The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-30
TACOMA'S BIG ISSUE.
The Water Plant Scheme Is
Coming to q Head.
TWO BIDS FOR. 4 NEW PLANT.
Commercial Bodies IndoReo the Scheme
ef Buying the ola Piaat-0rip u
Corporate InAuonco.

TACOMA, March 29.-[Special. IA prom
inent politician said today:
For $4,000 can defeat or carry the water and
electric light purchase question and have
enough left TO keep me in very comfortable cir
cumstances for two or three years.
1t has been stated that the only thing
that c. B. Wright had promised in con-
nection with the.sale of the water plant,
was to assume the obligations of the pro-
jectors Of the Tacoma e. Eastern railroad.
aggregating 500, 600 or more. Edmund
Rice is one of the men most heavily inter.
ested in this project. He says:
Mr.. Wright has not made such promise to
me. He has not made ouch pledge to Mr. An.
derson. He would never put the matter on
such baaiA Water properties are the very
best properties In the country. When Mr..
Wright gets ready to sell he will have NO din.
Guilty In selling to private parties. II the city
should buy the plant for the price asked, g. $780,
900. have no doubt but that It could sell out
again to private parties at an increased price.
am told that Seattle il making $4,000 year on
its plant
Mr.. Rice is q director in the light and
water company. The water rates at Seat
tie, it is understood, are about one-third
less than at Tacoma Mr.. Wright was
asked why the water company did not
favor q proposition to 60 up into the
mountains and obtain an abundant and
everlasting supply at an elevation that
would render it possible to use the water
for fire purposes in this city, and securing
for the city valuable advertisement in that
1t had an immense supply of absolutely
pure water. He said:
The water company owns the springs that are
proposed as . supply. The country about the
springs 10 sparsely settled. and there IL no pros
pect OF the water being polluted. If there are
any available sources of supply mp in the noun
tains the water company would have learned Of
them and would have utilised them The noun.
tain water can not be brought here for the price
asked for the present plant by Mr.. Wright The
upper Green river supply would cost US $780,
600.
At a special city council meeting this
evening two propositions will be presented
to BRING 10000. 900 gallon supply of water
to the city for less than the water COM
pany asks for its old plant. Mr.. Rice's
attention was called to this, and he said if
he were city councilman he would not
pay any attention to any proposition
which was not made by men with good
bondsmen. One of the propositions sub
mitted at the council meeting today was
accompanied by a guarantee to furnish
bonds in any desired amount. and to build
an electric plant and water plant, with
mountain supply, for 81, 731, 900.
c. B. Talbot and ]. Vincent Browne, in
their proposition submitted this evening,
agree to furnish Tacoma with the finest
mountain water, from the stream called
Clearwater, for the sum of 81, 395. 500, pay
able in gold or city bonds at the rate of 80
per cent. on the monthly estimates made
by the city engineer. Maps, plans and
photographs of the locality were shown.
The bid states that they are to furnish
900 gallons daily and guarantee a
test of forty pounds to the inch at the in
tersection of Division and Sixth avenues.
which is approximately the highest point
in the city. and not less than forty pounds
pressure at the southern boundary of the
city in section %. township 20 north, range
3 east.
To furnish this supply at the city limits
$s9l, 600 is asked. including two emergency
storage reservoirs 500x1 600 feet and steel
36-inch pipe for all the deep crossings of
rivers, being the Carbon and Puyaliup
rivers. All of the distance not of steel
pipe is to be 36-inch wooden stake con:
dult, to be placed underground In tho
city the whole distribution IL about the
same as that now In use, or may be of
other size to the aggregate of 1900 tons of
any size desired by the city, and to con-
tain reservoir of 100000 gallons capa-
city at the 300-foot level. The sum pro-
posed for the distribution system inside
the city limits was $5O4, 800, and contains
about two miles of 36-inch steel pipe and
1900 tons of cast pipe.
The storage reservoir is to be located at
the level of $50 feet, to be Thoroughly pud.
died and riprapped. and the whole work
guaranteed Of a perfect and standard dual.
ity. The daily supply passes by the storage
reservoirs Immediately into the city, and
the storage reservoirs ere only used in case
of any break or accident. The proposed
reservoirs are to be twice the size of the
present reservoirs.
The proposition Of George H. Hollidge.
Fred 6. Plummer and associates was taken
up and read. The bid is as follows: For
complete gravity system of 10000. 900
gallons per day, to be brought to the city
through steel aqueducts, and distribu-
tion system consisting of from twenty-four
TO eight-inch pipes to cover the entire CITY.
AoA shc SAih Va Fi,ooA,V'D, CASH Or DOnuS.
Both propositions were re-referred to the
light and water committee for considera.
ton on Saturday at p. m. The gentle
men interested and their bondsmen will
then be on hand. Mr.. Hollidge says:
Every effort is being used to defeat the PROMO
s:,ion from coming before the people Our
proposition for an entire new water plant in
$4,000 less than is wanted by the water com.
psny for its old plant But the water com.
psny's present source 10 condemned and, there.
FORE all that is TO be had for the st. 900 is the
distributing system and some real es,ate
Should the city buy the Tacoma Light and
Water Company's plant it would have to ex.
pend over $4,000 TO get the water from the
spring.. which are subject to pollution, and
Will involve the city III endless lawsuits
brought by riparian owners
Mr.. Hollidge was formerly superintend.
ent of the Tacoma Light and Water Com.
pany.
J. II. Cummings says:
TIE question in this matter 10: IL Tacoma In
The grasp OF corporations? Can corporations
dictate " hat shall he dons and eau they compel
she city 10 buy this water plant? A city is lust
ike chick IN All esgshell until il 10 able to
break away IRON corporation influence When
X breaks the she'll ii will grow. And il will
never take much of "a start until it does break
IL