The morning call., 1894-11-20
Sustains Loss of Territory in
Oakland.
BENEFITS FROM A WATER WAR
A Hot Session of the City Council
in Which Dalton and Smell
Talk-BOuleVard.


Company, had their first clash of arms in
the council last night. and the Contra
Costa was showed under.
The fight came up on recommendation
from the Fire and Water Company that
the Dingee Company be given the patron
age of the city for furnishing water for all
public purposes in the territory west of
Broadway.
This recommendation brought Mr.. Dali
ton to his feet with an amendment to the
effect that the Dingee territory be in
creased by extending the limit to Lake
Merritt. This would crowd the Contra
Costa back into the East Oakland dis
trct, and virtually give Dingee the bulk Of
the patronage. AS the recommendation
stood the new company would have tie
cream OF the business, and the Contra
Costa was prepared with vigorous kick.
Mr.. Smell arose to speak for the Contra
Costa Company. He said that there
should be no haste in the matter. and
until a thorough investigation was made
the city should not put itself in position
in which it would not be able to fight
fires. He said he had consulted with Mr..
Kennedy and Chief Lawton and he
learned that the Dingee Company had
only a 20-inch main into Oakland. while
the Contra Costa Company had 3712-
inch main, which was equal to three ana
half times as much water put into the
heart of Oakland by the old company as
against the new.
That further, the Oakland company was
bringing wafer eighteen mles-a great
distance-and that the friction must be
tol- inf yuOnl1 he a
further loss of power. That the Contra
Costa had fall of 225 feet, while the
Oakland must depend on its pumps for
force, and that the pumps were not always
a good dependence. it mattered not how
perfect they were.
The speaker then asked that these two
companies be asked to furnish bids to the
Board of Public Works and said that the
city would in this way get the benefit of
healthy competition.
Mr.. Smell then made motion, seconded
bv Barnard, that the matter be laid over
til! Monday, to be considered by the COM
mittee of the whole, AID that the presi-
dents of the two companies be called on to
make sta tementS as TO the merits of their
respective companies.
Engineer B0ardman of the Dingee COM
pany refuted some of the statements made
by Mr.. Smell. He said it was not true that
the Contra Costa Water Company had a
fall of 225 feet. He said the dam at Cha bot
was that high. but it was not often the
lake was full, and then the water passed
through series of filters, which material
ly reduced the fall.
fThe Contra Costa Company" he said.
"has a 81 Y inch main, it is true, but it be-
gins two miles this side of Chabot and
ends at High street. Our service Is far
superior To that of Contra Costa, because
fbn afkryor l. OF min
have 1t laid, in some places block after
block. The Contra Costa has pipe as
small as y inches, while ours Is uniform,
but as many as four pipes in some l0cali-
ties. Why, on each corner a fire hydrant
could get this benefit of the four convey
ing 4-inch pipes at any time. and at the
tap of a bell We could put ou seventy-fiye
pounds of pressure to the square inch.
The Contra Costa depends On gravity; we
depend on steam.
Mr.. Dingee has made it possible to have
the com petition you speak If and we come
to you now not as beggars but asking fair
share OF the city patronage and we will
give you SUCH water as you never before
tasted"
Mr. Dalton took fling at Mr.. Smell and
said he had weakened somewhat in his
statements since Mr.. Boardman took the
floor. The Contra Costa, he said, had
played the part of the dog in The Manager
never do anything itself or let any one do
anything.
Il believe" said be, 'sMr. Dingee de-
serves special credit for the way he has
battled this corporation and should have
encouragement. Mr.. Smell wanted to put
this matter in the bands of the Board of
Public Works."
You misQuote me; you miSquote me-"
shouted Smell.
81 say" continued Dalton, shat Mr..
Smell wanted to have this matter 90
through the hands of the Board of Works
and bids asked for. Surely this council
and people have had enough of the Board
of Works. They would treat The matter
as they have the Seventeenth street open
ing. A year ago they were ordered to
open that street to the bay, and now, at
this late day, after the time has expired
by law in which anything could be done,
they tell US that the eastern shore-line of
the Bay of San Francisco was not properly
designated. This board would treat us
the same way if this water matter was put
in their hands,"
Councilman Manuel said regarding the
question Of advertising for bids through
the Board of Public Works that this was
just what the Contra Costa Company
wanted; that a stakeholder of tt at COM
pany, George P. Grant. had told him that
they wanted a chance TO bid, and that
they could make the bid so low that they
would soon break the new company. and
that they would then have chance to buy
the new plant; that their own system was
worn out and that the Dingee plant was
new and they needed it.
Mr.. Barnard wanted to 60 slow. Then
he read a statement which he said came
from the Contra. Costa Company to the
effect that that company had between De-
cember, 1884. and December, 1893, put in
hydranIs for the city to the amount of
sac. O00 on which the CITY was indebted to
them.
Mr.. Dalton said the statement was prob
ably al true as other statements by them
10 the effect that their plant was worth
six millions.
The matter reached vote by this time
and Dalton's amendment was lost, but the
resolution giving Dingee the territory west
of Broadway went through by vote of 6
TO 8, Messrs. Dow and Barstow being ab-
sent. When the vote was announced the
| lobby cheered.
The Council passed TO print last night
| the ordinance compelling the railroad
company to station a f1agman at Twelfth
and Webster streets, and would have
passed another railroad ordinance COM
! polling all trains to stop before crossing
| the drawbridges had not the one intro
i hnQn of N ~ l.yo