Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-16
MUST HAVE IT" SAYS VIM MULHOLLANI
Leaders Movement for Bringing Owens Valley
Los Angeles Explain Details of Plan to Influential
Civic Society

1--WE must have the water from the
Owens river. The chance to acquire
such supply is the greatest oppor-
tunity ever presented to Los Angeles.
When the men who have investigated
this proposition as the scouts of the
city make such a report to the city as
they have done it is enough for us. We
are ready to cast our votes for the
bonds"
These are some of the sentiments ex-
pressed at the Municipal league ban
quet last night at the Westminster
hotel, where 175 representative men
met to discuss the water problem
These were the sentiments of the en-
tire gathering expressed in cheers and
applause with which the statements Of
Superintendent Mulholland, ex-Mayor
Fred Eaton, Water Commissioner j. M
Elliott, City Attorney Mathews, Presi-
Mayor McAleer were received.
H. c. Wilmer, president of the NUM-
cipal league, introduced H. 7. Lee as
POSTMASTER of the evening after the
banquet had been served. After
toast to the nations chief executive was
given the toastmaster said: "This city
indeed has cause to be proud of the
men who constitute its water commits
water department. What can I say Of
him except that he is Will Mulholland."
Cheers for MulhoIland
The speaker was interrupted by ap-
plause which shook the room, indicat-
ing the esteem in which the veteran
head of the water department is held
by those present. When Mr.. Lee tried
to talk about City Attorney Mathews
he was interrupted in the same way,
and gave it up, declaring that none of
the speakers on the program needed
introduction. He called on Superinten-
dent Mulholland.
Mr.. Mulholland had suspended on the
wall a relief map of the San Fernando
valley and a map of the owens River
valley, to which he referred and which
made everything regarding the topog-
raphy of the country plain. Superin-
tendent Mulholland said in part
"The water supply of Los Angeles
obtained from all sources has fallen
off 80 per cent during the past ten
years owing to the development and
cultivation and consequent irrigation
of the San Fernando valley. The city
uses now S4,0OO,OOO gallons of water a
day. It used this much last year and
we were forced to get along with this
much this year because it was all we
had. Meters were installed and thus
the consumption was cut down.
In 1908 we had 1921 inches of rain,
but the river was lower that summer
than it has ever been. In 1904 the flow
of the river decreased to, 27,225,O00 gal
Ions day. In the ten days between
July 20 and 80 of that year the city con-
sumed, on account of the hot weather.
5000, 900 gallons day. When this
spell began our reservoirs were full.
or we never could have supplied the
water and the city would have gone
dry indeed.
Saved by Weather
"The weather moderated in time to
save us. however. Some engineers
said that there was an underground
flow in the river of $4,000 inches which
wasted out through the narrows below
the intake. Mr.. Eaton and myself es-
tlmated this flow to be 500 inches. We
put down shafts and drove a tunnel
Through the bedrock below the river
bed at depth of 1865 feet clear across
these narrows and then bored into the
tunnel from above and connected
pumps with It so that we got every drop
OF water that was flowing underground
and 1t netted 4SO inches. The ranchers