The record-union., 1899-07-27
Weather Eorecaat.
NOTHING NEW IN THE WATER
DEBATE.

been on these twenty-five years ana
more-when there have not been
before the people more than two
propositions Long before the driven
well question took form such
as it now has there was the prop
osition to bring water from the moun-
tains and even from the Coast Range.
1t was discussed in all it's phases during
many year. We recall that the Liver
mores years and years ago argued In
favor of water from behind their dam
above Folsom and also from their Ma
toma bitches. The water system of
Amador County was considered as
possible source of supply long ago, but
was condemned, as all ditch schemes
have been by the almost unanimous
voice of public opinion.
We remember that at one time the
idea of tunneling and bringing water
from Lake Tahoe to supply Sacramento,
San Francisco and intermediate places
was seriously considered, and some
surveys were actually made by Engi-
neer Won Schmidt. The piping of wa
ter from Blue Canyon sections and from
similar localities was long debated, and
zen of Sacramento. was an earnest and
public advocate of a scheme to bring
water from the region of Placerv1lle.
Another scheme urged and debated was
1F in +
old bed of the American River, sinking
within it to the gravel beds, and by
sand and gravel filtration securing a
water supply. A modification of that
suggestion was to drive wells within
such enclosure and another was to
wau-filter into the great basin to be
created.
The driven wells proposition on the
east side is not new either. Twenty
years ago and more it was urgently
presented as feasible by the Roses,
father and son, by the late G. L.
Wheeler, Judge S. C. benson and many
others. Later the we'll proposition was
vigorously debated by the City I'm
provement Association. which approved
the source and urged it's adoption, and
later still we hadS an east side water
campaign and vote. The improvement
Association, be it remembered, was
thoroughly conversant with mountain
supply sources, the lake. river and ditch
plans, the. Amador and Auburn, the
Yuba and the Blue Canyon suggestions,
and with the scheme for bringing in
water from above Folsom by daming
the American. or some of its tributar-
les. Members of that association still
living verify this statement.
Sand bed and mechanical filtration
have had least attention in all this
quarter of a century of debate, but
both have been considered. 1t will be
recalled that the late Mathew Cooke
was an earnest and constant advocate
of mechanical filtration. and repeatedly
presented the subject to the people,
pointing out THAT he could construct a
filter sufficiently large, or series OF
them, to meet the then demand of the
city. 1t is perfectly fair to say, how,
ever, that in the earlier filtration de-
bates the coagulate method was not
touched upon. We do not recall that
any one until lately suggested the en-
ployment Of alum as an aid in city sup
ply by filtration. That is an entirely
new proposition so far as this citya
l.
At no time. then. has intelligence In
this city moved upon SO low plane
regarding a water supply for this city,
that it considered only river or well.
The people have, in fact. been deluged
with debate concerning all possible
sources for water system. The plans
and schemes have from time to time
taken new forms, but the original
sources have remained as they are to-
day, have all been considered year af.
ter year, and we are not one whit more
advanced than we were in the begin
ming. save that we know more about
sand bed and mechanical filtration
since knowledge Of those methods has
much enlarged in recent years.
Now this subject is again before the
people, and has been referred to a CON-
petent investigating committee. Back
ed by all that has been done, by all in"
quiry of the past and commissioned to
go to the bottom Of the subject ruew
and investigate all schemes Thoroughly
and in the lights of the past and the
present. we ought to arrive at some
thing positive. The investigation ought
to result in something definite. II
should give us a basis for work in tho
line of actual accomplishment. The in
vestigation must be thorough, impair
tial judicial and perfectly open and
,,nsecretive. When it is complete and
the findings are in. the people shoulc
select, resolve and order the great be-
neficent work to begin. In short, what
the people now demand is something
more than report. After that they
want Immediate action in some direc.
ton, and no more procrastination.
Sacramento has reached such stage
of irnportance. has so developed be-
fore the State, has arrived SO Close
upon the time when she must decide
ubether she. is to step forward and
upward. or permit rival cities to out.