The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-06
WATER FAMINE
THREATENS CITY
rortest With Farmers" May
Result in Loss Of parIey's.
WEEK OF DIRE DISTRESS
rpocEEDINGs IN COURT WILL
,rTERMINE-RELIEF IN SIGHT.

ure morning the contest between
the complaining farmers south
l nj the city and tho municipality
an Injunction to forbid the city TAX
'-- any of the water from Parley's
..,von which feeds the pipe system.
IN come on for hearing before Judge
,,,-ss The city has been for days
,-orariug for the legal battle. and will
=. ,rpIv fortified with evidence 10
.,stsir i,- defensive position. A strong
.rorf viii he made on the citys part
o., have the crisis deferred until relief
mes from the Utah Mattress COM
-srv's flow Of eleven cubic feet from
,bs river. which was recently pur-
.bseed but which Commissioner Smith
-sfuses to aIlot to the city canal be
yond q hftn.
An along he city officials have been
ewing 10 fathom the motive which has
--,upted thu complaining side In the
p.rley. 8 creek case. and now they are
-,f SLOW To assert that the moving
,,use comes from an effort on the out
,i5e 10 force the municipality to take
. nosltiCn favoring the lake pumping
uroiect. which is being opposed by
many taxpayers and certain city Off
rs-s I'm 4 court proceeding to enjoin
the municipality from taking any part
in the scheme. which they believe to be
Of doubtful merit.
As viewed by the city officials who
are watching the situation. but cannot
take an active part in the court pro-
ce4dings. there is ample cause to fear
that should the farmers ne success
r., - r,F
the town will be- in actual distress for
water. and this at a time when there
win be thousands of strangers here
next week on the occasion of the Elks'
national convention. With the entire
supply Of Parley's creek cut off from
the pipe system. as IL may he to salts
~ the demands of the complaining
side. IL Is claimed the city would have
n suspend street sprinkling. there
would he no reserve for fire protection.
lawn sprinkling would he entirely
stopped. and the lives. health and COM
fort Of the resident and the thousands
Of visitors would he seriously menaced.
Farmers Assert Damages.
On the other hand. the farmers
plead at A time when the next measure
ment Of Parley's creek. on Aug T.. ac-
cording to the contract, will entitle
them TO a much less quantity of water
IN exchange. that their matured crops
are damaged. The claim of damages
win he resisted. and in addition it will
be shown that if the entire flow of the
canyon creek be yielded to them they
viii lose six-sevenths Of IT by Seepage
and evaporation. as has already beer
demonstrated.
From legal point the claim vii
he made by the city that the real test
for cause for an injunction is not j r
the result of benefits and detriment tC
the parties litigant. but the loss and
injury to the Innocent. the people al
large and strangers. 1t is believed tina
the court will consider the profoun
Importance Of the situation as il ex-
lists and weigh the actual necessities
Of lot less than $4,000 people, as against
the possible damages suffered by less
than SOC compliments. whose distress
Is alleged to have been greatly over
drawn
Yesterday aggravated tho water sit
UauOn. The strenuous effort of thu
city 10 I'LL the contract with the com
planning residents of Sugar and Farm
erS' wards deprives the Parley's con.
duit Of half the required flow. and il
consequence the reservoir at the head
OF First South street is nearly empty
me pressure in the pipes fell so low
yesterday that many residents on the
cast side complained that they were
unable 10 get enough water for lawT
sprinkling and household purposes a
varying intervals during the day. In
me hope Of easing IN the draft an,
permitting the reservoir TO fill up fol
protection against fire. several of tn,
sprlnkling carts were pulled off. Tn.
result will be dusty thorOughfares in
many parts Of the city. but il is hoped
mat all Of the carts may he in serVic.
again carly next week. when relief j.
looked for from the canal.
Getting Ready to Pump.
meeting Of the presidents Of IN.
principal canal companies was held il
'hiS city yesterday to arrange for tn.
commencement of pumping operation.
~ inc outlet Of TITAN lake One punI
. IN place. and its companion has ar
WE'D from san Francisco. II is in
,t'aed - have both lifts in fun work.
zig order next Monday morning. anC
"'tnin q week or ten days thereafter