The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-28
MORE ABOUT WATER.
What Mayor Armstrong Says of
the City's Artesian Wells.
is THE WATER QUESTION SOLVED ?
The Wells Promise Canal Full of Water
Thomas G. Chapman Talks on Ar
tesian Wells.

The announcement made exclusively in
THE HERALD yesterday morning that the
mayor and city council had at last sue
ceeded in obtaining what promises to be an
ample and permanent water supply for this
city from artesian wells driven on the
banks of the Jordan river near Lehi, was a
delightful surprise to the people Of Salt
Lake, and while there are some doubters as
to the feasibility of the scheme, there were
many who breathed sigh of relief as they
read the news and sat down to dream of a
return of the good old days when this
whole valley was a beautiful green garden,
and when little streams of water trickled
down both sides Of every street in the city.
MAYOR ARMSTRONG INTERVIEWED.
Mayor Armstrong was found at his Office
yesterday afternoon, and approached on
the subject. 81 had intended TO keep the
matter a secret, and had been careful to tell
all about the city hall that it must not get
out; but it seems The HERALD got it in
spite of all precautions. ! don't know
where you got it. but you didn't gel it from
any of US, and ] couldn't prevent your get
ting it from outside sources, but mas
much as it has come out yOu might as well
know all about it."
In answer to his questions, the reporter
was then given the details of the business
as told below:
Mayor Armstrong has had his eye on the
ground in question for months, but there
were those in the council who doubted the
feasibility OF the scheme and it took time to
get their support. II was tired" said the
mayor, "Of paving out big sums of money
and getting no water in return, and [
wanted to try something that was cheap
and at the same time promised hand
some returns" Up to date twenty
six wells have been driven, and
each one throws a stream two or
three feet into the air through a
two-inch pipe, and it gushes up so wildly
that it is impossible to get drink out of
any of them The flow varies from fifty to
one hundred and fifty gallons per minute
from each well, and the combined product
of all
EQUALS THE WHOLE SUPPLY
now flowing into Salt Lake city The city
has purchased strip of land varying from
five to forty rods in width and nearly two
miles long. In starting out, three wells
were driven half mile apart and the
others were afterward driven between
these. The flow varies but little in the
different locations, and there is still much
ground of the same character to draw upon.
If the flow proves permanent-and there
is every reason to believe that it Wilt is
Mayor Armstrong; idea to fiume it say to
the head of the canal; then pipe it to some
high point in or near the city, using large
wooden pipes, where a reservoir may be
cons tructed as the head of another water
works system for the city. The water
flows from the wells at
HEIGHT OF SIXTY FEET
above the level of the city canal at the
head, so that it can be brought into the city
at good elevation, ninety or hundred
feet higher than the Temple block.
When questioned about his idea of the
source of the water that supplies the wells,
the mayor was mum, but he said he was
quite sure that it did not come from Utah
lake. In the first place it is too high and in
the second place the water is too good to
come from that source. The water from
the wells is clear and soft and will prove
better for culinary purposes than that of
City creek.
THE COST OF THE WELLS
is simply trihing, as compared with what
the city has been paying for water. The
depth is from seventy-tive to ninety feet
and the cost of driving is from $40 to Sl5
for each well, the city furnishing the pipe.
Two or three wells can be driven IN day,
so it will not be long before the ground in
LnaJ Vicinity looks Ike q pOLuS pldoICI dlu
good stream will soon be flowing into this
city through the canal. The mayor thinks
that the flow from one hundred wells will
fill the city canal and the work will be
pushed until thatnumber is driven.
NO FEAR OF AN INJUNCTION.
The people of Utah county are said to be
very much worked up over the wells,
thinking that some of their water sources
are being tapped thereby and there has
been some talk en- their part of serving an
injunction on the city to prevent its draw
ing water from that source. On this sub
ject, Mayor Armstrong said that he had
talked with several attorneys and they all
assured him that nothing could be done by
Utah county to interfere with the wells. A
man has a right to draw what he can out
of his own lands and even if he hadn't, it
would be difficult matter to trace the
underground stream that supplies these
wells back to its source.
The city council will visit the spot by
special train on Wednesday, and if what
has been done meets with the approval Of
all the legislators the work will be pushed
ahead more rapidly than ever.