The morning call., 1893-03-15
THE LOBOS FLUME.
Repairs to Be Made by the
Government.
EXTENT OF THE DEVASTATION
President Howard of the Water Com
pany Talks of the LandsIides.
The Water Supply.

The destruction of the Point Lobos Creek
flume of the Spring Valley Water Company
by the heavy landslides from the cliffs above
Fort Point, as published in THE CALL.
caused an investigation of the subject by
the Government engineers and the officers
of the water company on Monday.
After reading the article in THE CALL
President Charles Webb Howard of the
Spring Valley Company stated yesterday
that he drove out to the scene of the land
slides and made personal inspection of the
damage done and was surprised at the eX-
tent of the landslides.
The damage done to the fume," said
President Howard, was very great, extend
ing for some distance. The work of repair
ing the havoc of the great fall ofearth was
too formidable for the company to under
take to repair Immediately. so the Govern
ment has undertaken TO give temporary re-
lief and will at once put on a force of men
to make repairs.
"Ihere have been landslides almost every
year in that locality, but none that / remem-
Der had been so extensive as those of last
week. The character of the cliffs at that
locality Is such to cause the earth aad
rocks when forced and pressed by water
running from the water shed, which slopes
in that direction, TO slice very quickly.
Landslides are liable TO occur there any
time during the rainy season, and may
occur there again this year IL more rain
falls.
at is Impossible to prevent the slides in
this locality, both on account of the charac-
ter of the cliff construction and the great
pressure Of subterranean water. If con-
crete wall with good foundation in the
sand were constructed there about one hun
dred feet wide | do not think it could re-
sisJ this water pressure, even IL holes we're
made in the concrete to let the water es-
cape.
at would have made no difference If our
hume out there, instead of being constructed
of wood, were made Of iron, gold or silver.
The mighty force Of the great mass Of rock,
earth and water hurled down by the land
slides would sweep it away. If great
concrete wall could not stand the pressure.
how could a little fiUme? 1t would be swept
away like piece of wood
You ask me If ! think there is any
danger to the Notifications. AS far as they
are constructed l do not think so, as the
rock of the cliffs a little further on Is Of a
different character and they are very solid
But do not think they could extend the
coast defenseS TO the locality OF the slides
and construct them so near to the edge Of
the cliff They must be built further in
land. The boundaries of the reservation
extend to Point Lob0s Greek, and if for
ticattons are built in that direction they
EduuOE ut pldCeu as tluoe U the euBeh uI lub
cliffs as those already constructed.
"Of course it would not be policy for the
Government to build the great concrete
wall | speak of, because the Notifications
can Just as well be placed further inland and
the result would not justify the expense in-
Cured. The Government officers will make
no mistake in the matter. Al they can do
now IS to give temporary relief. That is all
that is pUssible, because nothing can be
done to prevent the slides.
II caunut tell how soon the Government
wOrkmen Will complete the repairs 20 the
hume. on account Of the damage aud the
great fall of earth and rock to be removed,
but they will 60 a. the work at once.
This, however does not make much diff
ference TO the company just now. so long as
the work is being done. The Point Lobos
Creek supplied the Lombard, Clay-street
Telegraph Hill and Francisco-street re-
servolrs with 100000 gallons OF water,
while the district covered by the reservoirs
required ,, 100000 daily. The extra 100000
gallons was supplied by means Of the Black
Point pumps Of the company. pumping
water which came from Crystal Springs,
via the Mount University reservoir. The
pipes lead up Market To the front, and
around the front and Telegraph Hill TO the
Francisco street reservoir, where il was
pumped up to the other reservoirs.
"Since the disconuection with Point
Labos Creek Crystal Springs has been fur
nishing the whole .. .400. 600 gallons of water
required for consumption in the districts
named and will continue to do so until the
flume is repaired. We have 16.inch pipe
leading to the FranciscO-Street reservoir.
but intend shortly to put in 22-inch pipe
to bring water from the Mount University
reservoir.
80 you see there is no danger 10 the city
from any break in the fume at Fort Point,
which is only an inconvenience to the com
pany and the Government. Our system OF
water works Is so arranged that we can
raise or lower water in any of our reser-
volrs all over the city at any time desired" ="