The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-22
FIGURES ON THE COST OF WATER AND LIGHTS

cost of water in the United States per family is
43 per cent higher where private companies
control the supply.
In San Francisco the average cost per family
can be estimated at rs per cent higher than
the average of Eastern cities that own their
water. The great cost attending the construc-
ton of such works should be met squarely in
the outset as the earlier in the history of any
city that the subject is grappled with the
sooner the progress and growth of that city is
assured. scant water supply and high prices
are drawbacks to the best geographically 10
Gated municipality, which no natural advan-
tageS can overcome.
The rapid progress and success that is at
tending the system of artesian we'll boring is
attracting attention all over the world. Where
it can be applied the greatly diminished cost
of obtaining water by this means commends IL
at once to the taxpayer and capitalist. Arte-
sian water being usually free from organic
matter is generally much purer than water
from other sources, and any mineral lmpurlty,
in such quantity to be injurious to the health,
is easily recognized from its taste, which is not
always the case of many of the impurities
found in surface water.
That there is evidence of an immense supply
of good water beneath San Francisco is easily
demonstrated by any one who will investigate
the subject for an hour.
Chicago, with an inland sea of fresh water at
its very doors, finds that it is economy to use
artesian water. There are over twenty artesian
wells in that city, varying from 1900 to 100
feet in depth The most successful is 81
inches in diameter, yielding 100000 gallons
these wells is $4,000 for 81 inches diameter
and $4,000 for AZ inches in diameter. An
official investigation of the cost OF developing
the resources of San Francisco in this direction
is certainly worth the trouble and trif1lng ex-
penSe.
Another gentleman who has long been
identified with the City's growth and has
held responsible Office said:
There is plenty of good, pure water obtain
able in this City. At the northeast corner Of
Stockton and Union streets, in early days,
there was soda factory which was supplied
with water from an artesian well five inches in
diameter. The water continually flowed over
the fve-inch curb. l think the name of the
proprietor of the soda works was Thompson.
On Charles Bawm's property, at 1905 Powell
street, there was a WELL the water in which
could never be lowered less than twenty-five
feet in depth. In the rear of the Bawm lot and
on Thomas Taylor's property there was q well
1879 feet from the northwest corner of Powell
and Unio streets, the water in which was
never reduced. This neighborhood is seventy
five feet above base.
John Harold, brewer, purchased fifty
vara lot on Filbert street, between Powell and
Mason, and was induced to dig well. He
by means of two-inch pipe, and by that saved
an expense equivalent to the price he paid for
the lot-several thousand dollars.
l remember another instance. NJ. F. Truett
lived at the corner of John and Powell streets.
Along corner of his cellar and under a corner
of the African Methodist Church on Powell
street was a running stream equal in volume
TO four or five inches in diameter.
The Ensign Water Company had spring
somewhere in this vicinity, to the possession of
which John Benson succeeded and ultimately
the Spring Valley Company.
Yes, there is plenty OF water. All down here
on the fiat on Sansome and Pine streets water
could be obtained easily. There were several
lighthouses which got their supplies from wells
dug. Turner Cowing, the water-cart man, got
his water from an artesian well right where
the Stock Exchange building now stands on
Pine street.
Again, look at Buena Vista Park. 1t is al
ways wet. Llewellyn on Buena Vista avenue,
where it must be about 500 feet above base,
had a 100-foot well and was supplying his
neighbors until the Spring Valley Company
N ade some sort of an arrangement with him.
1t is no new thing for city to get its water
from artesian wells. Brooklyn, N. Y, is an
example of this.