The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-11-20
THG FINEST N THE LANO.
10 Every OHe PrOnOnnces north
YakIma's WateFWOFks and Rlees
tTic Llghtss-A Costly and
Magnificent Plant.

The citizens Of North Yakima are now
congratulAting themselves on having the
most perfect and best built system Of
waterworks and electric lights in the
Pacific northwest and the equal Of any
in the country. The pure, cold and
sparkling waters from the Cascade noun
tains are now in our residences and our
business houses, and the consumers will
find therein relief from ailments which in
q large measure are traceable to the water
in wells that form the cesspools for door
yard drainage.
The waterworks are 4 monument TO
engineering skill, persistent labor and
financial pluck. The promoters have
stinted neither money, material nor
labor. They built not for the North
Yakima Of to-day, but for the large city
Of the future, Of which our favorable loca-
ton, productive soil, wealth Of resources
and matchless climate are q guarantee.
The work is completed, and while we
have often wondered, through the long
hot summer, when It would be finished,
q Retrospective glance will show that for
such huge undertaking the time has in
deed been short.
The franchises for the electric lights
and waterworks were granted by the city
council to Edward Whitson in April.
Mr.. Whitson then went actively TO work
and organized a company for each Of the
enterprises. The officers elected for both
companies we're: Edward Whitson,
president; J. B. Reavis, vice president ;
W. l.. Steinweg, treasurer, and F. B.
Woodward secretary and superintendent.
The combined Holly and gravity
systems were adopted for the
waterworks. the surveys made, orders
placed for the very best material manu-
featured for these purposes, and work
rushed as fast as the thorouGhness Of its
character would permit. To-day we see
the result in a system Of waterworks and
electric lights which engineers, and 9TH
ers conversant with such matters, pro-
nounce the peer Of any in the country.
The two plants cost in the neighbOr1
hood Of $4,000. The water is taken
from the Natcheez river at 4 point four
and quarter miles from Front street and
carried, by means Of ditch and hume,
along the skirts Of the bench for dis
lance Of three miles to the reservoir,
where 1t is filtered and purified. This
ditch, where 1t leaves the river, Is sixteen
feet wide at the base, twenty-four feet at
the water line and four feet deep, and
when il reaches the reservoir 1t has de-
creased in width but two feet. The reser-
voir is seventy-two feet long, sixty-two
feet wide and o. feet deep. From the
reservoir the water has fall Of thirty-six
feet over the bank through q sixty inch
sheet-iron pipe, furnishing the power to
drive two pairs Of horizontal turbine
wheels, which will develop 275 horse
power. The pump station, or power
house, located just below the reservoir, il
brick building 4OxsO feet, with q CORFU
gated iron roof. In this structure are
located two pumps with q capacity Of a
million and half gallons each, and two
dynamos for the arc ard incandescent
lights. The grounds around the power
house are to be laid of with drives and
walks, seeded to grass, and ornamental
trees and shrubs planted, the object being
to have an attractive place to take visitors
and for picnic parties.
The reservoir is seventy feet above the
city, and pressure Of thirty-one pounds
is realized by the gravity system. At the
test on Monday there was a pressure Of
from los to ll0pounds, and three streams
were thrown to height more than sufi-
cient to clear any Of the three-story build
ings in the city. Eight streams can be
thrown as well as one, but the city was
unprovided with the MOBILES and pipe for
this number. The test was entirely sat
isfactory to the members Of the council
and all other citizens who witnessed it,
and everyone feels that too much credit
can not be given to Mr.. Whitson and his
associates for their enterprise in putting
in such magnificent plant.