Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-12
era wArER SUPPLY.
The Wafer Furnished 90 seattle ey ne
Various Companies. and the Pretse.
ttsu Afforded the city Against Fire.

since the first effort was made 70 af
ford supply Of water 70 the city Of Sc
attic by the construction Of the Yeslel
& Terry water works, more than ter
years ago, tbs fa-ilities for afording q
reliable and plentiful supply Of vatel
have steadily been increased. until To-
day il Is safe 10 say that no other city
Of the size of Seattle IN the UniteC
States is better situated In this regard
At first the springs, which aboanded IL
the hills back of the city, we're drawn
on for a supply, bat as the city incrsas-
ed Ia size il became evident that some
more extensive reservoir vas necessary
and the Spring Hill Water Company
accordingly extended its system TO Laks
Washington and secured a supply which
can be depended upon forever.
This work has been carried on By a
number Of companies, and competition
has done much 90 enhance the cheap
ness and effectiveness OF the service
Ihe various systems do not conhne
themselves to particular portions of the
city, except IN a general way, and II
most localities accordingly the people
are enabled to choose from among three
or four different systems and to secure
water suoh a. will exactly suit theil
tastes.
THe Yesler aud Terry water works
the fret established, draws its supply
from springs situated back of the cen
trail portion Of the city. The water ID
cont aimed IN = number of tanks stu
ated IN various localities, the two largest
being on James street, near Fifth
From these the principal main runs
down James street and supplies all the
lower ana business portion of the city
This system il capable of furnishing
10000 gallons per day.
The Denny and McCoombs syste u
also draws its supply from sprin1s be-
tween the city and Lake Washington.
Its territory is somewhat to the north OF
the Yesler system, the main tank. a very
large one. being situated at Ninth aud
Union streets, the principal main run
ming tnence down Union street to
Front. A supply of 10000 gallons pei
day 10 afforded.
Harrington Il Smiths system (tke
COppin) ~ designed to supply the upper
portion of the city. The tanks and
buildings are situated at Columbia and
Ninth streets, where there is a stand
pipe. A sufficient head of water ia OBJ
tanned To supply the houses on Ninth
street and below. This water also il
obtained from springs.
The Union system supplies the north,
ern portion of the city. ITS tanks being
situated on the bills in the vicinity OF
Lake Union. The springs from which
the water supply is obtained are also in
this vicinity. The mains of this system
run along Pike street and the streets
north from Pike. including Front, and
taking in Belltown.
The system of the Spring Hill Water
Company, however, Is far IN advance OF
the others. beth In the completeness OF
its works aud the amount of watel
which il ia capable of furnishing daily.
This system is yet in an uncompleted
state, the intention being to have il
eventually extend throughout the city
At present, however, 1t has not been
extended beyoad the lower and central
portions. The water is pumped from
Lake Washington by Dow's pumping
engine, with a capacity of 500, 600 gal.
Ions ia twenty-four houra. Ii is punped
into two tanks of a capacity of 200, 00(
Qallous, situated at Twelfth and Pike
streets, at an elevation of l72 feet
When the tanks are full the pressure is
equal to that attained by an elevation OF
$50 feet, being Is pounds to the square
inch on the mains along Front street
and GO pounds pressure on the Second
street main. A third tank is BEING con.
structed in the rear of DIR. Minors new
residence at Twelfth and Columbia
streets. This will have a capacity OF
$4,000 gallons, which will be sufficieu,
to supply the demand for water on the
hill and for use a. fire reserve. The
elevation OF this third tank above NEAR
tide is 365 feet. The supply for that
also will be from Lake Washington
A pressure valve will be inserted in the
main at the corner of Lane and Eiev
enth streets la order to prevent tae
pressure from being too great on the
mains in the lower streets. In Case of
any necessity arising, as a large fire
this valve can be opened and pressure
of l50 pounds to the square inch in the
lower portions of the city obtained.
Another branch of the subject natur
ally arises here; that is, the organiza-
lioa Of the Fire Department, and the
means taken TO properly utilize this
magnificent water power in ease of ne.
cessity Here again Seattle people may
show pride, the more so because all i'm.
provement IN this direction has taken
place within the last five or six wears.
fhe city owns two Gou Id fire engines,
one No. 2 and one No. 3, which cost in
the neighborhood of 5000; first class
hand engine, which cost $500; hook
and ladder truck which cost $3.50; four
hose carriages, which cost $500 each;
and 25Oc feet Of hose. Besides these,
tue Columbia and Puget Sound Rail
road Company possess very powerful
engine, which is always at the disposal
OF the city in case of necessity. Ii is
the design TO mount this engine on a
platform ear. so that it can be run up
and Down the track along the city
front. Its suction is sufficiently power
fui to allow II TO draw water from the
bay at any point on the railroad track
This apparatus 10 manned by three
engine companies aud enc hook and
ladder company. Engine Company No.
has q membership of about thirty, No.
Of about forty, the hook and ladder
company of forty-six, and the Lake
Union company, which mans the hand
engine, of about thirty five. A large
company il also in existence in Bell
town, but it has not yet been provided
with apparatus. The companies work
harmoniously together under the gen.
eral direction of Chief Gardner KELLOGG.
The city also possesses brick engine
houses, which cost in the aggregate
$4,000. Tue City Council has made
arrangements for horses for each en-
gine to be stabbed at the engine houses,
where there are also sleeping apart
ments for SIX men. Two excellent in
ciines have been constructed, from
which the engines can pump water froan
the bay at the lowest tide. There are
fire cisterns located a. follows: One
holding over 5000 gallons at the cor
ner of Battery and Third streets, one
holding 5000 gallons on the corner Of
Cherry and Third streets, one holding
$1,000 gallons AZ the corner of Cherry
and Front streets, one at Mill and Com
mercial holding 1850 gallons, and ore
st Commercial aud Main holding 80 0oC
gallons.
A contract has been entered into with
the Spring Hill Water Company TO sup
ply twenty IRE plugs. some of which are
already in place. From each of thes<
two streams of water can be throvp