The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-04-29

oAGA 4hOuoduO
Dollars.
Corvallis people are deeply alb
sorbed now with pending devel
epments with reference to water
system. There are many who take
issue with those " ho assert that g
mountain water system is an i'm
possibility, because too costly.
"There is good reason to believe
that mountain water system is
perfectly feasible and possible; said
a we'll posted man Monday. at
is not out of reason at all, he con-
tinued. "There are surveys that
are reliable which make it certain
that Rock Creek can be tapped at
a distance from Corvallis Of not
TO exceed II miles, and possibly
as low as nine miles.
A six inch MAN,, leading from
the creek to reservoir would be
amply large for Corvallis for scores
of years to come. and the pipe, laid
in the ground would cost about
$4,000 per mile. 1t is known
that Engineer Smyth actually
figured O., a five inch main from
the creek to the reservoir, and a
pipe OF that size would lessen the
cost very materially. Whether or
not it would be of sufficient cap
acity could be figured out with
great accuracy.
The reservoir would naturally
be located at considerable ele-
vation in Baldy Hill to the west
ward of Corvallis" he continued.
"That hill is on a direct line from
Rock Greek, and is most fortunate,
fy located for reservoir purposes.
The storage excavation could be
cut into the hill at very small
cost, far cheaper indeed than would
be the natural cost of woodep re.
servoir, of the same capacity. The
excavation should and probably
would be lined with cement, form
ing storage basin with perfect
sanitary arrangements for supply
ing perfectly.pure and wholesome
water. Such a reservoir with
capacity of a million gallons, a
capacity sufficient to supply city
of several times the population of
Corvallis, could doubtless be built
for less than $4,000. One with
half dozen times the capacity of
the present reservoirs at Corvallis,
would cost but few thousand.
Eron1 the reservoir to Corvallis,
larger main would be required,
but when once laid. the delivery
of water into the city mains and
their service pipes to consumers
would be perpetual. There would
Be no further outlay for fuel. or
men to run the works. Water
runs down hill, and when once the
aow would be started, it would
never stop. After being once
built 1t would finished for as
long time as pipes will last, and
that Is long enough for the life Of
any of those now interested in
Cor Wallis water system.
The steam engine and boiler, the
engineer to run them, the cords
and cords of wood, the pumps
the wooden reservoirs that
uaust themselves in time be renew
sd, would all be eliminated in a.
gravity system, for none of it
would be necessary. The hundreds
of dollars that it costs annually for
an engineers salary and the hun.
dreas and hundreds that it costs for
wood, would all be saved in
mountain water system. Therefore
if the latter should cost much
larger sum, say $4,000 or $4,000
which is approximately the sum
that such system would cost, it
would in the end be far cheaper
service than that which depends on
engineers, men and pumps by
night and day to keep the water
moving.
,If Corvallis can muster FIVE hum
ared consumers, averaging dollar
q month each, there is no doubt
that capitalists can be found who
will gladly put in q system on
fifty years franchise. just think
of it. Five hundred subscribers at
only dollar a month each, make q
revenue of 5000 a month, or Sc 600
year. The income would be prac-
tically net profit. 1t would be 10
per cent interest on $50, 900; it
would be eight per cent interest on
$75 900; it would be'six per cent in
terest on loo, o,ooo. But there would
be In addition such revenue as the
city would pay for sprinkling, fire
protection and the like, to say noth-
ing of the revenues from other sour
ces. It's idle to saw that If reason