Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-07-24
Olympia's Water Supply.

an adequate supply of pure water Tor
our people, posse sses special interest
Just now for newcomers, as we'll as
those whose memory has become Oh
scured by the lapse OF time.
The first remembrance the writer
has OF the importance OF a water ser.
vice was over half a century ago, when
a boy OF twelve, he had to paddle a
canoe to the opposite side OF the bay to
obtain water for wash-dav and all cul.
mary purposes except drinking. The
latter supply was obtained by the
bucket-iull from spring which bub-
b!ed up in the center of the village
now covered by the Chambers brick
building, corner OF Fourth and Main
streets. The service was rendered very
generally by Indians, and as the lowest
currency then in circulation were
U. S. "quarters," the cost OF transpor-
tation at % cents a lolow, or that cost
per bucket, was one of the the condi-
tions OF pioneer life.
This spring supplied drinking water
for population OF several hundred
white people and about an equal mum.
Der OF Indians, who lived in wigwams
on what was then called Chinook
street, an area covered mainly with
stumps centering about where the
Carlton House now stands. The ca.
racity of the spring, after it had been
cleaned out and barrel inverted over
it, was sscertained to be about one
half the flow OF the Reed artesian we'll
or of the new capitol stream just
brought to the surface.
It was found that water readily rose
in bent pipe high enough above the
barrel.head to admit of discharge into
a bucket, and this developed the in
quiry as to how high it might rise in
attaining q level with its source. A
piece OF gas-pipe that had come from
some vessel was found, about ten or
twelve feet in length, and when this
was inserted it was found that the wa.
ter readily flowed over the top of the
pipe. This test demonstrated the ex.
istence of a subterranean reservoir,
confined by an impregnable stratum,
under pressure from some elevated
source, which might be made avail
able to some extent, at least, in OBJ
tanning flowing artesian wells.
It WAS about forty years ago, that
the first effort was made to supply the
town with hydrant water for domestic
use, very little attention being then
given to it's possible requirement as q
fire extinguisher. It was to the in.
ventive ingenuity. presidency and en-.
terprise of w. N. Horton. whose main
experience had hitherto been with
steamboats,, that the people we're in.
debted for their first water supply.
Afterwards G. H. Hale and Samr
Howe became associated with him.
He had promising field for endeavor,
however, with our little population on
peninsula, cut off from all fresh water.
ways, except by an excursion DER the
briny waters of the bay, neither side
OF which could be reached by any 9TH
er means than by some form of water
craft. which, with the exception of q
couple OF life-boats belonging to the
U. s. Custom House then located here,
consisted of primitive and "cranky"
Indian canoes. Tumwater was equally
shut of, there being no road, nor
bridge, to communicate by land with
our then quite as important suburb.
Mr.. Horizons first recourse was TO
manufacture the pipe necessary to
conduct the water to street mains, and
he invented an auger which served I'D.
mirably in boring two.inch hole,
though logs from ten inches to . foot
in diameter and of eight.ioot lengths.
These were left with the bark on, and
without banding, except that the coup.
ling at the ends served somewhat to
strengthen the pipes at their weakest
point. The first coupling consisted of
. cast tube few inches in length,
which was driven into the bore OF the
pipe, but it was unsatisfactory as it
served as wedge to split the pipe and
reduced the bore to the extent OF the
thickness OF the iron. Its use was al.
forwards abandoned, and circles, or
bands of mallable iron, tapering TO a
knife.like edge, were substituted and
these were held between the ends oil
the logs and the pipe driven together
by ponderous blows at the outer end
with a heavy maui. These couplings
were about four inches in diameter
and two or three inches in width, and
when the logs were driven together Of.
forded . wstertight connection, be.
sides Strengthening the pipes against
fracture from the outward pressure OIL
the column of water. These pipe;
served admirably the purpose intend
ed, were of ample strength, and some
Of them exhumed thirty years after
ward, were found to be in an excellent
state of preservation.
Mr.. Horizons first reservoir was or
the hillside, on the eastern arm of tn,
bay, near the Hale place. 1t consisted
Of an excavation, twenty or thirty fee
long and say ten wide, supplied BY
springs. Though small it was am
pie for the then demand. The waite
was brought to town through thes