The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-22

expense Of punyang neceaarily sussains : Close
relafsou % the amount Of WAFER used II vin
Be ioubsy true Ia city that bids fair 70 have
rapad Growth. and where there viii o. no IN
crease in the cesf al supplying water until tne
&.0coco gallons limit Is passed IL the Pro
posed works are bnizt IL viii cost no more 70 sup
ply sSoes ooa Of ealions than % supply auou"
Of salons. which would Be far from PC nS '1s
case II the water was supplied By pumps instead
Of By gravity.
INDIRECT RErrRxS
Thus far the gain. that may be expected nom
the baslif1g Of new water workas which VIA
accrue to the city - . business institution. As
distinct from the general interests Of its eixens
has only been cons dered- Tnere ase still tarxef
benefits. of consequential nature. which VIII
come 70 the city as whole. outside OF It's cor
porAte capacity. that caanos be expressed IN
nsuree. but which are Just - real. nevertheless.
rs II they were given to the cent some Of
these are the saving of expense ~ houschotders
now Oh the lines Of water pipes. that Is incurred
In impouading water in cisterns and IN OBTAIN
ing IL iron wells: the enhancement Of The value
OF real estate, by reason OF the city becoming
more desirable place IN which TO live, and
cheaper pace in which to do business: also, in
the saving Of losses from fire. bat more partic-
ularly in the reduction of Insurance. rates.
All premiums pail on insurance policies are
dead tax upon the people. for which there is alb
solutesy no return. They never come back.
The payment Of IRE loss does not return them;
il merely substitutes part ally. one kind OF loss
for another the loss from fre being prevented
only BY reason OF loss previously incurred In
the payment Of premiums.
Anything which will lessen the hazard from
Ore aud reduce insurance rates thereby saves
measurable sum 20 the city each year 1t does
not save II TO the erocer or to the clothing mer-
chant. II saves II to the person who eats the
groceries OF the one or wears he clothes Of the
other.
By the kindness Of Messrs TAYLOR and Burns
gentlemen well posted In fire insurance matters
am enabled 10 give some approximate figures
Of what this premium saving may he. They esti
mate that at the time OF the Are OF last Juce,
there were policies amounting TO AoC0oo1 out
standing. upon which premiums had been paid
- raics averaging per cent. per srnum. After
the FIRE losses were paid amounting TO ss.6oo.eo.
They ars of the opinion that the average rate
OF premiums now paid amounts to ~ least per
cent. per annum, and that within year the
policies upon which this rate IS paid win be as
much - 5000. 900. and that. by the building OF
water works which viii furnish plenty OF water
for fire purposes in oil parts of the city. this rate
viii be reduced one-half, or TO an average Of
per cent, making q saving OF per cent on
$s.oo00oo. or $4,000 per AMMAN.
They state taas the only reason premium rates
remain MS low Is they are at the present time Il
because Of the promises OF . better water sup
ply that have b en- held out to the insurance
companies, and that II more adequate water
works were not TO be built rates would so still
higher.
To sum II all up, II may be said that the cor
poration viii be deriving net revenue OF SiI2,-
$50 ,er annum by the time the proposed new
works are put into operation. the aggrsga
premiums paid on insurance policies viii effect
. savins OF $4,000 per annum 10 the people a.
whole: and that ia addition TO this there are
- 81 - - n =.
not be even approximately stated in figures. bat
surely aggregating far moro than the other items
combined.
In bringing the engineering work to its pres
ent stage am indebted to Mekkrs. Scusry &
Owens for the prompt aud Efficient manntr in
which the required surveys have been made
and plated, the best routes searched out, and
all necessary data furnished: and TO Mr. John
Erickson. for the valuable assistance he has rem
dered me during the whole progress Of the
work
In conclusion have to thank his honor the
mayor, and the committee on fire and water, as
vel ~ all members Of the council with whom I
have come in contact, for the uniform courtesy
they have extended TO me, and for many valu-
able suggestions relative to the plans . whole.
Respectfully submitted,
HKxEzErTs WILLIAMS. Chief Engineer
Seattle. Feb n. 1890.
APPENDIX A.
Estimate of the cost OF sQus ducts, dams, reser-
voirs, etc, necessary 70 take water from Cedar
river, IS proposed. and to deliver II In the city
reservoirs.
Four hundred acres OF clearing right
of-wAy, ctc., a 500 .....e....s $500 90
Seventy acres OF grubbing rightof-
way, etc, a $50. ......s.......,.. l1,2O) 90
s37 90 cubic yards Of excavation In
reservoir. dan 8, and In grading
pipe and nume lines, q zoe .. 1850 90
81. 500 Ii cal fees Of 42iuch supply
pipe. a $3.50. ...............-..3.. ees.ooo 90
lake. a sis. $500 $500 90
sartn. q sa,io -. 1890 90
bent. ana trasss.. q g.. TO- oa 90
1000 iineal feet of 4s-iuch wooden
pipe on line inme. a size. :seoo 90