The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-01-16

If there is the remotest possibility of
the council accepting the survey of the
proposed pipe line for Walla Walla's
contemplated gravity water system
made by Engineer w. G. Sayles under
the direction of Councilman William
Glasford chairman of the special water
committee, voters of Walla Walla
would be justified in turning down the
proposition of issuing bonds to the
amount Of $2500O0 to construct the
system at the special election to be
held on January 80.
There has been SO much criticism of
the survey made by Engineer Sayles,
that to ascertain the true condition of
affairs and to view the upper Mill
creek basin and watershed for the pur-
pose of laying before the voters of
Walla Walla an unbiased and unpreju-
diced statement of the conditions as
they exist, Arthur A. Greene, manag-
ing editor of the Walla Walla Union;
S. D. Goodell, editor of the Saturday
Record; H. H. Showerman, editor of
the Argus, and B. F. La Due, of the
Evening Statesman, accompanied by
City Engineer Wilson and Water Su-
perintendent Knight, spent several
hours on the upper part of the stream
Asterday.
The party left Walla Walla at 9
O'Clock in the morning and returned at
5 o'clock last night. Three hours were
spent in inspecting the route surveyed
out by Engineer Sayles between the
Wickersnam bridge and the proposed
intake. two miles above, and going over
an entirely new projected route for the
proposed pipe line which has been Sc
lected by Engineer Wilson and Water
Superintendent Knight in preference to
the route selected by Engineer Sayles.
The Sayles Survey.
The survey made by Engineer Sayles
begins at the point of distribution,
which has been located about one mile
east of the city limits on the county
road, and follows in the main, the w.
& c. R. right of way to Tracy station,
formerly called Dudley In several
places where the railroad and county
roads merge together the route leaves
the railroads right of way and passes
through private property. After leav-
ing Dudley, instead of following the
county road the surveyed route passes
through private property nearly the
entire way to point about half mile
this side of Blue creek. At this point
the route turns sharply to the SOUTH
crossing Mill creek to the Ferrel ranch
From the Ferrel place the survey runs
along the south side of Mil creek to a
point above the Blue creek school
house. where it crosses to the north
side of the stream again and follows
the county road to the Wickersham
bridge. Instead of keeping to either
bank Of the stream to avoid the danger
of high water, the survey folloWs the
main creek channel clear to Henry
CANYON On the Kicker place. distance
Of nearly five miles above the Wicker
sham bridge.
Even to the newspaper men OF the
party, uninitiated in the mysteries OF
hydraulics and water systems, the
danger that would forever confront
pipe line laid on the Sayles survey was
apparent at first glance. Between the
Wickersham bridge and the proposed
intake, two miles above. the survey
crosses Mill creek at five different
-points and at all times follows the old
bed of the stream, subject to high
water and kindred dangers during the
winter and spring months. The sur
vev is made in the most direct line
between the bridge and the intake, no
account being taken Of the meander-
inss of Mill creek or the topography of
the land over which the survey runs.
To follow the grade stakes set by En-
gineer Sayles it was necessary for
members of the party to frequently
invite the dangers of taking bath in
the lev waters of Mill creek. While no
estimates have been made, it is appar-