The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-07
THE BOARD OF WORKS
Chalk's Views on the Present
Water Supply.
PUMPING CAPACITY GREATER.
A Special Meeting to be Held Today to
Sell an Electric System.

At the meeting of the board of public works
yesterday Mr.. j. NJ. Frink appeared in support
of the proposition to sell the Seattle Elec-
trio Light Company's plant to the city,
which arose from the objection made to the
charges and in view of the intention of the city
to own its own plant.
Mr. Heilbron said he thought it would be I'M
wise to enter upon the purchase OF an electric
plant until the new assessment roll was made
out The matter was talked over and it was
agreed that Mr.. Frink should make proposition
which could be compared with others and pave
the way for an arrangement eventually.
The following report from Superintendent
Chalk was read, the board deciding to have q
special meeting today to consider it:
The report of the necessity of water supply. of
Benezette Williams, referred TO me by your hon.
orable board has had due consideration as far as
the limited time would allow. In many points
j have already corroborated and agree with the
statements made by Mr.. Williams, particularly
the necessity of building the gravity system"
In Mr.. Williams report he assumes that Cedar
river wa er viii be brought in and in operation
in four years, and that our present water con-
sumption is only T. 900, provided We supplied
all the water needed.
In the first place it is very doubtful whether
the city will begin work on Cedar river within
two years, and il we consider all conditions and
facts we must come to the conclusion that it
will be nearer five or six years before any work
on that line will be begun. and then it viii take
two years TO complete il. Time passes much
faster than person figures on, and think am
nearer right when / say that ten years will have
elapsed before we have completed Cedar river
line.
In regard to our daily water consumption, we
can come near being correct, for we have our
past and present record, besides those of other
cities which have grown as rapidly as we will.
j made the statement that we using today
nearly 200 gallons per day per inhabitant sup
piled, and If you will compare the records of
similarly situated cities on the Pacific slope and
elsewhere you will see that our consumption
does not exceed, and IN several instances does
not equal others.
II is not just altogether to compare our city
with Eastern cities, where the conditions aud
the climate is different, and where water is
not needed as much as here.
People here pay twice and even three times as
much for their water as they do out East and
do il willingly and cheerfully, and it seems TO
me We ought to furnish them all they need.
am willing to go on record as saying that
when We have 100 ,UU0 people We VIII use al least
Is, 90 gallons daily and that when our pres
emit water extensions are all completed we will
1900. O0J to 100000 gallons day. For even
today We would use and ought to have 5000, 600
and 1t certainly stands 10 reason that when we
have more consumers the consumption will be
increased.
Take the four cities, Seattle Tacoma, Portland
and Spokane, and the records will show that
for every tap made and in use, has increased the
average daily consumption 1900 ga! Ions. In this
comparison Seattle shows almost the best, AID
am positive If we will give our consumers all
the water they need our consumption will never
fail below l75 to 200 gallons per inhabitant.
Fifty gallons per day for each person ought to
be considered a fair allowance. glance at the
quantity used in many OF our large cities may
prove interesting.
rate. Allegheny City, Buffalo, Washington
City and Detroit use from 100 to l7o gallons per
capita.
all these places the numberof gallons consumed
lar in excess of what is required or above the
fifty gallons which was allowed several years
ago
In view of the above facts. and OF the fact that
we now have low duty pumps, it will not take
very long until our bill will simply be enormous
unless We do put in better pumps or high duty
pumps.
The question which seems to me the most i'm
portant st present is to get in large enough
and near future. 1t was hardly six months after
our present pumps were put in until they were
unable to supply the demand, and We don't want
to repeat such mistakes or follow such advice or
recommendations.
recommend one 100000 gallon pump and
still believe it none too large, but would prefer
to see two 100000 pumps in its place so that in
the future 5000, 900 could be added which will
always leave two 100000 in use and one in re-
serve.
If we buy a high duty pump we need no new
boilers for some time, with our present six
boilers there could always be three idle, while
the other three would be sufficient to furnish
steam for high duty pump to pump 100000
to 100000 gallons per day, which is sufficient
for several years to come.
do not know how our fue. compares with
Eastern coal, nor do l know the exact foot
pounds duty a certain class of pumps develop,
but do know that records show that we could
be pumping nearly twice as much water With
the same me-, cost provided we 6 bad dos high duty
month now is nearly s20,while it ought not TO be
much over 50 per LOCO 900 per month. 1t costs US
too much to furnish or pump our water, and
Wa n nu he Of mt
ting in low duty pumps, We win pay for it
dearly.
Now suppose instead of four years il takes
eight years for the Cedar river line to be COM
pleted, and say our ayerege daily consumption
win be 100000 or 100000 gallons for the
next eight years (and am positive we will use
all OF that, the showing will be entirely diff
ferent.
The following is an exact copy of a portion of
the report made by Superintendent Isaac W.
Smith to the water committee of the city of
Portland, Or for 1890
THE twenty-four-inch wrought iron force
main from Palatine was completed on the 10th
OF June, 1890, aud the new TO- 0000 900 gallon pump
has been running since the LIST of August.
Prior to this time the city supplied by
means OF two o,Ooo,0O-compound condensing
| pumps, with two batteries of boilers, both of
| which IL was necessary to use when running
| both pumps at the same time.
ION account of the increased consumption of
water IL was necessary 10 run both pumps and
| both batteries of boilers day and night with no
opportunity for repairs without turning off in
was decided Tor this reason to double the supply
from the pumping station.
:. But although the room formerly used as a
Dunkcrs for coal was available for a pump there
| was no space for additional boilers without the
| erection of a new pumping station, and it wss
therefore agreed in the contract with the pump
| manufacturers that their pump, with one bat
| terry OF boilers and eighty pounds steam pres
| sure, should raise 100000 gallons of water in
tWenty-four hours against pressure equivalent
| TO height Qncluding suction hft) of 30 feet
ana with 20 per cent. OF the fuel required under
the same condition By the present pumps
with these pumps the monthly average of
wood used TO the 100000 gallons pumped from
April 1883, 10 July /, 1890, has varied aecodiug
10 the quality OF the wood. the stage of the
water in the river and the friction in the thirty-
inch wrought-iron force main five miles in
length from two and fve-tenths TO three and
two-tenths cords, with an average of two and
SIX -tenths cords in 1889 and two and eighttenths
cords in 1890
ION the 18th of August the new pumps under
the stipulated conditions, raised 10. 60iOe gal
ions In twenty four hours, using one and two
tenths cords 10 the 100000 gallons In this
Trial the wood was well seasoned and the pump
worked uniformly during the day and night.
since that time IL has been necessary to
work the pump slowly at night and the wood
mss at tunes been wet and not so well seasoned
but the average use has been less than / 4 cords
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