The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-09
THE DAM CAN STAY.
Health Board Makes a Decision
About Lake Union.
NO INJURY TO SANITATION.
Property Owners Warmly Discuss the
question of the HealthfuIness
of the situation.

The board of health meeting yesterday
afternoon was unusually warm, but for
the first time in mary months the members
OF the board sat back in their chairs and
listened as judges while others did the
talking. After the battle was over il was
decided that from a sanitary standpoint
there was no reason why the dam at the
outlet OF Lake Union should be removed.
and that as far as the othEr questions
which cropped out at the investigation
were concerned the board of health would
refer ali parties 10 the clvil courts
Health Officer Palmer Informed the
board that there were several persons in
waiting 70 be heard on the complaint that
the Lake Union dam caused an unsanitary
cordition in the vicinity of the homes OF
c. Z. Wadsworth and Dennis Conroy. The
doctor then gave the history of the case,
and said In conclusion that while he had
thought there might be reason for COM
plant when the matter first came I'D, he
had investigated further and really did
not look upon the dam as a nuisance. Mr..
Wadsworth was then called In He had
with him a glass jar in which was some
green water and what looked like frog
spittal The members of the board looked
at the water. then took a smell, and told
Mr. WadsWorth TO tell his story. He said
that he lived on the lake, and that the dam
caused the water TO back up in a sort OF
runway near his house and that a regular
bog was the result The water was covered
with green, filthy vegetation. and at times
when the wind was right the stencil was
awful. Market Inspector Braymer corrob-
Grated the story about the green stuff. In
summer the water went down, fish that
had died IN the place were left uncovered.
and the stencil was something terrible
II the water was lowered he thought there
would he nothing to produce such a state
of affairs.
Dennis Conroy, who has lived on the
lake twenty years, said In years gone past
he used 20 drinks Lake Union water, but
now II was bad. The stencil vas so sicken-
ing that the doors of his house could not
be kept open. There had been sickness IN
his family, which ne thought came from
the lake.
Then b. F. Day. the old pioneer. was
called and he started the ball rolling By
declaring that in sixteen years he had not
heard any complaint about high OF low
water affecting heat; around the lake.
II guess this business Is not on account
OF health. but for property reasons" he
continued. ANY one knows that the more
water there is on place the less danger
there Is to health. If the water went UP
and down at Viii there would be decayed
vegetation for certainty"
+. c. Kilbourne stated that IL would be
best that The water he kept at one level,
speaking from a sanitary standpoint. Then
he said in a decided tone that when the
electric road was running its line along
Lake Union Il had trouble with this
man." who tried 10 stop the work by law
but when the matter was looked up rs
said II was found that he was a squatter
and had Jumped the land.
Wadsworth became quite excited, and
pressing forward said: What DO you
call jumping land? l have d warrantee
deed d"
Hold on. hold on said President Nil
Ter. don't all talk at once"
Things quieted down. and IL was learned
from G. +. Stone that the lake was four
feet lower at present than &c was in 1s6S.
and that in his opinion the present coudi-
ton OF affairs was not conducive so sick
ness l. Hu-lnEame. the miilman who
put IN the dam eight years ago. said that
at that time the water was eight inches
higher than * vas at present lie had put
IN gates and intended 20 keep the water a.
rear one level as possible To lower il
would ruin his business. and he should
fight any such attempc. Thomas Sanders.
a II King. Manager Goddard OF the IA
ciic Iron Works az Fremont. and J. :
Brace, OF the Western mill. said IL was
best no 70 lower the water.
The board then went into executive SEES
sion. and as President Miller had made a
personal examination. z decision 20 drop
the matter entirely vas reached in few
minutes Dr ME- -r s8.1 that ha 1'd uot
thirk che dam was a nuisance. and 8s 70
property rights. that could be settled in
court.