Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-27
PURE WATER.
REVIVAL OF THE SCHEME TO BRING
DOWN TAHoEs WATER.
Won Schmidt Proposes to supply San Fran
cisco, Sacramento and Other
Cities With Pure Water.

There is now before the Water Commit
tee of the San Francisco Board of Super
yisors, for their consideration, a proposition
(Which also interests Sacramentans), made
by a. W. Won Schmidt President of the
Lake Tahoe and San Francisco Water Com
pany, to furnish that city with 30.000,0O0
gallons of water daily from Lake Tahoe for
the sum of $15.0G0,000 The company is
composed of A. P. Hotaling, Nathaniel
Holland, Robert Simpson, Edward A.
Breed and himself. The proposal was
made for the company in perfect good faith.
The company is willing to furnish San
Francisco with either 100000 or 60 OOO.-
900 gallons daily. 1t expected that the city
would pay for laying the pipe lines neces-
sary to bring the water to the city, and Mr..
Won Schmidt urged that all the pipe used
should be made there, to give employment
to about five thousand men for a consider
able period.
THE GENERAL PLAN.
The plan is to bring the water from Lake
Tahoe to large reservoir TO be constructed
near auburn, Placer county, and to pipe it
thence by way of Sacramento, across the
Straits OF Carquinez, down 10 Oakland and
under the bay to San Francisco. All the
towns between Auburn and San Francisco
are to be supplied, if they want the water.
Accompanying the proposition was a pro-
spectus of the company descriptive of the
source of supply-Lake Tahoe-and giving
the following information as to the inten-
ton of the promoters:
Distance from Lake Tahoe to Dutch Rs-
vine reservoir, Newcastle. From Lake Ia
hoe to second dam in bed of Truckee river,
3.75 miles; length of canal from second
dam to Hardscrabble tunnel, miles; length
OF tunnel, Hardscrabble route, 5 miles:
down bed OF American river, II miles;
canal from American river to Dutch Ra-
vine, go miles. Total distance, So. rs miles.
The line of works from Dutch Ravine reser-
Volr will be via Sacramento Fairfield, Be-
nlcla Oakland, Alameda, to San Francisco.
From reservoir, Dutch Ravine, to San
Francisco (pipe), 1924 miles. Total in
miles from Lake Tahoe to San Francisco,
208.19 miles.
NO END TO THE SUPPLY.
The idea of the company is to deliver the
water into reservoirs to be built by the city.
1t would require about three years to COM
plete the work. and would give San Fran
cisco an inexhsustible water supply. In
proof of this, Mr.. Won Schmidt states that
Lake 1anoe was such large body of
water that drainage of 137 900 900 gallons
daily for period of one year would not
decrease its depth over foot. The use of
Lake Tahoe as source of water supply for
San Francisco, Sacramento and other
places, was but matter of time, and, un-
less the municipality procured the water
rights now, it would probably pass into the
hands of private company and would be
lost forever.
THE EAToMA CoMPANY's OFFER.
There was also laid before the same
committee proposition from William J.
Wllsey to supply the city with 75, 5,O0O, 600
gallons of water daily from the American
river for 81, 100000.
sAoRAMENTo's OPPORTUNITY.
In case San Francisco should accept
either of these propositions the water
would have to be carried past Sacramento.
In fact, each company expects-if its offer
should be accepted-to supply this city,
and w progress of their negotiations with
the San Francisco authorities will be
watched with interest. The Sierra Nevada
lakes and rivers contain the water, and the
valley cities require it, hence it would
seem to be only question of time as to
when pure mountain water will be sup
piled to the cities and towns of the valley.