The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-03-06

1ooGo, o approvs and direct that u b car
I'D ont This, however. h merely sur
800 bosed upon opinions informally ex-
Isoned BY members Of the council.
Do1 The information OF those who hsve
not followed the water negotiation closely
y 10y b well 10 review the facts briefly:
Under the pressure Of the urgent necessity
~ IN increased water supply the council
stoyeraI months ago engaged Mr.. Williams,
& Chicago engineer Of experience and rspn-
1ntiOn, 10 come out and look 1T the sstna-
tfon, DE pcopis having previously by gen
ofnl yots declared In favor III municipal
Ovuership OF this water system. Mr.. VIII
Hams made estimates upon the plant oi the
Spring Hill Company which were used as
he hasis Of the contract by which the city
has sgreed to buy that plant. This pur-
ohase having been determined upon. Mr.
Williams was invited by the council 10 pre-
p1ss plan Tor the immediate and future
supply Of the city upon an improved and
SmcFcased scale. In answer to this demand
NJ. Williams presented the report now in
~ hands Of the council awaiting :is judg.
ment.
The present water supply Of Seattle comes
nom Lake Washington. Ii Is drawn from
: considerable depth and forced BY pumps
INTO IN elevated reservoir. and from there
= distrfbuted throughout the city by gravity.
Ihe pump service at the lake Is inadequate;
he reservoir ls inadequate in capacity: the
distributing pipes are not sufficiently ex-
tsnded and. In the business districts, are
not II sufficient calibrs to afford adequate
peo1uction against fire or even 10 supply
~ eonsumptive demand. Faulty ~ 1t Is.
hoWsvsr. the system Is susceptible Of i'm.
movement. and It has been estimated
literally that an expenditure OF
ls60Ooo. approximately. viii make II
oqual 70 all reasonable demands
lor several pears TO come. This sum. added
% The sum which tho city Is pledged to pay
ths Spring Hin Company, viii give COM
Dlete system. drawing water from Lake
Warrington, for 100000 approximately.
Assuming that the Lake Washington
water n MOI Of sufficiently good quality,
~. Williams has outlined . plan vastly
oSoa1sf q cost He recommends, besides
~ enlargsmsnts Of ths present system I'm
znedistsly necessary. the construction of
Two reservoirs, one for low and another
~ higher ssrvics. TO b supplied from Co
Or xives twsnty-seven miles diy(Ant. This
&1ll Involve The construction Of corduiss
which ars carefully planned, Cedar river
= 70 b damned, such part OF les waters
= mag b wanted y 10 be carried by flume
shout twelve miles 10 Swan Lake. which Is
capable Of holding enough water to supply
~ city Tor many months, from Swan Lake
he water Il 10 be drawn through tunnel
md papsd 10 the city. The fiums proposed
from the river 10 Swan Lake is to be W
SHAPED and built Of wood and the proposed
pipe limo IL 10 be of wooden
slaves bound with iron or steel.
Tho whole cost OF the system. every
thing included. II Ia estimated will be s., :
10000. IL iron and masonry be
substituted for wood in making the pro-
posed condnits. the cost would be very
largely increased. These are the general
outlines Of Mr. Williams plan. which has
been given In detail through the Posr-Is.
SELLsaKxcrR.
Concerning the engineering propositions
involved In this plan We viii not undertake
81 this time 10 give an opinion. Mr.. VII
1iams seems 10 be . thorough engineer and
Ne believe il safe 10 assume that he knows
his business and that his recommendation
arc good. The proposition for wooden
conduits Il, We must confess, surprise.
hat after going over the plans with Mr..
williams We are disposed 10 accept his
assurance that they could be made as
durable N metal pipes. i. would however.
Ne believe. be the part OF wisdom 10 sub
init the proposition 10 commission OF
engineers for Judgment. before adopting IL.
Many important considerations are Incl.
dentally related 60 this general proposs.
ton. but passing them over for the present,
the question resolves itself into this form.
namely: Shall We have an adequate water
supply from Lake Washington sufficient
Cor The next i've years for s5n0.ooo. or al al
~ have an adequate supply from Cedar
river for s.. ioo.oof UnqueStlonably Cedar
river water is better than Lake Washing.
ton water, but Lake Washington water Is
afill fairly good water. II Is at It's worst.
Sstter than the water supplied to sa,,
Francisco at its best. and il il infinitely
halter than The water supplied 10 Pansael.
phia and many OF the large cites OF the
county. II has been analysed more than
once and always declared free from Office
tlcns hssed UPON sanitary CON-
aideraticns. The fosr~iSrunaxS.
cxn while agreeing with Mr..
Williams that Cedar river is greatly
a be preferred" a. the future aud PER
msnept source OF our water supply. stu
helieyrs that for the present aud Tor the
em mediate future the lake Washington
rropcsition woaid be the better policy.
There Is serious question as 20 the legal
y;rhs 10 incur the Indebtedness essential 70
the larger scheme. II Is questionable If
the bonds could be readily negotiated .; a
reasonable rate Of interest Other things
sewerage. street improvement. city hsht-
fns. etc.---call for large sums for which the
cisv must pledge its credit Woaid
a he wise al this timc TO use eur credit 10
its utmost limit for single great improve.
mrnt not absolutely necessary We tAink
mot. The rosr~fSrxiIl0rscEs Is in favos
az Lake Washington water Tor the nsxi
f.x wears n cost OF $1,000 rather than
f,.<ixr river water fer three times THAI susa
,wish Z possibility OF i've times that sarn-