The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-04
HAVE WATER ENOUGH
Citizens Also Do Not Yearn for
Any More Debt.
CHEAP WAY 70 GAIN THE END.
How Cedar River Water May Easily BE
Obtained What the German
Paper Has to say.

The proposition OF the city council 10 in
crease the city debt by N.Z0,eo for the
construction OF q gravity water system.
which the city will not need for many
years, remains the absorbing topic Of dis
cmssion, and continues 10 meet with con-
domination among men Of ali parties and
occupations. IL is evident from the prac-
tical unanimity OF those who are not men,
bers Of the city council or its bin fellow
era that on any question which ueedleEsiy
touches their pockefbooks men are all OF
one party. The Post-Iuteliigencer this
morning prints an able editorial from the
Seattle Demokrat. the German newspaper
OF thia city. which dispassionately discuss
es the merits and dement's Of the city's
scheme; also an interview with o. +. An
derson outlining a scheme BY which Cedar
river water may he obtained much more
readily than by the city's scheme, II the
city must and will have IL. - the issue
from day TO day becomes cleared OF the
fog Ia which IL has been sought TO envelop
IL the opposition to the councils scheme
becomes tronger and more general
Oliver II. Anderson. engineer and sur
veyor-I DO not believe any emergency has
arisen making II Justifahie or necessary
for the city II Seattle TO take advantage
OF G~uibbles sna technicalities. and evade
fhs plain meaning and intention Of con-
sfitutionai provisions regarding indebted
AA1RD n3 a ~ W. al AA8A 81 sthA@A 49,
c~shiv incur a us1 cept 81 N.I0.g0 at the
DFezen' time, re matter how desirable u
may seem. and the municipality should
bs the last 20 set an example or evasion.
We are not. howeve-. forced 70 choose
between Lake Washington water and a
Cedar river supply. as many suppose, by
rejecting the proposed ordinance. A peri
onicai examination and analysis OF the
lake water IL the reservoir should he made
~ our city chemist. and so soon as II Is
found AZ all injurious, Cedar river should
be turned into the lake, as ! first proposed
In an interview published some two or
three years since. ff this does not remedy
the contamination ard Seattle is not then
fn a financial position 10 construct the
Cedar river gravity system. a makeshift
could be adopted as follows: A covered
wooden fiume 10 be built from = short dis
tance above the mouth OF Cedar river.
along or near the shore OF Lake Washing
ton. crossing the neck Of Ba.ley's penin-
snia. and reaching the present pumping
station In a total length of about twelve
miles. the water necessarily 10 he diverted
into iron pipes In bringing IL under Black
river and the South canal. The ffume 10
deliver the water oy gravity into a small
reservoir or tank at the pumping station.
whence II could be pumped direct through
the present pipes to the Beacon hill reser-
volr. From a rough estimate ] am salts
fed this system would cost not to exceed
S5o,o0o. and possibly considerably less. The
cost Of pumping would be the same as at
present. This fiume. once built, would
cost practically nothing 10 keep i'm repair
for several years. the city would continue
20 operate It's water plant at a large profit,
while at the same time our inhabitants
would be enjoying the much-coveted noun
tain water. Eventually we must have the
gravity system proposed by Mr.. Williams.
but II Is far better TO walt until increased
population and improved times render II
possible without exceeding our debt limit
by evasion.