Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-08

suggestions regarding the building OF
the Owens river conduit:
Having wisely determined to pur-
chase the Owens river, the following
facts and suggestions may be worthy
of consideration in determining the
next and succeeding steps:
"The place of diversion of the Owene
river is at a point due north of the
east line of Los Angeles city.
THE shortest possible distance is a
straight line.
"The water should be brought in a
closed conduit, practically in a tunnel
all the way to point in the north fork
of the Arroyo Seco and from thence
in such conduits as may be deemed
proper.
"All plans thus far announced have
made Acton common point on the
line of the proposed route.
Acton is only fourteen miles from
a point in the north fork of the Ar
royo Seco on the government reserva-
tion in the township of Pasadena.
lie InOSl Valuable leITllOTy 10 De
served by the water of the Owens
river is first Los Angeles, and then
Altedena, Pasadena and South Pasa-
dena, all of which are now ready Gus
toners with ever increasing patronage.
"The greater Los Angeles will ex-
tend from the mountains to the sea
and contain a vast number of inhab-
itants.
wherever the conduit for the con-
veyance of the Owens river shall be
placed 1t will remain and all errors of
construction should be eliminated in
advance.
Building a conduit on the face of
steep mountains, across canyons, in
creasing the distance many miles, in
creasing the risks and absolutely ex-
posing the conduit to washouts by
cloudbursts and storms and forever
entailing large expenditure in constant
care and repairs is not true economy.
bringing the water by the shortest
route, in closed conduit and tunnel all
the way will insure absolutely pure
water and practically eliminate inter-
ruption and constant care and repairs
and insure permanency worthy of the
great enterprise so heartily Endorsed by
nearly a unanimous vote and voice of
our people.
From the roof of the conduit may be
suspended the electric wires for all
purposes with very little expense and
with the greatest safety.
"The electric power to be taken from
the water of the Owens river is of vast
Importance and of great commercial
value.
"Such conduit at a considerable eleva-
ton will cross the Tejunga canyon,
which is the main branch of the Los
Angeles river and the chief supply for
the San Fernando valley, at a place
where any amount of surplus water or
water not demanded for immediate
use may be dropped upon a rock bottom
| to flow down the Tejunga canyon to
the great reservoir of the San Fernan-
do valley, according to natures plan
of supplying that great reservoir to a
ers in that valley than could possibly
accrue by any other proposed route,
and in that way it would give the best
results to the city from the head works
now constructed and contemplated in
that valley.
This way is the best way and will
serve most people, require the least care
and repairs, shorten the distance and
probably cost less in actual first cost
of construction, and certainly will wipe
out practically the enormous risks and
continual great expense of care and
maintenance which will be inevitable
by any other scheme.
"The expert engineer will find no diff
fculty in building a tunnel practically
the entire distance to deliver the water
in it's absolute purity to the inhabitants
of our cities from the mountains to the
sea.
| Remember the entire sewer system
of our city and from the city to the
sea, the entire system of underground
railroads in Chicago, New York, Bos'
ton and other cities are practically tun-
nels and are built at little additiona
expense.
Remember that the electric power
now at our command makes it possible
to construct tunnels at about one
fourth the expense that it would have
cost twenty years ago.
| stTha exnert engineer would prefer
practically a continuous tunnel to any
other method of bringing the water tc
Los Angeles.
Destiny points the way. Owens river
4 distilled from the ocean, deposited or
Mount Whitney and high range OF