The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-14
THE PUBLIC WORKS.
Exhaustive Annual Report OF
the City Engineer.
FAvoas GRAVITY WATER SUPPLY
After AIiusioas 80 che Wsrssr Epssoas
He Pfan~ss Into Bassssss
Coca Eecommendssisns.

Tf,a annual report Of city Engineer Il.
H. Thomson for is+a sas flea WITH he
Dosr1 CT ,saDllc worrs yesterday, asaGg Ire
foarys asaaaai segors from that Office ia
der he freeEosaefs charter. adopted Us-
toasr & $50. IL u AZ exhaustive rsyse~ OF
raa gorx % MS department. daTtss the
x.af. covering ssery one OF tie sTany
paa..e .orxs Of ga.en he has Bad Charge
ar. viii prove valuable record OF what
has been done toF future city ssmlnis.sa-
rlsna.
tbs rear 1854. MF. Thomson says. has
rot been entirely auesentfuj. sonss gsositi-
cal vofx haslBe been attempted AID ssaseh
sut,3.e woEa done Mr. Tllomsyn rnen
arlagly reviews bis lneGmoeney. tie TsoT-
s4hgzstsoa Of MA farce anJ the s&eellEat
s0sk dos.e ~ sasn aarsgas TIE ysag -
she following Iassgasgs-
'sEsxtwsae Janaasy Is ard February u
] vas = sfivate cislxsn. having been dis
charged on ths zssHissg 81 January Il oy
majority vote OF tae then board % pubic
works. fuy reasons nat d.scre3Has!e 10
myself. Suffice Il 70 say that after thor
ough examination. Mayor J. Z, Ronald
kGnssssAriiy removed tao nssDasrs OF TIE
board o. tsss ground pf iaalfeasssFsce, mis-
1aassaee and nonfaasaace IA office. The
board MAS reorgaa.xsd and on February
IS | AIS Somofsd By . reappoAaimerst On
February q tie new board increases tay
ia5sasz ay adding slaegeto tfe eaffFe charge
as construction az public sewers. which
haa. heretofore been under the sa9eriE-
segIaeas 81 ssr@ess. Ffpm thai time uatii
ts.s
Grafton sse4ecen departments, and poeise
improvements have a.sea prosecuted SIS
tsusalseziiy. THIS system. aided ~ rigid
snpsrsis.og, has given is hlgA class work
o. 4 very economical basis. In atiaiting
slls cad year hon9sabsa board has Kissa
MS nDet valuable sssausei snd assistance.
u nksn ; p2f8oa Of aboas siRe weeks saort-
Is pfIas 10 as reaEpaintsnent to office
there hal been over sia9.skss speat on open
sewers aiape aud no adequate results at
tairssf Ia atop. wasfe and 10 obtain or
gAnlzatan ard economy without causing
4r!es.om was a task requiring eoalaesa
and tact I thefefoFs FIRST Organized any
force Of ASSISTANTS as perfectly as posi-
ase.
.sro Mr. Henry W Scott l assigned the
general supervision OF all construction
t.xcegf In. sewer tunueisJ. making him
also responsible for all property from the
former nagenaent aud the purchase or
ali tools aud material. Ills diligence aud
Industry have been wonderful. and every
taxpayer If Seattle owes him thanks for
his zeal for their welfare. At my request
air scott has transmitted 20 me "a fun
report 81 the work of both sewer ami
stsee; construction. which Is transmitted
herewith ~ construction report.
ITO sir. A. V. Bonillon / gave the over-
sight Of the designing and drafting de-
partmHnt. isy his sfdsriy and system
also management, and ills ability to gath
err frem hurried descriptions or rough
sketches The exact thought IN mind, and
10 reproduce original and suggested ideas
81 the form OF artistic afsl accurate plans.
DE has made himself Invaluable % the
department. Al sns reQuest he has eoas-
piled some Of the many plans made dur
irg ths gear. together With brief ,lescrip-
tive text. much OF whIeh will be found
Hsder the head of office Report
'sra Mr.. George +. Cotserill was given
"a most diiflcait ana diversified field. Tn
der the head Of right OF. way deputy he
wGs charged With The responsibility OF SEE
curing rights-agswa FOR sewers across
pFiyaae property, the obtaining OF re-
leases Of damage from property holders
on streets about 10 be graded. and also
deeds for the widening. STRENGTHENING az
otherwise improving misftting ana jeg-
esag streets. the supervision and iuspee-
tisa 81 local improvement aSsessm.ai
rolls ana tae determination 81 the legal
status Of an eadiesa variety OF topics. ali
OF whleh wste well done Ills report u
sne Is transmitted herewith
Isy the fielity Of these three men and
ahe efficient services of the other en-.
ployes OF the department nay fahorS have
hSen lighte9tss. and whatever dliliralyy
arose / have always found that whether
] waa preaepi or absent, nay instructions
were uaflnehlngX eaferce1 the city's in
sersst protected ami economy praetteea
ami 80 shesn I give the credit Tor ;hs
phenomenal success Of the Department
curing the hast year
The report then takes up sn detail tbs
a.ske rninn sewer tunnel and the Souil
sewer tunnel. also comments Ipoa VA
slaus topics. inciuding especially the worA
aua aee1s Ct the city water system.
s.ske Uulaa vewer Tawnei,
~, Thomson points With pride 10 tn,
rssnyetiea Of the Lake Talon sewer tau
sae1 The undertaking was a great one
fle peculiar dlaivaties and sexations de
1ays unforeseen ami uBprepares for. ans
Nj, Thomson gives an Interesting hsssori
eai ea3 engineering record II she project
The eity cevers aa AREA - twenty ghi
square miles 81 LAID surface. varying IN
elevation Es=zsss tes; so $40 feet above high
sita, The AREA Is eighs anA ene.haft
mites from north "a soa}h au3 varies srssr
OK aa3 a hslg miles IS twa miies "a Nt8tA
from TIE hsy ana Saua4 ease 20 Lake
wasatastea. Thc northern portion or th&.
area IS hF0ken hS Lake tuion. csverfus
rs area Or 90 acres. and by Green lake
covering IN area 81 a. acres T.sb,. Iveea
slss IT. ent!eJ tate the SQUAD AMI Greer
,aSe 3ate Lake Washington. TNe sratsvy
surface IS a Succession oG elevations an,
sepressisFss, the natural drainage from Ter
square miles being taio she SaGnt. strh
square mites fnta Lake Union ana ,er
square mi}es directly CT iealrectly ihf
Lake Washington. Ia OsAeg wards. 4 "a.
natural Topography were Fa}ssar4 50.
sewerage from 81 per cent. ~ she cEtv..
area sa2ala 81 snto fresh wa1e~ lakes
surrounded or oarylered BY she city Aheu
six years aga, realizing thas the fssHeties
a. Lake ifeiea was ALREADY oszoa ~.
osty engaged Cot- George T. WartaE /,
s.sit the city asa devise = system of sew
erase Cel. WaFieg susae a repayt w}ts
rlaes tn M8F>a. fsSs. recommending
.'sspaea;e system. Scr sewerage oa ~
s~,s fy~,ssA Se~ezsA 49, sgsNs. -.