The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-01
AM INDEPENDENT PLANT
Only One Vote in the Council
Against the Proposition.
|GIANT SPRINGS WATER
Great Falls Will Submit to Vote of
the People the Plan of a Municipal
Water Plant-Report OF the
Committee.

When the city council met this evening
that matters. Of more than usual inn
portance were to be considered. Inc
Council chamber was we'll filled with
citizens and taxpayers. The chair ap-
preciated the situation, proceeding at
once to the main business of the even
ing, which was the water works ques-
ton.
The report of the special committee I
on the water works question was READ |
by ttfes clerk y After reviewing thor
oughly the offers made by the COM
pany to the city, the report concludes |
as follows:
Z 1.-THE only alternatives left the city
are independent construction or sub
mission to the present and constantly
Increasing burdens of the existing
franchise and contract. Your commit
tee has taken some pains to 1nvestl-
gate the essential possibilities of indie
pendent construction, with the result
that we are led to believe that such
course is entirely practicable If the
Giant Springs of the Missouri are used
as O. sourcesof supply.
"A prejudice has existed in this COM
inunity against the desirability of the
springs water for domestic purposes.
The experience of the silver smelter
seems, in itself alone, to be sufficient
disproof of the existence of any grounds
Justly rest The water works of the
silver smelter are so arranged that by
the-turning of a single valve either Mis-
souri, river water or Giant Springs
water may be obtained, yet the water
of the springs has been found so vastly
preferable that for years no other has
been used. In each of the two mineral
analysis-that of the Giant Springs
water, the other of the Missouri river
water-made in December, 1895, by the
Dearborn Drug and Chemical works of
Chicago, exactly the same wording is
used to describe the qualities of each
of these waters for boiler use. the opin-
ion in each case reads: We consider
this fair water for boiler use, and
can treat it at moderate cost The
sodium and potassium salts will have
"a slight tendency to cause the boiler
to foam and produce galvanic action
unless neutralized
An organic analysis of the water OF
the Giant Springs, made by James a.
Lodge, professor Of chemistry of the
University of Minnesota, ends by say
ing: From the foregoing analysis, L
conclude that this water is of remark
able purity as regards organic sub
stances, not being excelled by any
water with whose analysis | am ac-
quainted The mineral substances in
this water are all of a harmless ma
ture, and will have no special medical
action on the systems of persons IN
health using the water. In my opin-
ion, this water il to be highly recon-
mended as a source of supply for
drinking purposes
THE clearneSS and purity of this
water never varies from one years end
to another, and its absolute freedom
from sand and mud, of which there is
much, especially at certain seasons
of the year in the Missouri water,
would prove a very great attraction
nd ,fArt pa1t tn he 1tn
user of water for all domestic pur-
poses. but to the owner of plumbing
fixtures. the valves, etc. which are so
quickly cut out by the sand in the Mis-
souri, river water.
I'm short we believe that the waters
of the Giant Springs offer in every way
superior advantages to that of the Mis-
souri, river North of the Boston and
Great Falls addition is reservoir site
of sufficient altitude to make possible
a gravity system for the entire city,
and of considerably greater altitude
than the summit of Prospect hill.
I'VE earnestly recommend the indie
pendent construction of a water works
plant and that an investigation be made
as to the spracticability and desirability
of the Giant Springs water as source
of supply.
Respectfully submitted. r. J. Fitz-
gerald, ]. j. Mcdonnell. Oliver F. Wads-
worth. jr.. r. S. Ford, j. F. Bridge, An
drew Rinker.'
At the close of the reading of the COM
mittee's report. the following resolution
was presented by Alderman Thompson
and read by the clerk:
Be II resolved. by the city council of
the city of Great Falls, that the report
of the special committee on the water
works question which relates to the con-
struction by TIE city of an independent
plant be- ed hereby IS. adopted. and
the city attorney is hereby instructed t.
Immediately prepare and present to the
council at its next meeting all of the
resolutions and ordinances necessary to
be passed by this body before submit
ting the question to the vote of the peo-
pie.
BE it further resolved. that special
committee of three members of the
council he appointed by the mayor
which shall act with the city engineer in
ascertaining and reporting to this body
the probable cost of such plant. having
the Giant Springs as its source of sup
ply"
Alderman JarI, the only dissenting
member of the committee. also present
ed a written report Ii stated that Sab
900 was an excessive price for the plant
but recommended that the proposition
he presented to the people for action
The Thompson resolution was Their
taken up and seconded by Alderman
Dunn Before a vote was taken Alder.
man Jarl delivered an euiogy on the
initiative and referendum.
The mayor INDUCED in some SHARP
questioning of the advocate or populis
tic ideas. which resulted in the latter
hecona'na somewhat tangled up. Alder
man Dunn also seized the occasion L
llIsshe some pertinent remarks on th'
subject.
a yea and nay vote resulted in every
member Of the council, save Jarl, voting
affirmatively. and the resolution was de
elared adopted.
The committee on public improve
n7ents made an extensive report. haVini
PARTICULARLY To do with the bouleVardiDi
If Third and Fourth avenues north. Th
committee asked the newspapers TO cal
the attention Of the residents on thos
avenues to the fact that the best metho'
II carving On smch LmDr0Noments