The morning call., 1893-05-05
TO SUPPLY ITSELF.
No Spring Valley for the
Presidio.
THE OLD FLUME Is DOOMED.
Two Experimental Wells to Be Sunk.
Active Competition Sprung From
Vegetable Garden.

As a result Of the unsettled trouble be-
tween the Preside authorities and the
Marine Hospital people over the contami-
nation of the formers water supply. sys-
TEN Of independent water works will soon
be In operation on the Government reserva-
tion.
Three weeks ago bids were advertised for
aud some time in July the work on two ex-
perimental artesian wells will commence.
Ii they succeed in bringing a sufficient
amount of good water to the surface there
Will be several more sunk and pumping
station erected. The site for the expert
ments is in the low basin Of land situated
half way between Fort Point and the bar
racks.
In apprehension of this action the Spring
Valley Water Company has been negotiat-
ing with the War Department to gain ex-
elusive control Of Point Lobos Creek By
securing the strip Of land now the property
of the reservation.
They will in that case continue to snpply
the Presdio by means Of new aqueduct to
be laid direct from the pumping station at
the creek, across the Intervening hills, to
the settlement on the bay.
Chief Engineer Schussler of the water
company has been corresponding volumi-
nOusly with the powers at Washington
demonstrating the economical advantages
of this plan.
"Of the 100000 gallons pumped from the
creek" said Mr.. Schussler. I'VE could af-
ford TO let the Presidio have 10000 gallons
at much less expense than they could get
that amount by pumping il themselves.
I'VE have had experience in the matter of
supplying water to communities, and il Is
very possible that we know a thing or two
more about water systems and water sur
plies than the military gentlemen who have
never done ANYTHING in that line"
The present tiume running along by the
edge of the bluff is totally useless, and the
water going through 1t runs to waste. A
6-ineh pipe has been laid along the beach
below the bluff, and through 1t the Preside
is temporarily being supplied.
A day or two ago Mr.. Schussler sent'an en-
gineer out to find whether the condition of
the land on which the old liume is cituated
would admit OF its being successfully re-
paired. but the report proved that the entire
mass is moving seaward at the rate of
nearly foot day. The waves, too. are
fast undermining the beach from below,
and it will not be long before the whole
thing will slip down into the sea.
General Ruger does not care to say any
thing about tie matter, as It would involve
a resurrection of his recent difficulties with
the hospital. That trouble about the doc
tors vegetable garden remains unsettled,
though an endless amount of red-tape cor
TespOndence has resulted from 1t.
DR.. Bailhache still plants his vegetables
ard continues TO fertilIZe them.
The Presidto people are fighting hard to
gain an independence In their water-supply
question, and the Spring Valley Company
is fighting equally hard to get the exclusive
privilege of supplying them. And all this
time DR.. Bailhache looks on and watches
cOmplacently the growth OF his vegetables,
which were the first cause o it all.