Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-27
BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
ANOTHER REPORT UPON NOUN.
TAIN WATER.
Condition of China SIough-What
the Drainage Pipe has Done for
it-Artesian WeIis-Etc.

N-arteSlan w ellS-btc.
The Board of City Trustees met at II
A. NJ. yesterday, all the members present.
| 7. G. Churchman, who has been boring
the artesian well at the Exposition build
ing, reported that it was down to depth Of
220 feet. No water of any consequence had
been discovered since depth of thirty-six
feet was passed. At its lowest depth the
well is in strata of hard pan and black
sand. The water found in the well appears
to be strongly impregnated with copper,
so much so that the ropes and machinery
are coated with kind of verdigris. The
water is poisonous, both to animal and
vegetable growths, and he recommended
the abandonment of further sinking.
Trustees Nielsen and Jones submitted a
lengthy report upon the water right Of the
California Water Company on the George
town Divide, in Ell Dorado county, to-
gether with a description of Loon Lake,
and their water bitches. They say they
are aware that their report is not as
complete or valuable as would have been,
the year. They depended largely upon
information derived from residents of that
ectiOn but, owing to its sparse settle
ment but little such information was
gained. iii is intended to get water from
that source, they recommend more thor
ough examination.
They left Sacramento at noon of Septem-
Der 3Oth, and arrived the same evening
at Georgetown. Thomas Findley, the
Superintendent and Manager of the water
company acted as their guide over the
bitches throughout the mountains for the
three following days. Loon Lake we
found to be a considerable body of very good
water, perfectly clear, and having every APP
pearance of being pure. In fact, it would
be almost impossible for it TO be
otherwise, being annually refilled by
the drainage from a rough, rocky.
mountainous country. The bed
and shores of the lake are generally rocky
and clean. The depth of the water in the
lake is considerable, but not known to us.
About ten feet in depth of the water has
been drawn off the present season. The
temperature of the water, at the time of
our visit, was $50 Fahrenheit. The eleva-
ton of the lake is about 5000 feet above
the level of the sea. Some timber should
be removed from the outer edge of the
lake, providing the water is to be used in
this city. We were unable, from the linn
tied time, to reach the outlet or learn much
of the facilities for increasing its storage ca
pacity, or to ascertain how near the pres
ent years supply is exhausted. The water
is dropped into Gurley creek, and follows
its rocky bed for several miles, from which
it is taken up and carried in a canal across
a divide, and we first strike it on the road
to the lake ut a short distance from
the Little South Fork of the Mid
die Fork of the American river.
and to all appearances pure. The eieva-
ton at this point is over 5000 feet. Sew
eral miles below tunnel takes the water
through a divide and drops it into Pilot
creek. Here the water still is equally good,
to all appearances, as at the fountain head.
Ii follows Pilot creek for several miles. a
dam in Pilot creek divides the water. part
of it following the channel of the stream,
the other being diverted and carried down
on the top of the divide to Georgetown. At
Forney's, a short distance above George
town, the water tasted inferior to that at
the fountain head. We could not ascertain
what caused the water to be inferior at that
point, but probably q thorough search
would reveal the cause. At Sand Mount
ain the water is good" They recommend
that in case of the water being used for do
meStic purposes the canal should be fenced,
in the sections where cattle and sheep are
pastured. Just above Georgetown the wa
ter was not entirely clear, owing, as it was
explained to them. to repairs that were in
progress on the ditch.
The balance of the report was a descrip-
ton Of the smaller reservoirs and canals
below Georgetown.
They complete their report by saying
81 Hol IN, 70, lD+o
quality of water as we desire and such as
we should demand before consenting 10
any change, the water should be
brought in iron pipes from point high up
in the mountains above any pollution
above any Objectionable surface water"
They thought Tunnel Hill about the
proper point to pipe from. We realize
that the plan decided upon now will affect
Sacramento for good or for i'll for many
years to come, and we desire no change
until it shall be decidedly for the better
H. C. Wolf, engineer Of the water works,
reported for last week as follows Hours
machinery was in motion, 1861 gallons of
water pumped, %, 70S,000.
Resolutions of intention were passed for
the construction of sewer in the alley
between | and J from Third to Fourth
street, and also to have the alley between
Front and Second, from to X, improved
by paving with cobbles, constructing red
wood curbing, etc
The deed of Gabriel HAYNES for lots l,
,, ,, in China slough for $500 to the city
was accepted, the bill allowed and the
Clerk requested to have the instrument
recorded.
J. Keipper appeared before the Board
and objected to changing his sidewalk on
X street, between Fourteenth and Fiji
teenth. He said some two years ago he
had built one according to stakes set by the
City Surveyor, and he thought that ought
to be sufficient. The matter was referred
to the Street Commissioner with power to
act.
Matthew Cooke, who was present. was
told to proceed whenever he was ready to
wage war against the white cottOny cushion
scale that was attacking trees and shrubs,
especially citrus trees, in this city, and
they would pay him for his labor to the
extent of 5000, as was guaranteed at a pre-
viOus meeting held at the Court house.
The Trustees took occasion to severely
criticise an article that appeared in the
evening paper, some days since, which re-
Elected upon their official conduct saving
" that they spent a large sum of the peoples
money for the purpose of giving pr0mi-
nent Democratic politician employment"
The Trustees contelded that the result Of
the work complained of had been most
beneficial to the health of the community,
and the money was well expended, the
newspaper article referred to notwithstand-
ing They thought it were better if the
paper in question would do something for
Sacramento, instead of saying things to her
detriment
Tie Health Officer was called upon to
state what he knew about the China Slough
drain, and his reply was that it had puri-
fed the slough to such an extent that much
of the nuisance complained of had been
abated thereby. Since he had been Health
Officer the slough had never been so pure as
at present, fact he could account for in no
other way except that the drainage-pipe had
drawn off so much of the impure water,
that what was left was so visibly affected
by the living springs in the lake that it be-
came to all intents and purposes pure also.
" It was, also" the Mayor remarked, the
verdict of the several hundred laborers
who crossed the Third-street bridge daily,
that the pipe had done all that was claimed
for it and more"
As to putting in new sewers in the eastern
portion of the city. the Trustees thought it
folly TO do so until the Shone system was
thoroughly tested, which would be done
before spring. If that worked as well as it
is - ho