The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-13
WAL ERV|LLE IS TORN UP
A Big New Reservoir Is Being
Constructed.
A LARGE STORAGE BASIN
With a Capacity OF 100000 Gallons Of
Water at the Head of Missoula
Gulch-Some Fear Another
Johnstown Horror.

Walkerville Is all torn up again. This
time it is the big new reservoir that is
being constructed bangup at the head
of Missoula gulch right in the city. The
water company is going to construct
storage reservoir to contain $500. 900
gallons of water. Men, teams, plows,
scrapers and wagons are busily en-
gagged and the scene resembles an ant
hill on the prairie in the middle of Au
gust. The work comes to the citizens
of the hill city in the nature of sur
prise and nearly everybody in town has
visited the scene of very active opera
tons and expressed himself or herself
for or against the proposition. There
is feeling of resentment among some
of the inha bitants, who fear disastrous
results. They think of the days of hor-
ror when JohnstoWn was swept away
by the great flood of modern history.
They imagine they see two million gall
Ions of water tearing through the city,
sweeping all of the houses in its path
out of shape and wreaking great and
terrible havoc. Others view the situa-
ton in a more favorable light.
The fact remains, however, that the
water company is going to build an i'm
mense concrete reservoir. All the equip
ment for the systematic construction
of a big reservoir is on the ground, NOR
tar machines, side tracks, platforms,
workshops and all. Three dwelling
houses We're removed from the site of
the reservoir to a point just below, and
the former back and front yards are
being scraped in way they We're never
scraped before. Deep trenches in which
the masonry work will be laid have
been dug and handcar tracks have been
laid. over these will be conveyed the
concrete and other material for the
retaining walls. The reservoir is be-
ing built at the head of the draw or
coulee that leads up from Main street
to the right, just over the knoll from
the Lexington office.
The people of Walkervile are ask
ing one another where the water is to
come from to fill the big reservoir. The
company is not furnishing water to the
citizens of Walkerville. 1t has no fran
chise in that city. It's pipes terminate
on the hill near the Lexington hoist.
Some say water will be pumped from
the station south of Butte and that the
retainer in Walkerville will be the
source of a gravity supply for Butte.
Others say that they are confident that
the reservoir is to be used as re-
tainer for the new supply to be taken
Big Hole river. A reporter for the
Standard called on Superintendent Car
roll at his office in the LeWiSohn block
yesterday afternoon.
Are you busy, Mr.. Carroll?" inquir-
ed the reporter.
always busy
1.-THE town is full Of water talk, Mr..
Carroll especially Walkerville, where
you are building a big reservoir. |
l. would like to get your word for it as
to where you are going to get the water
for that retainer"
Yes, / know you would"
And then Mr. Carroll smiled. With
a wave of his left hand, the superin-
tendent said
Nothing to say at all on that score.
I would like to give you good col
umn but l cannot at present.
1t is evident that the water COM
panys plans in regard to the big con-
crete reservoir and supply source are
| to be carried out on the secret order
so far as it is possible to do so. It is
| known that the company has surveyed
| the Jerry creek line to this city and
| that it purchased from Cowan & Talbot
| the right to that water And it is gen
| orally supposed that Jerry creek water
| will eventually find its way into the
| Walkerville reservoir. just how it vii
! get there the majority of Butte does
uUt hilUW, anu MI AdIlOll "Oultl iio'
| tell yesterday. The other night Mr.
| Carroll and the cOmpany's attorney, j
| =. Welcome, went up to Walkerville
| and Informed the council of that city
| that the water company was going tc
build a reservoir up there. They did
| not ask for anything-they merely
| wanted to tell the aldermen something
| about their plans. AS the reservoir is
| not on city property and will not inter.
| fere with any street or alley SO far as
construction is concerned, they felt thai
there was nothing in the line of conces'
| sons which the city could grant them
They stated that they wished to for
mally notify the city of their inten'
| tons.
City Attorney Clinton said yesterday
that so far as the city as a corpora
ton is concerned it had no grievance
There was nothing on which it coule
| maintain a direct action against tbs
| water company even IL it were dis
| posed to do so, as the reservoir did no
interfere with any street or alley. The
company asks for nothing, neither does
| it offer anything.
| while the citizens of the city may
| regard a reservoir containing 1000. 00
| gallons of water as a menace to life
and property" said he 1.-The city a.
a corporation has no basis for an &C
ton. AS for myself, I would mot live
in the gulch below that reservoir. o.
course, the company is not building E
reservoir to break out, but there is
no telling what may happen, vol
| know"