The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-10

use. In fact the Mayor has found such a
state of affairs existing in connection with
all the water supplies of the Spring Valley
Company that he says he Will use all the
time he has to spare after twisting the
tentacles of the octopus in securing a
water supply for the city free prom polly
wogs and putridity.
Mayor Sutro was greatly worked up over
the discoveries made ON his trip He
seems to have no faith in the promises of
the Spring Valley Water Company to fur
nlsh this city with pure water, and he now
favors the proposition for San Francisco to
secure an abundant supply of water from
the Sierra Nevada Mountains by a new
system. He believes the city should issue
bonds to build a system OF its own, so as
not to be at the mercy of a corporation
which cannot or viii not furnish pure
water in abundance.
Shortly after his return from Laguna de
Ia MERGED, Mayor Sutro said: "This mat
ter was first brought to my notice by
Thomas Price, the assayer and analytical
chemist, who showed me samples of i'm
pure water taken from the reservoir of the
Spring Valley Water Company The mat
ter came up officially when the company's
agents made statements concerning the
value and resources of the company before
the Board OF Supervisors. At the last
meeting of the board l told them about
the impurities of the waters OF Lake
MERGED. The members agreed that an
analysis of the water should be made bv
the board itself, and it was agreed to pay
$50 to have DR.. Spencer make the official
analysis, and for him to report to the
board. There was some kicking, as a few
Of the members believed all the waters
should be examined. | told them agreed
with them, but that We should attend to
the waters of one place first and the rest
afterward.
when the Board of Supervisors met
last Monday the question came up.
Schussler. the engineer of the Spring Val
ley Water Company, was on the stand and
asked him a number of questions. | told
him of the results of Prices examination.
He expressed himself as of the belief that
Price was a reliable and honest man, but
he said the company was not using the
water from Lake MERGED, that the water
being supplied the city came from Lake
Pilarcitos and Laguna Honda. | asked
him how long it had been since the reser-
voir at Laguna Honda had been cleaned.
BE replied that he did not remember, but
that 1t was about seven or eight years
asked him if it was not fully ten years
He said it might have been.
Now, a reservoir ought to be cleaned
out every three months, and the reservoirs
should be so arranged that they could be
cleaned one-half at a time. | believe the
reservoir at Laguna Honda is so con-
structed, but it is weak and leaks. |
asked Schussler the reason why the reser-
voir had not been cleaned. He replied
that the company was afraid big fire
might break out in San Francisco at the
time the cleaning was taking place and
the city would burn down on account of
an insufficient supply of water. | then
asked him why the company had allowed
the reservoir to get into such decrepid
condition that 1t might collapse if cleaned.
lie would not admit it was in such
condition, but he did say the concrete
was weak on one side. He admitted there
were cracks in the west side of the reser-
voir. | inquired OF Schussler whether it
was true that sewer from the Almshouse
and It's vicinity ran along the whole line of
the lake just by the cracked wall OF the
reservoir. He admitted this was true. /
next inquired II 1t was not possible for the
sewer to break for some cause, especially
IN an earthquake country, and for the sew
age to flow into the reservoir through the
cracked walls.
Il have been told there is a great ac
emulation of filth in Laguna Honda. The
winds blow freely there, and all sorts of
manure from the roads, ranches and
diaries, as well as sand and leaves, are car
ried into the reservoir. l asked Schussler
if he could deny that such a condi-
ton of affairs was bad for the purity of
the water in the reservoir, which had not
been cleaned for eight or ten years. His