The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-12-22
BEAR CREEK WATER
Poured Into the New Reservoir
on the Hill.
PRESIDENT PARKER THE MAN
Who Turned the Wheel, While the
Water in the Fountain Shot
High in Air.

With shouts of the approval of assem-
bled citizens the first water from Bear
Creek was yesterday afternoon turned
into the great reservoir on the hill, and
the people realized that they were almost
in possession of a completed water sys>
TEN second to none on the coast.
At 2 O'Clock, the hour announced for the
test, a large number of ladies' and gen.
tlemen had gathered at the reservoir, to-
gether with the members Of the water
commission, Messrs. w. w. Parker, pres
ident, j. Q. A. Bowlby, F. A Fisher, II.
G. VanDusen, Samuel Elmore, and W.
T. Dement,, and Chief Engineer Adams.
At q given signal, President w. w.
Parker turred the wheel that released
the water from the Bear Creek pipe line,
into the great fountain in the center OF
the basin, the stand pipe of which is
about twenty-five feet high. The water
rose from the fountain to a height of ~
feet, and fell in spray into the reservoir,
glistening and sparkling in the sunlight,
in a most beautiful manner, making
picure that will long remain in the minds
of those who were present. The greatest
enthusiasm prevailed amongst the poop
pie, and at the suggestion OF Judge Gray
three ,cheers were given for the water
commission After the fountain had
played several minutes. Conm'ssner Ell
more turned the water into the waste
tank and Commissioner Bowlby then
turned 1t out again. All parts of the ma
ohinery were seen to work perfectly and
Engineer Adams came In for congratu'a>
tions on the success of his great pipe line
Because of a gravel slide near the head
of the pipe line, the full pressure of the
water was not turned into the fountain.
1t is the intention 20 keep six million
gallons of water in the reservoir all the
time, and to first fill up the big tank WI
require a day and a half, with the foun-
tain running under full pressure
The following is the official report of
the commissioners on the proceedings of
the day, forwarded to the Astorian for
publication
"As you probably have learned, indie
pendent Of this mention, the Astoria wa
ter commission this afternoon had the
water supply from Bear Creek for the
city, through the pipes of the new water
works, turned into the new reservoir, at
the head of old West Seventh street,
Shively's Astoria, now Seventeenth street,
city of Astoria, Mr.. Adams, the engineer
having previously notified the commits
sion that everything necessary for that
purpose was in readiness to let in the
water.
Afew cinutes after p M, the hour
named in the morning paper for the oc-
currence of the interesting event, your
correspondent invited thereto by the en-
gineer, in the presence of about 200 peo-
pie who had gathered to witness the act
commenced the forty turns of the gate
wheel which let the full stream of water
through the main pipe into the reservoir.
Immediately the water showed Itself at
the top of the standpipe and fountain
near the center of the reservoir, the spray
rising higher and higher as the gate
opening was extended, until the gate was
fully open, when the spray at the foun-
tain reached an estimated height of sew
enty feet "A
After running q minutes through
the fountain, the .er was turned into
the stand pipe IL the well of the gate
house After the standppe was filed and
the water went off into the waste p pc
for sore minutes, it was turned into the
reservoir again, spouting up in many jets
some 20 or Is feet high, and falling thence
all around the fountain, into the reser'
voir in which cord ton the founta'n was
left as the spectators departed, every one
as far as could be learned, fu ly sat sfi; {
with the stability of the works so far
and the good prospect for an ahundan'
supply of good water in the near future,
I as soon as the tunnel is completed early
| in 1896.
I No mishap, lack of complete working OIL
the machinery, or anything else occurred
to indicate any miscalculation in the con-
struction of the water works thus far'
Respectfully,
( w. w. PARKER,
{ Az41.fo VUotar al