The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-20
WATER FOR TACOMA.
An Offer to Furnish a Pure
Supply for $852,5OO.
THE CITY WOULD SAVE $685., 500.
Talbot Browne Proposal-Sone More
Facts for Taxpsyers t. Consider-
Defects Of the Present Plant.

TACOMA, March 19-[Special.]- &c. B. Tai
bot and j. Vincent Browne yesterday filed
claim to water rights of the Clearwater
creek, which is tributary to the White
river. A week was required in making the
trip to Clearwater, which is about thirty
two or thirty-tive miles from Tacoma. The
stream was measured and found to flow
22,OOO,0 600 gallons of water per day. A
rancher. who has lived in that vicinity for
six years. says that the Clearwater 10 lower
now than ever before. The flow increases
from 100000 to $4,000, 600 gallons per
day during the months of July and Au-
gust when the snow in the mountains is
being melted. MIR. Talbot says:
After you reach the snow. in places . foot
deep at the mouth OF the Clearwater, you can
look up the mountain side for q distance of
twenty miles. As the snow melts 1t tumbles
down over the rocks and boulders and BY the
time 1t reaches the river IL il thoroughly aeri-
hei and oxydized and is exceedingly limpid and
pure. You can see distance of ten feet through
the water and point out q pin. Various srtifi-
cial processes have been invented for the pur-
pose OF oxydizing and aeriiying water. On the
Clearwater nature does this herself. The water
Is as clear az q diamond. There are no glaciers
on this stream, which 10 somewhat isolated. 1t
is on the north side OF Mount Rainier and has
two branches which exteu around the sides OF
the three rugged peaks north of the main noun
tain. The water will always be pure and the
source will never dry up 30 long - there II
moisture in the clouds
Mr.. Browne and Mr.. Talbot have sub.
mitted q proposition to bring the Clear
water supply to the city limits for 1852 500.
The Tacoma Light and Water Company's
distribution system can be duplicated for
5000. 900. thus for 81, 452, 500 q supply of
pure mountain water could be supplied to
this city. which would be $297. 500 less than
1t would cost to buy the Tacoma Light
and Water Company's plant, which con-
sists of the Spanaway lake and Clover
creek and spring supply system, some
pumping engines and the city distributing
system and some thousand acres of land.
The plan proposed for water from the
mountains cannot be surpassed, since the
stream is 30 located as to effectually guard
it from the intrusion of railroads or towns
on its banks, or mining pumps. and lying
so far above all the coal bedy. at an eleva-
ton of some 1000 or 100 feet above the
sea level, there would seem to be little
chance of contamination of any sort. The
highest sources of the stream are above
the timber line, or 5000 feet. and for q
greater part Of the year lie in the limits of
snow.
Commenting on an apparent light and
water works advertisement, . taxpayer
says:
The observer Of the Ledger, who appears to
be an agent of the light and water company,
has some strange arithmetic when he deducts
the price OF the electric plant of the Tacoma
Light and Water Company, fixing 1t at $a00. 900.
from g. goo. and finds the water plant only
worth 31,5CO.O00. What he does with $4,000
worth OF goods does not appear. observer
says that in the purchase the city obtains by
gravity" 100000 gallons and by pumping
from the springs 600 gallons per day. Tho
present supply Of 100000 gallons per day,
which il to be converted into power. estimated
by Engineer Herring at 176 nominal horse
power, 10 worth. he says, $4,000 or $4,000.
Four million gallons OF this "horse power has
to be pumped, according to the statement above,
and turned loose on a water wheel to make 1t
useful As "horsc power"
mechanical engineer would prefer to use the
power in q direct way rather than pump il up
hill to let 1t run down again. This problem IL
an explanation, perhaps, of tho general utility
OF the whole water plant II 1t 10 worth -
power q mean price of Zoo for less than 300
horse power. purchasab.e in this city a Q
steam plant of that power at say 5000 or 5000
or less, how much must the magnificent system
of water works, fully complete with all the
"springs." "salamauders," frogs" and 'gresn
slime" be worth when estimated in Q similar
manner2