The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-12

As win be seen further on, the picture shows
distorted perspective. without the embelliah-
ment with which the newspapers enIiven the
otherwise bald facts.)
The cotracss for the material needed IN the
construction of this TEMPORARY plant having
been made during February ana March, the
work Of pipe-laying was begun April "A. at the
time pipe began 70 arrive large amount Of
trenching having been done previous 70 that
time, and sll parts Of the work were - far ad-
vanced g the receipt Of material would allow q
the time the frss pump arrived, on or about
July
No time was lost in getting forcs Of men at
work setting this pump, and by July ~, wnen
the second pump arrived. the work on the mist
one was quite well advanced.
In the meantime. on June :, bonds were vos.
ed by the people to pay for the Spring Hiii
plant the work th IN being done. and TO In
crease and extend the distribution system.
on July and July is one Of the daily jour
mails made the discovery that the pumps that
had been bought were too small, and that had
conspired with members Of the city council TO
deceive the people with reference TO the capac-
ity of the plant then undergoing erection, and
that this had been done 70 force the adoption
OF the Cedar river plan; and further, that had
acted in bad faith, and am utterly unworthy OF
confidence. and that they hoped the new city
government, which was elected on July "a,
would mark the beginning OF its career by rid
ding the city of an engineering service which
was delaying and embarrassing rather than aid
ing the effort to provide water.
In the same issue of this paper, In the course
of long local article, J. A. McWilliams, super
intendent of the Spring HUI plant, was quoted
rs authority for the statement, among other
things, that the pumps would not attain much
1s.lk ~ olos~r od frpf
This article of July IS closed with what in one
respect is . very true statement, though state
ment, which 30 far 40 true, had made in al
most identical terms in my report OF March IA,
viz: 'sThat the work now In progress is in the
nature of makeshift until some other source
OF supply ID utilized. If it were being done
with view to being permanent supply sys-
modern pattern and all the work would have
been better done"
In the afternoon of Wednesday, July 80. Mr..
p. +. Andrews city superintendent OF pipe lay
ing. reported to me thas on going to the pump
house, where . gang Of his men were laying
the suction pipe from the pumps to the lake
and the force main connecting them with the
main previously laid, he found Mr.. J. A. Nc
williams in charge OF them.
1t seemed incredible that the superintendent
of the Spring Hill plant should be thus in
charge of the city work. Immediately went to
Mr.. F. A. Twichell, chairman Of the street and
alley committee, and told him what Mr.. An
drews had said. h explained that he thought
there must be some mistake, but he supposed 1t
had arisen from the fact that Mr.. McWilliams
was In his Office that morning and had sug-
gested that he (Mr. McwilliAms) would like to
do all that he could to help matters along. and
that he tTwichell) had told him that they would
be glad TO have him DO SO.
On going to the works the next morning
s,xet NJ Aud I'D sorih had
them. On my return went to Mr.. Twitchell.
and protested that this was great injustice to
Mr. Andrews who had done all that any man
could do under the circumstances, and that
such proceedings would not advance the work
one hour, but on the other hand would retard
it. and that these pipes would have been in
sooner than the pumps could possibly be gotten
ready. Mr.. Twichell said that he coincide d
with me entirely, and promised to see His Honor
Mayor White and to write letter to Mr.. Nc
williams, placing the work back into Mr.. An
drews' hands.
This letter he furnish ed Mr.. Andrews Thurs
day afternoon, Though, not finding Mr.. McWill-
Jams. it was not used until Saturday.
The next day. the LIST of August. steam was let
on the pumps for q short time in the evening.
On leaving the works that evening, Mr.. An.
drews asked Mr.. J. r. Williamson at what time
in the morning the pumps would be started, In
order that he could notify me to be present. He
was told that it would not be until late. In
stead of this programme being carried out they
were started as early as 5 o'clock in the morn
ing, By Mr. ]. A. McWilliams as am informed,
without anyone representing the city being
present
After filling the pipes with water, one of the
pipes burst at q defective place Soon after this
occurred, the chairman of the fre and water
committee came to my Office aud reported the
result He quoted Mr.. Mcwilliams as saying
that the pressure gauge indicated 100 pounds at
the highest The static pressure alone, to reach
the highest point in the pipe, would have been
1t least 1870 pounds.
The broken main was repaired Saturday, Aug
ust 2, and on Sunday afternoon, the Sd, the
pumps were started under charge of Mr.. George
Kelly, who had on Friday night before been APP
pointed by the councilo take charge of them.
On the evening of the 4th your honorable
body. on motion of the chairman of the IRE and
water committee, appointed the committee of
engineers, the result Of whose work is before
you, to examine and report upon the pumping
plant At the suggestion of His Honor Mayor
White they were to act with me or were to con-
fer with me regarding the matter.
The plant not being completed, the pumps
having been started for q continuous run but .
few hours before, wrote the following letter to
the chairman OF the fire and water committee,
which ! delivered to him personally on the
morning of the day it was written:
SEATTLE, Aug. 5, $780,
"Hon. F. A. Twichell, Chairman of committee
on Fire and Water, Seattle, Washingtor-Dear
Sir: l am pleased to learn that the council has
appointed committee OF engineers TO examine
and test the pumps 1T Lake Washington.
DO not know how soon yon may anticipate
calling these gentlemen together for that pur.
pose, but would venture 70 suggest that it will
be well to follow the universal custom in such
cases OF deferring the test of the pumps until
those who are charged with their erection and
operation pronounce them complete and ready
for examination
The connections have not yet been made with
the city mains--or, rather, the Spring Hill
company's mains-so as TO permit OF the pumps
being operated to their capacity without vast
ing the water at some point
1.-THE steam pipes, steam comes and steam CYL
inders have not yet been insulated, the waste
pipes are not yet properly connected, and other
eppendages necessary to the smooth and con-
yenient working of the plant are not in place,
nor are the pumps fully adjusted. With the
boilers the smokestack has not been completed
firing for the work which the pumps will be
called upon daily TO perform.
All possible expedition win be used in get.
ting these things done. Respectfully submitted,
"BEHEzErTE WILLIAMS"
The next that knew of the proceedings OF
the committee of engineers, or OF the fire and
water committee, I learned through the daily
papers which kindly RECALLED their readers with
he alleged finding of the Jury before it had
been turned into court
Following this foreshadowing OF the verdict
came the report
To this report now desire to invite your at.
tention, and in order conveniently aud sys-
tematically 10 do So ! arrange the criticisms.
suggestions and recommendations under the fol.