The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-17
THE SEATTLE WATER srPPLy.
JsAge NeGIIvra Gives Hts Views 81
m 10pDreaat Question.


q
relating thereto.
/ In common vita every true friend q
Ssastle 7 was ard sssil am anxious thai
the contracts snssGsd be AWARDED, ard the
| good work % extending Our water system
! 20 Cedar river as source Of supply ~
gravity shesld be undertake. and pro-
1 gresse4 .n as rapidly az posssoEs, after iae
long delay os nszTly ten years since IL
! FIRST Inauguration even with all the de-
fects Of the present plan; because we reed
[ IL now almost IL rsoE qaite. much as we
did on the sth % June fsss. when fAs
| business portion Of cur sair city was de-
ssr5yed by are on account OF the lack os
III adequate water supply
/ But now. since the man who was mayor
OF the city NJ the sfras 0s the &rs referred
/ 10, ard who IS a bidder for said contracts,
/ has procured an injunction 20 restrain the
awarding Of the contracts ga question 10
ths lowest bidder ~! account % an al
/ legged technical defect connected with the
| cfseeks deposited with the comptroller, az
Required 81 the charter which proceed
/ ing may CAUSE Indefinite delay. fell 5asti-
| Bed To calling attention 80 what / believe
/ To be grave faults ia Toe present plans. as
well the wrong and danger OF further
delay
A brief synopsis of the history Of our
/ water works and statement OF the system
or plan proposed - necessary 10 a fun
( and fair understanding OF present con-
I aitions
! AZ The time % the great fire OF June S,
isss. the city had no water works of It's
own. but was partially supplied by the
( Spring Hfu Water Company, and. as be-
/ fore stated, IL vas mainly on account OF
| tas want ~ water that the business por-
| ton of the city was then destroyed by
! FIRE. Immediately after this great fire the
F! eity determined 80 own and control It's own
water works. and proceeded 70 purchase
! o 49,.
extensive additions thereto. and mas ex-
pended at least ti.zgaeto In connection
| herewith. In November 1ss the city ig-
norlng local talent, employed Banzette
Williams OF Chicago, an engineer OF some
note. 10 prepare plans, maps. profies. etc,
for sewerage and water system at cost
| Of over x00o for his own compensation
alone; In addition to extensive surveys
under his direction roughly estimated at
<-.oe more. The plan for the Cedar
river water extension, as prepared and
recommended cy Williams and afgerWard
| adopted is briefly aa follows.
The water IL to be taken from Cedar
| river. about eight miles above Swan Lake
and twelve miles below Cedar lake. and
| below Rock creek and other small
streams easily polluted. at an altitude OF
only 5l3 feet; conveyed thence TO Swan
lake, as an impounding reservoir at an
altitude OF As feet. and then conducted TO
two reservoirs in the city at an altitude
| OF 300 and 40 feet respectively
| II Is difficult IL not impossible 10 pro-
| tset Swan lake from stagnation and pol
| luton, and over - acres in the city lim-
| It's cannot he supplied by gravity from
| this lake. But the most Giaring defect
or this plan. and one so patent that any
| intelligent person can see it, and sue IL
| clearly at glance. is that IL leaves the
| source OF the water supply open Ia pollu-
fty.fK nd ri. sf..,,
points above the said intake This was a
| great and glaring blunder. SO gross that
| everyone could see IL, except the city
| government and its imported engineer. So
| patent was IL that even before the adop-
| ton az the plan private parties whom Ii
| Is said had free access to the maps. pro-
| files aud field notes OF The Williams sur
| yeys. purchased and contracted for lands
aud proceeded to lay the foundation for
/ appropriaflng the waters Of Cedar river
and Cedar lake. above ~ we'll as at ard
/ including the said intake. and thus lay
| the city under tribute. II was and Is pro-
| posed by these private parties 10 erect
| power plants and any other structures
| they may choose to erect upon the banks
| of Cedar river above this intake. and use
| the waters Of Cedar river for any and all
| purposes They propose further To dam
| Cedar lake AZ an imp0unding reservoir
| and dole ont the waters of Cedar river
| 10 Afat t&Ns as i3ts pBSd@S-
| Did II require an engineer. or even the
| son of a prophet TO foreteI that all this
| would Re done Cedar lake has an aiti
| tude or 1900 feet above high tide. ana
| with dam of moderate size and expense
| viii impound all the waters the. city can
| ever need. even In cases OF emergency
| This lake and It's feeders which constitute
/ the source Of Cedar river, are In the foot
| hills OF the Cascade mountains. >tnd e,s-
| lily protected from pollution TIL. city
/ must and will control this source Of It's
/ water supply. Why not proceed to DO Il
now, when the cost VIII be light instead
| OF waiting uptIl the cost viii he great. Il
| not rrohihitive? | repeat withsnt the
| slightest fear Of successful contradiction
/ that tho city must eontroi Ceaa~ lake and
| It's tributaries or abandon cedar river as
| a source Of supply. In oTher words. the
| city must control tho water shed az its
| water supply.
That water shed is now almost es., retv
| oaned by tho general Goycrnm ut ard fol-
/ lowing the lead OF Portland ore. the ,stv
| can readily obtain IT'S reservation frcm
! settlement or cultivation. AMI consequently
! from pollution Without disturbing the
present plan Nlnless IL nav De - Dispense
! with swan lake as an inrcun3ins resor-
veirl the city may furfaer extend the
plan 90 its water works system - Cedar
lake and its tributary under 'hs provisions
I or the act ~ eur stafe t2gi~ta .elrr an
proved March + f>as. This car De lone IN,
I resolution md ordinance az me r4tv roln-
eli and vote % the electors easily within
/ sixty DAYS The csty san her pure has,
or condemn What additone, land lt -
1aices ana the quantity 7Ha quality Il 1ts
water supry secured For All t,na This
additional extension at is pIan NIL nAs
interfefe with 'hs construction ~ the work
{ already PROVIDED -. 0~iess g b. nsaJe p
pratext for further needless deiav Thls