The San Francisco call., 1898-01-17

which is partly a tunnel brick conduit l and wooden Hume, aggregating a length of 26,00O feet.
 A newly constructed, well planned and faithfully executed niece of engtn- eering work Is the branch tunnel and brick conduit leading from the former tunnel to the new Bellevue reservoir. The length of the same is 10,S00 feet. An open ditch. partly fumed, 29,7OO feet in length, brings the water from the Los Angeles River to the Pelton wheel.
 Nothing can be said in favor Of its construction; its value is nominal, the fumes thereof are rotten; the carry ing capacity is taxed to over1owing; it needs constant repairs and is there fore a constant source of expense. The right of way for these conduits are, to a great extent, of more than doubtful value. The right of way obtained by the company follows a sinuous line, adapting itself to the topography of the land at the time of selecting these routes, while at the present time fumes, tunnels and conduits follow, in many instances, different routes, di- verging as much as 200 feet either to the right or left of the right of way obtained for the same. In one in stance there is no right of way ob- tained for a tunnel of over 2SOO feet in length; in other instances it appears that permanent water rights are given
 by the water company to adjoining l landowners in exchange for such right i of way.
 The rights to develop water are mooted question. The city of Los An
 geles is at present preparing for the | final struggle in the courts to deter | mine the value of the so-called Cry
 stal Springs" property. It is not in-
 tended to prejudice this case now or
 to anticipate the results of such legal investigation. A recital of the facts
 apparent to any one visiting the locali-
 ties, however, may be of interest In
 this matter at the present time.
 The water company is entitled to the
 use of ten miners inches of water
 out of the Los Angeles River, ac-
 cording to the terms of the con-
 tract with the city, made thirty
 years ago. The water company uses
 to-day about 1900 miners inches for
 the domestic water supply, as well
 as for power to operate their pumps.
 The difference of 1790 miners inches is
 supposed to be developed on their
 grounds called, euphoniously, Crystal
 Springs" These springs" being the
 head works of the water company, are located on land adjacent to and partly
 beneath the bed of the Los Angeles River. The head works cover flfty-fouI acres of ground, four acres of which are owned by the water company while the remaining fifty acres arc leased land.
 Two lines of 24-inch percolation pipes ) laid in the ground, running partly par allel to the Los Angeles River and 40I 7 feet distant therefrom and partly be
 heath the river for a distance of nearly 500 feet, and two other lines of 16-incl = percolation pipes, distant about 220 feet from the river, begin at the four
 acre Crystal Springs tract and joiI s with the first line of pipes at the gut , house, from whence the water thus de Y veloped discharges into the main con duit leading toward the city.
 r How do these percolation pipes oper l ate?
 The lines of pipes parallel to and be r meath the river necessarily gather thei a water from the saturated sub-strata O
 the river bed and drain the water iron Q the river. The lines of pipes leading of
 Crystal Springs and being too "a
 away to be materially benefited by tn
 waters of the Los Angeles River, arc :, however, artificially provided wit = spring and "percolating water" b ' means of an open ditch which, drawin
 the surface water out of the river, de
 posits such water in wide, shailo IL ditch immediately above the springs, ' saturates the ground, furnishes tn 1T percolating water in any quantity dc i- sired; a convenient entrance way these percolating pipes being provide $ by means of an open pit located on th le four-acre Crystal Springs" tract, int s- which the Los Angeles River watt IS flows unhindered.
 l. The following is a summary of tf T. water works system: The pipe syster y with the exception of all the cast ire m pipes and a few of the newer rivett m steel pipes, is old, deteriorated and sul t. ject to constant repairs and renewal 1- Investigation proved deficit of 4e D. miles of pipe in the water company
 schedule. The water works syste S. contains two good, serviceable al of well-located reservoirs, while z en the ether reservoirs are neith e. in size, location nor constru ut tion fit for more than temporal he use, and need replacing by others. TT
 power stations are scattered over t VII large territory, and are poorly equi ," ped and maintained. With the exec he ton of the Buena Vista plant. they a h. too small and housed in poorly co lit structed buildings. The machinery