Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-23
LETTER BAG.
A Double Set of water Works.

A Double Set of Water Works.
EDITORS HERALD: By the action of
the council of the city of Los Angeles.
at their meeting of October 8, 1892, the
people are aeked to vote on the PROPOSE
tion Of issuing bonds for the purpose of
building water worke for the hill section
of the city.
The plans as designed and submitted
by the city engineer, were passed on by
four local engineers after q very brief
examination. For the remuneration of
these gentlemen, the council appropri-
ated the munifcent sum of $500. But
as the inspection of the plans only occu-
pied day or two it is to be inferred
withstanding the favorable report of
these gentlemen. it is hardly to be ex-
pected that four-fifths of the people of
this city will tax themselves to the tune
of over half million dollars for the sole
and exclusive benefit of the other fifth.
1t is claimed that the greater part of
this expenditure is to be made on part
Of the system that will make the head
works for the whole city supply when
the franchise of the Los Angeles City
w hpCl CUluPdAy GA pllC6s
This is absolutely impossible, for the
head-works are to be located there is not
sufficient water at times to supply the
demands of the irrigators who are
served by the ditch taken out at that
point.
1t is true that for the past two or
three years there has been considerable
surplus water running on down the river,
but this is unusual, and very little in
vestigation among the men who have
taken care of the ditch for the past 10 or
IL years will convince the greatest en-
thusiast for this plan OF the folly of To-
eating head-works at the point contem-
plated.
Furthermore, by the terms of the
lease with the city, under which the
Los Angeles City Water company ope-
rates its works, 1t is provided that at
the expiration of the lease the city will
have to purchase the works of the COM
pany. This purchase will, of course,
include the company's conduit, 30 that
the construction of the one now pro-
posed will be altogether super huous.
A careful and impartial investigation
will convince any engineer that the
point in the Los Angeles river that has
an elevation sufficient to flow into the
water company's old conduit, offers the
greaters possible advantage for the
head OF domestic water supply for the
city Of Los Angeles, for the reason that
it is nearly the highest point attainable
where q sufficient flow can be obtained
with certainty at all times. When in
addition to this, we consider the fact
fhof IL hos ffi oionf nfouoftov, IN nv~1x
the greater and more populous portion
of the city by gravity, and also that the
water diverted there will flow to the
water company's reservoir, which the
city will have to pay for when the lease
expires, it's abandonment in favor of
the upper diversion seems ill advised.
The advantages of the location of the
reservoir are not confined to its use as
such, for it offers unequaled facilities for
a pump station, being right alongside
the railroad cars, where fuel can be OBJ
tanned at minimum cost. The river
flows right by it, within astone's throw,
so that, no matter what accident might
befall the conduit or. head works, the
pumps would be supplied with water
from the river by the addition to the
plant OF a small and inexpen-
sive centrifugal or other low-service
pump.
1t will be argued against this location
that it will require the water to be
pumped about 40 feet higher than it
would from the site proposed, but this
is small matter when we consider the
small quantity, comparatively, that will
be required to be pumped. The site
proposed in the plans is at least three
miles from the nearest railroad, and all
the fuel required there will have to be
transported by team This expense of
itself alone will more than Offset the in
creased lift OF the pumps, not consider
ing at all the absolute security of having
the river close by in case of accident to
the conduit.
The plans as drawn up for the whole
city propose three different pumping
stations, two of which will be remote
from any railroad, and expensive to
operate in consequence. 1t will alec re-
quire three sets OF attendants to operate
them. This feature ought to find favor
with the gentlemen who have political
patronage to dispense, but will hardly
suit the taxpayer, especially when he
finds that there is no reason on earth
why all the pumping can't be done at
one station, under one engineer, in one
building, and with very much de-
creased cost of installation both for
boilers and pumps.
1t would be considered rather stupid
for instance, if the two
cables necessary on the Temple street
cable road were operated from separate
power stations. Now there is as much
sense and as little necessity for dividing
the pumping plant of the city, as there
would be for driving the two cables
from separate stations.
While we must recognize the unfor-
tunate situation Of the people on the
hills, it cannot be expected that in our
haste we will vote money for such an ILL
contrived amateurish scheme as these
plans present. There is hardly doubt
of what the result would be were the
proposition submitted to vote bonds for
water works for the whole city. There
can hardly be doubt either, of which
way the hill people would vote six years
from now on proposition for the other
two or three millions when they already
had their own little water works in good
running order. The people of the flats
have not forgotten the emphatic objec-
tion of these people to expending city
funds to protect the li6tle homes of thoae
washed out by the foods OF '84 and'85
We will admit, however, that the hill
people came forward very generously
and offered to sell these poor victims
lots on the bills cheap, very cheap. for
which the aforesaid victims were truly
grateful. INQUIRER.