The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-17
EFFORTS
FOR MORE WATER
Mass Meeting at Commercial Club
COmmends Mayors Efforts.
'RESoLUTES" FOR WELLS
MUCH ARGUMENT PRO AND CON
REGARDING ARTISANS.

NROMPT recognition of the city admin
istration's efforts to alleviate water
conditions by adding TO the Emigra-
ton canyon source and by utilizing ditch
water for sprinkling was made at mass
meeting held by representative salt Lake
citizens at the Commercial club last
night In resolutions cOmmendatory or
the administration work thus far for a
greater water supply for a greater Salt
Lake, the authorities are requested 10
make still further efforts in this direc-
ton by putting to use wherever practic-
able the flowing wells near Liberty park
The mass meeting was presided over by
Thomas W cir and was attended by about
seVenty-fiYe citizens, Among those who
participated in the evenings discussion,
for the resolutions We're not passed with
out varying views as to the ACCESSIBILITY
of spending money on the sO-called artc-
sian wells, were the following; 5. c. EW-
ing, George NJ. Bacon, assistant city en-
gineer; ". /. Snyder, Associate Engineer
A. +. DOremus. Councilman FernstrOm,
Water Superintendent Frank Hines, city
Engineer George w. Ritter. W. II. lib
balls, Simon Hamburger and George H.
Nichols, who has promised the city coun-
ell an even better" proposition IN flow
ing wells several times
Politics and Obstruction.
At no time could it be said that the
meeting was uninteresting. The exchange
of thoughts was lively enough TO hold the
attention Of all, but no oral effort was
more closely listened to than was a letter
from Colonel Z. r. Holmes who has
given the water problem much study in
the past. Colonel Holmes was not pres
emit but was represented by a lengthy
communication. Two brief sentences in
the letter caught the crowd. One referred
to the fact that whatever the motives or
those who had called the meeting, a sus-
picion would undoubtedly attach that il
was a political move. The writer COM
mented that it appeared one party APP
peared determined to not allow the other
any glory in the forward movement Tor
a greater water system.
Colonel Holmes wrote that there might
be some chance that the Big Cottonwood
water would not be available by next
summer even If the '''Obstructi0nists'
did not further delay it.
The reading of Colonel Holmes letter
followed the selection of Thomas Weir rs
chairman and w. l. Snyder as secretary,
after s. c. Ewing had called the meeting
20 order.
Variation in Argument.
Much was said in favor of the flowing
wells. 1t was stated by Mr.. Ewing and
others that there was plenty Of water Of
good quality and that it could be obtained
a.
statement by city Engineer Ritter later
in the evening that there was available
at the present time but $4,000 gallons OF
water as far as the flowing wells were
concerned.
1t was stated by the advocates Of the
Liberty park wells that within two weeks
the water could be turned into the city 5
mains IN the face of this came former
State Engineer Doremus' positive as,uf-
ance that four months must elapse betorS
anything like a satisfactory plant could
be Installed.
Over and again it was stated BY law
yers and. real estate men that the cost
for the Well water would be little. 40
more than for the present supply. Their
belief however was not cOncurred by
engineers who have studied the problem.
water pumped from the flowing wells the
city Of Salt Lake could get from Big Cot
tonwOod four or five.
Fluctuations in Supply.
The question OF steady supply was
brought up. The wells Were highly
spoken of by those who remembered their
driving about seventeen years ago and
who took satisfaction in the fact that
they were still flowing. They questioned
not that the supply would be undimin-
ished in the future. In spite OF this, City
Engineer Ritter submitted figures as TO
the measurements of the flow Of well No
at the time it was sunk and as last re-
corded. This showed that while there
were 100000 gallons of water per day when
the well was first sunk. there were at the
last measurement but 100 900. Again, Mr.
DOremus demonstrated that the fluctua-
ton was the same In the case Of the How
ing wells as with the various sources OF
the city's supply With the seasons the
flow varied.
In this way the argument went back
and forth. The entire debate, presumably.
was confined to the merits Of the reso-
lutions which were taken up by para
| graphs
The first question with regard TO the
/ resolutions was as to the construction 10
! be placed on the term Immediate use
Assistant City Engineer Bacon protested
| that this was unfair to the city authorl-
! ties and asked that a specific period be
named. The sense of the meeting, how
/ ever was that Immediate use' meant
with such diligence as was reasonable.
What About Emigration?
| Emigration canyon came in for much
discussion during the early part of the
evening. Mr.. Bacon stated that the sand
in the canyon bed was water bearing
that it would be cheaper and better to
tap water from this source than TO 90 to
Liberty park, where the water from Emil
grafton seeks surface in the flowing
wells
| Councilman Fernstrom assured the
meeting that no alarm need be felt. but
that the Big Cottonwood water would be
! here next summer. The contract Of the
| city with p. J. Moran, he said, provided
! for that, strike or no strike"
| Following Mr.. FernstrOm, Charles
! Crane and Frank Hines were heard. The
water superintendent went into the rec
/ ommendatiOn made last year that .
pumping plant be put in at Liberty park
! at a cost of A6,e00.
"Where's Money for PIant?"
| In the course of the succeeding argu-
ment while various plans were exploited,
/ all involving the expenditure Of consider
| able money. Councilman FernstFOm in
! Quired, Where is this money coming
! FROM"
Messrs. Ewing and Sanford quoted the
! city attorneys opinion that any surplus
/ from the Big Cottonwood fund might be
| used for such purpose
| Fernstrom urged that the city council
/ when il asked the people TO vote for
bonds did not contemplate spending the
public money for experimenting with flow
/ ing wells. He said that as far as there
[ being any net gain in the water depart
ment, this surplus was being used an
nually Tor the Improvement OF the SyS-
! TEN. extension of mains, etc
/ Much was said during the evening a.
4 to the time required TO put ia pipes.
| Councilman Fernstrom, III answer 60 q
denial that the necessary pipe WAS TO he
] obtained in Salt Lake. said that Moran
was paying a daily forfeiture OF so To the
| city because he could not get the piRe