The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-13
EXPERT FINDS LEAK
IN White BEAR LAKE
Claim Is Made That Pumps
VIII Fail to Raise Water
Level.

A new problem confronts the board
of county commissioners in the mat
ter of furnishing a water supply for
the purpose of restoring White Bear
lake to its former level, and if the in
formation furnished the board is found
to be true, no amount of water pumped
into the lake will raise the level of that
body of water
The board has been informed that
there is a leakage in the lake which
furnishes an outlet for the water, and
that no matter how much water might
be pumped into the lake, it would all
run out before it would have any no
ticeable effect upon the present water
level
This information comes to the board
from an expert in the employ of the
city water department, who has made
a careful study Of White Bear lake.
This surprising condition of affairs
will be placed before the board at it's
meeting next Monday morning, when
the question of equipping the wells at
White Bear will be up for disposition.
In the meantime the committee
named by the board for the purpose of
looking into the White Bear matter is
going ahead with preparations for
pumping water into the lake from the
wells sunk by the county, apparently
willing to take a chance even at a cost
of $4,000 or $4,000, so long as the
taxpayers pay the bills.
New Proposition Received.
At meeting Of this committee yes
terday afternoon proposition received
from J. G. Robertson & Co., of st. Paul,
Offering to equip the we'll already COM
pleted with a motor and other neces-
sary machinery for pumping was ia
vorably received by the committee, and
| the offer will be reported to the board
Monday, with the recommendation
| that it be accepted. The firm offers to
| fit the we'll out with sufficient ma
| chinefy at a cost of $3.50
At this figure the first of the four
wells to be completed would be made
ready for pumping at total cost Of
| about $4,000, and if the terms Of the
| White Bear Electric company are ac-
| cepted it will cost $500 per month to
secure power to keep the pumps going.
This would mean that the four wells
will cost the county, when equipped
! ready for connection with the power
house, about $4,000, or $1,000 in excess
! of the appropriation allowed for the
first two years. In addition to this
| amount when all four wells are start
| ed. the cost of pumping will be $500 per
month, or $4,000 per year, which runs
I the expense into figures far beyond the
appropriation provided.
The entire appropriation authorized
| by the legislature viii yield but $780,
O00 half of which is available this
| year, and $4,000 next year and the
| same amount the year following,
| When this amount is exhausted the
| commissioners are at the end of their
string unless additional appropria-
| lions can be secured, and it is hardly
| considered possible to secure appro-
| priation sufficiently large to keep the
| wells going at an annual expense of
$500.
Commissioners Would Let Go.
/ Just what the county board will de-
eide to do when it stops to figure out
| the expense Of the undertaking re-
| mains to be seen, but certain members
| of the board, realizing the mistake that
| has been made, are already endeavor-
| ing to climb out from under, and more
| than one new proposition will be Sug-
gested at next Mondays meeting.
One of these new propositions is
likely to come from Commissioner
| Pottgieser, who has plan for turning
the waters of Goose lake into White
| Bear. 1t is learned that former OBJ
| lection to this plan has been removed,
and the idea is considered much more
practical and feasible than the well
plan. BY the expenditure Of a few
| thousands of dollars the waters of
1 Goose lake could be pumped into White
Bear, and the expense of transferring
| the water would be much less than the
| cost Of operating four wells, as is
| planned at present
| 1t is contended that the enormous
I expense of sinking four wells and OPP
| Grating them makes the plan of pump
| ing from wells impractical, and the
| commissioners would welcome any
new plan which would give them a
chance to pull out of the present di-
/ lemna.
| The report that the lake contains a
| leakage which would be impossible to
overcome by pumping water into the
| lake has interested a number Of the
| commissioners, since it would furnish
| an excuse to drop the work already
begun. The entire question will prob
| al lxy Ila dismissed of in some manner at