The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-04
CEDAR RIVER WATER.
Mayor Wood Gets Enthusiastic
Over the Prospects.
HIS TRIP or investigations.
He Advocates the Construction OF tie
Upper Ptpe Line, which would
Bring Water I'm six Hours

works systsn and 70 Pcst-iE tetisE Eesr
reporter hs gave an Interesting resume
OF the trip ard the impressions gained -
what proved TO be extFeneiy F&luzo5s
outing. inasmrch as the pleasures attend
ant upon the sert-oTfclai tour made Il oFsa
az a holiday cnAxacter. while a. the same
time his mind vas being stored With ~
formation that viii be ysEaabss Ia BIS
handbag Of such questions as may Gene
under his immediate control wnen tas
work n actually started
Eye went o3t on he Columbia 4 Pu-
get Sound railroad as far a. Maple Val
ley" said Mayor Wood. "snd there we re-,
rn2lns4 over might In the morning We
took a team and drove over % Cedar NV
er. about Eve miles away. 70 the scealiEy
where the diversion vii be made s0s ne
pzpe line 10 Swan lake. We lo0ks1 Eaa
sffaafion over in a general way. taking
the fsn OF the river. tie lay q the ground,
etc Nr. Taornson calculated tas sizs D
the pipe from the river 20 the lake ~
fi1y-foaF inches. and that between tas
lake and city al forty-two inches eost
believe that the people generally uraef-
stood Just what Cedar river Ia. noF Old
tnsy. As say, generally. understand what
q magnificent scheme Il Wa. az the tine
they yoted for n. Although have been
very familiar with the lover part q tas
river. in the nelghborhood Of Renton aIsd
the Cedar mountains, was entirely af-
prepares for the revelations that we're 70
come. although ! have heard OF the beauty
on the sspger river for years. ard from NJ
lack az knowledge Of stsat portion OF tfss
stream had not considered Is as a source
Of water supply. We found the upper
effeafn 70 DO a mountain river Win
steep descent over boulders and along .
heavily shaded course. Tao roar Of me
water was such as 70 drown CIR volees
when conversation was Attempted any
where near the torrent Nothing puFer
or colder could he desired TIE water II
A. transparent AZ crystal. The present pan
of carrying the water through q pipe
which Will be covered along - entire
course. buried In the earth. IL much better
Than that proposed By the Chicago en-
GINGER. who designed our present wateT
system which was Tor a fisane Hhe from
Cedar river 10 swan lake. a distance Of
eight miles. The hslms would have 20 foi-
low uniform gysde throush1u It's Length,
involving bridges. cuts. tunnels and tres
tlework. and would be exposed 20 many
dangers. while the pipe line can follaw the
undulasions Of the around keeping near
the hydraulic grade ilna. erf thus sxsio
nearly ali the danger Of interruption ard
keep the water as cold as when II leaves
the river.
the water can readily be diverted from
Cedar river TO Swan lake. and the route
Ii free from serious engineering difficult
er and Swan lake crosses Rock creek.
which was for many years looked 70 ~
the future source OF supply Tor the ETY.
1t Is a small mountain stream. OF Femarle-
able eoidness and purity. which Issues al
most entirely. In the summer season. from
q subterrsnean water course. In the dry-
est season 1t flows about ls,s0o.sa gallons
per day. Rock creek alone. with SHan
lake as a storage reservoir. would be sss-
fclent for all city use for ten or nfteen
years to come. but with Cedar river avsli-
able at q point only three miles further
away, we are assured Of a supply which
can not be called into fun use for several
senerations On the upper district ws
were much surprised with the uniformity
Of the geologic formation. which, wss 20
frequently disclosed BY the perpendicular
hanks OF the river. rising on either side
TO the height OF about 50 feet The surface
In composed or a twenty foot layer p
boulaefs and gravel. Win scarcely any
scil upon II. mAksng the land practically
worthless The timber Is poor. and % 10
commercial value. fnfer the gravel there
4 shown q formation 81 cepgiomefaie
sandstone. extending hsioR any depth
which was disclosed. and upon wnseh
there f5w everywhere tha NabfsrFanesn
streams ard springs n08iug their way
From the melting snow u the lower levels.
