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM
OF pipes, for conveying the water to all parts
OF the city, would be very much the same
from whatever source the water is obtained;