The record-union., 1899-08-07
Mr.. sTILLMAN'S REPLY.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST EAST
SIDE WELLS.
says That a Proper Investigation
Cannot be Had for Lack
Of Money.

~ Of Money.
me following communication from
howard Stillman, one of the Citizens
water Committee, presents some inter-
estlng points and is given respectful
consideration by the Record Union.
Eds. Record Union: Your issue OF
August 4th contains rather warm edi-
torlal on myself as one Of the Water
Committee sitting in judgment" and I
would ask the benefit Of your columns
Tor few words. 1 think your under
standing of the statement made by me
IN the recent committee meeting is en-
tlrely unfair, inasmuch as you attribute
Partially not only to myself but to
other members of the committee.
| have several times alluded in our
committee meetings to the geological
formation of this portion of the valley
as not sustaining the theory of exist
ence of positive underground streams
or currents flowing in this vicinity.
My only reason for referring to the
matter has been in view of the dog
matte assertions we have been hearing
for some years concerning the subter-
of supply in question.
These supplies, as far as we can
learn, have never been tested at the
rate of supply demanded by growing
city like Sacramento. The least con-
slant rate of supply demanded is 1,OOO,-
OO0 gallons in twenty-four hours. This
is at the rate of almost 100000 gallons
per hour. Now as IAN old rancher," do
80 L i.
from a well or system of wells east of
the city at this rate and kept it ul
night and day during a dry season?
If you do you will confer lasting
favor on the Citizens Water Committee
by leading us to such a source of in
formation. You must admit that in
order to supply the city at a given
rate the wells must be restocked with
water (not including mountain trout)
As a committee we have no money
available, at present, to place and oper-
ate such a test plant, and for lack of
financial means must rely somewhat on
horse sense. Dogmatic' assertions we
cannot rely on, and 1 maintain that
the only reliable cumulative test of the
wells east of this city is to draw from
them with a system of pumps at the
rate of 100000 gallons per hour, keep,
ing it up night and day for at least a
week during the dry season; the waite,
to be discharged at least 500 feet from
the nearest well.
Concerning the geological formation
of this portion of the valley, let me
briefly refer. Biologists tell us that it's
formation is sedimentary for a depth
of about 1000 feet. AS such it is built
up of alluvial sediment, sand, gravel,
old river beds and deposits of ages from
the washing down of the high Sierra
into the basin of the Sacramento DUR
ing comparatively recent epochs in geo.
logic history.
The inland sea became in time the
valley raised above sea level in this
way, as we now know it. At the pres,
en- time we are, at the level of K street,
but 2411a feet above sea level. Let us go
up at the bank of the American at, say,
to the Earl ranch where we find our
selves about 33 feet above sea level.
Look down into a we'll in the vicinity:
it is about 80 feet to surface of the
water. This means practically that the
water level in wells east of the city
is at or near sea level. Where then can
these underground streams be flowing
against the law of gravitation and
where are they going against their own
head. If we were not SO close to sea
level matters might be different.
1 have never doubted the presence of
a large body or bodies of water filtering
into the ancient river gravels east of
the city, and of it's quality 1 have moth
ing al present to say. How much there
is in a dry season I do not know.
One thing I do know is that noun
tain trout do not percolate through
river gravel and that water does not
persist in flowing against it's own head.
The sedimentary formation of this
valley would naturally fill up any un.
foreground channels or water conducts
with it's own substance. In limestone
regions subterranean channels do exist
that may convey streams of water, but
here again water will not flow against
it's own head. That no limestone form
atoms exist contiguous to this city /
would refer you to the State Geologist or
Professor Joseph lie Conte of the chair
of geology at the University of Cali
fornia, who was an honored instructor
during my college days.
Now I am not an enemy of the east
side source. neither do I believe any
of the committee are. We want fair,
impartial consideration of all local con-
ditions relating to the different water
propositions.
Proof as to quantity under all cir
cumstances is an all-important consid-
Grafton, and if you have any proofs
trot them out for our benefit. Do not
sit and throw fish stories at US.
Your inference as to the committee
being packed" in any way / believe
to be unfair and in opposition to the
desire expressed by US at our first
meeting, that the press be with us in
their support
HOWARD STILLMAN.
Sacramento, August 9Th.
Mr. Stillman says his reason for
sating what he did relative to the east