THIS formation EXPLAINS The existence Of
such a spring AZ Rock creek.
.sfn nansa piacesr continued Mr.. Wood
.sthe PIPE lne necessarily would cross very
rough ground. ] WIS Impressed villa the
fu.;sarssuee OF giving very careful attea-
sion ta the anal location ef the pipe lire.
A liberal outlay IN engineering all easily
save ten times It's cost il the construction
and maintenance of the line. II wsn be
necessary. If course. Is construct a Foaa
ard telephone tine along the entire route
This was done .n the development ~ re
lard
s-rha upper pipe lire from Cedar river 70
Swan lake woala be a wooden pipe. PROF.
ably 81 CLEAR fir. with heavy slaves. ho@ua
together wfth iron bands AZ close IN r.
walls. " hrn constantly filled wlIh water.
rs viii b she ease WITH tAss liae the Mood
- practically infestraie1Ihie. There are 10
heavy de9ressgons IN the upper tine that
would tax the capacity OF even Wooden
pipe for resisting pressure Ia such ae-
rTeNaicns - Do occur. heweveF, the lfen
haaaS viii simpiy - placed closer & ,
rether. r. TIE lower liae where Il crosses
shc depression az Renten. steel pipe vii 10
nssa whenever the pipe fails below certain
Levels.
''To chose Of our party sho hsa net seer
q before Swan lake N8s a kNruFise. r
rests % the summit 81 = plateau, Ak feet
shove tifs level IL Is a compact boty Of
water about six milos la circunafeTuncs.
HAhsst~ - HNaft w fkssfE - u kaH tEef AEtt
an ARA 81 a. or 90 scres whleh makes Il
about A. lares as Lake talaR. Wsth its
pfcseat small Supply from i3s own water
shei the water - pare asa nut warmer
than weel3 - she case tn aaE ptasF Feser-
vnlr. With 3 isrEe stream OF CcAAr Flver
water aaaing teeoush e. here can be- no
question about the qu8ufy of the Nater
whieh would come 10 ihs city
While sg 81 not a. tAe plan eAlch VIII
b. FIRST carried ont. I believe fha essv ssin
eventually conassce tbR anneF p5pf lIae Is p
tha LOVER one ~ ahouf gao Miles alaae
the north shoTs ~ Swan take. aaa thea
hiring the Cedar river water direct "a asa,
city. ai1ewlaE TIE surplus Nater ffaas ta,s
Fg-ineh pipe. net ftkea hv fhe &s,fnra f,ias
70 waste lnts sWsa fska so4 rev 8Hr,saeh
g % the satarA ouriut. fsy thts aeans taa
city v0a.a BE usaE CESAR river Wszsr
within sS hcafs after Il Regt SO mountain
stream Fe~erging q tAe HAst sunasv ia
Swan laka ealy iu sae exeng ~ aeeffe~s Is
the upper psta tire. SNaa lakn IL eer-
satniS Keest esfHtaf sesegFosF aax !. rs,ast
MauAaa5 eae- Slaeh a eafsarlty FER sssss -
Al such 40 elevation. assE t.1e waiter as8
LARGE city. Is FeauAs X able. On the sAsla
We we're mast favoeaatg fuanrvss ea.f vstsh
tie Cedar river pg@pasft3aa as d aarsss *
on TIE Era4nA It's prosecution sAsass
have &he s1rnort ans prcaspt attssts.,ss -
our etfs@ens ard osacerA T3ss Gnaa.f al
questions Involved are Important. ard $50
mechanical pTehiests - fhe Nark can f1F
x3ss,t