Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-12-11
TEsDAY MORNING, DECEMBER IL, 1883.

! expense of removing the pump and por-
| non OF the main outside of Thirty-first
street to other localities.
THE chances of failure in the supply have
| been carefully considered by the commit
tee and they have had in evidence the
| facts deduced from those persons who are
best qualified to judge of such matters
| from personal experience. Ali these agree
| that no diminution of supply has been no.
ticed in the wells Of this particular region
| even when powerful pumps are run at full
capacity. Mr.. Williamson stated to your
committee that he has regularly pumped
| from his two wells as much each day as one
third OF the water used in Sacramento City;
| they had been in operation four years, and
the supply appear ed to increase rather than
| diminish.
The cost will be nominal, not consider
able. Governor Booth says the well on his
place can be used for experiment. The
city and county owns land that is available.
The proprietors of Oak Park offer to donate
two blocks in a direct line for experimental
or permanent use. Mr.. williamson s propo-
sition made to the Association is good
| and reasonable one.
DIR. W. A. BRIGGS
Said he had talked SO much upon the
| question that it bad become quite a
chestnut, and he was not prepared
10 present anything new. The analysis
made OF the well water by John Eitel,
whom all regard as a competent analyst,
was to the effect that it was equal to Sacra-
mento river water at its best, with one ex-
cebhon : slight increase of hardness, very
slight. The water in the Williamson, Gov
ernor Booth and County Hospital wells is
all from the same strata-Clear, sparkling,
of pleasant flavor, not fiat, and sufficiently
impregnated with gases to be palatable.
| The temperature is about go, and varies
little, if any, throughout the year. For
| every purpose it is fully equal to Sacra-
| mento river water after the latter is filtered,
except as to hardness, but it would be
| classed as very soft water. There is no
| question as to its quality nor as to its guam
hty. DIR. Simmons suggestions, if carried
| out, would solve the question once for all
| and cheaply.
V. S. MCLATCHY
| Said he believed. from what he could learn,
| that better force and a larger supply
could be obtained near the city than on the
Ridge.
J. o. COLEMAN
| Said II. G. Smith, who was absent from
the city, had consented to make present
to the city of sufficient land on his ranch
east of the city for water works. 1t could
be selected on that portion nearest the city.
He had recently sunk well on this place,
and found an inexhaustible quantity as
good, clear, pure and sparkling water as
could be found anywhere in the State.
MOUNTAIN WATER
Some one suggested that the well water
| came from the American river Dr. Briggs
said he thought this mistake. The bed
OF the American was so thoroughly filled
with fine debris that this would appear to
| be impossible. At Meister's, near the river,
| they had to sink 200 feet to find the same
| strata which was reached at depth of 140
at Williamson's, on the Ridge
VS.. McClatchy said he was sure the
Sanborn wells did not hsve their source in
the American, for the flow was five feet
| above the level of the river.
E. F. AIKEN
Said that this was question that had been
| discussed scores of times. Eighteen wears
ago the medical faculty of this city went
out to his fruit farm, Glen Gardens, some
two miles east of the corporate limits, to
sample the water. Among the medical
gentlemen composing the party be remem.
bered Drs Harkness, Oatman and Phelan
At that time he had ten wells on mis- place.
On one steam pump was used which
threw an enormous amount of water with
|
| supply. They tested the water with acids,
! they took some of it home for analysis,
| and he, i'll accordance with their request,
| brought In a quantity of it the next day.
| They were pleased with it, and pronounced
| 1t pure. Atthe present time he has sixteen
| wells, some of them lis feet in depth In
| boring he went through several different
stratas and gets an inexhaustible supply.
He had used large pump with all eight
horse power engine in these wells and
never could lower the water the least; the
supply apparently was inexhaustible. On
his highest land the water comes to within
nine feet of the surface and within eight
feet on the lowest. Il look upon Burns
| slough" said he "as a natural spring. 1t
rises in August and September all the way
| from ten to seventeen inches before a drop
| OF rain falls and when the river is at its
| lowest stage. One well on the edge of the
| slough is 260 feet in depth and the flow is
six feet above the water in the slough. l
| think that TO go from the slough, you go
from the source of supply. l think this
water comes from a natural underground
river. The slough water comes up through
| the crevices. The fact of boring wells lets
| the water up more freely than it would
| otherwise come. The water level in those
wells is three or four feet above the high
4
think, were made by the engineers in
doing levee and railroad work. If
| the citizens so desire. | am sure
they can get an opportunity to obtain
water in that locality for a nominal figure.
| The railroad runs out there so that sup
plies could be hauled at little cost. My
idea is to sink a large sized shaft down as
far as possible and then bore wells in the
bottom. The shaft will act as reservoir.
If the test is made there the reservoir will
be at and on the surface, and it will be a
half mile nearer the Plaza than the Will
| hanson wells, saving that much piping.
From East Park ont you can get flowing
wells and they can test on my land for one
dollar"
TRUSTEE WOLF
Said he came to listen and gain informa-
ton, and not to talk and give suggestions.
There was no question but what more
| pumps were necessary, and in a few years,
owing to the rapid growth of the city, the
mains would all have to be enlarged. The
present demand for an increased water
supply makes the demand for a new pump
a necessity. In the summer season the
present supply was inadequate, and if an
accident should happen TO the machinery
there would be no supply at all.
JUDGE H. o. BEATTY
Salu ne had been investigating this ques-
ton most thoroughly. For the last three
or four weeks one pump was found to be
quite enough to furnish the water for do
mestic purposes.
He spoke for over half an hour and gave
the workings of the two pumps, their ca
pacity, and stated that Sacramento wasted
more water than she legitimately used.
The pumps had capacity enough, but the
mains were too small. The suction pipe
was also too small and had too
many elbows and turns in it. If these
were Strengthened and enlarged, the present
pumps could furnish double the amount of
water. He made many practical sugges-
tions. He compared the consumption of
water per capita, and showed that il should
be reduced to al least one-half. One of the
greatest wastes was in allowing constant
streams to run through water-closets. an
absolute and absurd waste of water. If the
pipes were enlarged, in his opinion it would
do away with all the difficulty. and
the present plant would be sufficient for
some years to come. He thought that SAC. 600
ought to be enough to put in the plant and
put down the mains for the experimental
pump. This money he said could be OBJ
tained from the Funded Debt Commission
at four per cent, and explained how the
loan could be made. He recommended