The San Francisco call., 1907-06-08
ADv|CEs CLAIM PLAN
HAS ROOsEvELT's AID
President Supports Project
to Bring Sierra Water
to San Francisco
CITY IS INTERESTED
Calls Exclusive Report Of
Phelan's Success Is
Discussed Widely
CITY is INTERESTED

Further advices received yesterday
from Washington confirmed the report
published exclusively in The Call thar
James d. Phelan had practically com
pleted negotiations with the federal
authorities whereby San francisco
would be enabled to take possession OF
the Hetch Hetchy water system Il
appears that President Roosevelt in
foLped Phelan that the entire matter
lay with the people of San Francisco
The presidents words in effect were,
IF the people of San Francisco show
that they really desire the Hetch
Hetchy rights I am sure the federal
government will do what it can to as
sist them"
No steps will be taken in the matter
until the return of Phelan. At that
time the entire question of a municipal
supply will be considered and eventu-
ally placed before the voters OF the
city.
c. H. Bentley, president of the cham
Der of commerce and a member of ths
special water committee, said yester-
day that messages from Phelan indi-
Gated the complete success of his mis-
sion to Washington.
II understand" said Bentley, that
Mr.. Phelan had assurances of the presi
dents cooperation before he departed
for the east and what we have heard
since his arrival there indicates that hs
has met with success. AS soon as the
facts in the case were laid before Pres
ident Roosevelt he expressed his ap-
proval.
Just what will be done in the mat
ter cannot say at this time. I balieve
that the entire situation should be care
fully considered and every available
source of supply looked into Then a
decision can be reached and the city
can go ahead and acquire it's own sys-
tem In the meantime it will be neces.
sary to cooperate as far as possible
with the Spring Valley company in
order that the city may not suffer from
lack of water
The news that the Hetch Hetchy sys-
tenn had become available was received
with a great deal of interest through
out the city. By several engineers II
was pointed out that even with the
Hetch Hetchy or THolumne project II
would be necessary for the city to ac-
quire the Spring Valley distributing
system. IL not larger part of the
plant.
The promoters of the Hetch Hetchy
system say that il is favorably regard
ed by Clifford Pinchot, head of the fed
era1 forestry service; Engineer Lippin-
cott of the government service and
Marsden Manson, the well known en-
gineer, who have recommended II for
San Francisco. c. e. Grunsky. former
city engineer and recently of the fed
eral reclamation service, reported IA
yorably. upon the project. Under the
direction of Grunsky estimates were
made for complete reservoir and pipe
system from the Hetch Hetchy to San
Francisco. Grunsky figured the cost at
s39, 100000, but his estimates have been
generally regarded as too high.
The Hetch Hetchy valley IL a corner
of the Yosemite national park, remote
from and not connected with the fo-
semitic valley and is practically inac-
cessible. BY damming its mouth the
waste or storm waters of the high
Sierras can be gathered. The Hetch
Hetchy is located In Tuolumne county.
142 miles from San Francisco
The two main reservoir sites of the
project are the Hetch Hetchy and Lake
Eleanor. In his report on the project
Marsden Manson says:
The Hetch Hetchy develops with q dam
$50 feet high 100000 gallons per day
for the year, without drawing on the
discharge of the river at the intake Of
the canal, and 135,000,00e gallons per
day by drawing on the river when its
discharge is above the possible limits
of future droughts. Lake Eleanor Is on
the creek of the same name and de-
velops 57.0e0,0oo gallons per day for
seven months OF the year"
According to the latest Spring Valley
estimates the rate of consumption in
San Francisco at the present time Is
about 20,000,000 gallons a day.