The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-07
FLOOD WORKS
HAVOC IN CITYS
WATER SYSTEM
WaShOut of FIume and Conduit
Cuts Off Supply From
Big Cottonwood.
PARLEYS CREEK NOW
A RAGING TORRENT
WORKERS ENCAMPEO IN CAN
YoN STRIVE TO AVERT
DISASTER.

Flood waters rushing down Parleys
creek carried out the large wooden fIume
combining the waters in the bypass
around the Parley's reservoir and with
} it a portion of the Big Cottonwood con-
duit- which crosses PsrleE's creek at
right angles near this point FOr several
hours yesterday the city water supply
was seriously endangered and the dan
ger is not Tet past. The gity's water sup
ply comes largely from Parley's creek
and Big Cottonwood. By the disaster yes
terday i'm Parley's canyon both Of these
sources of supply were cut off and the
only water left for the city was that
coming through Emigration Canyon creek
and City creek which IS comparatively
small in quantity.
The water pressure fn the mains was
I so small yesterday afternoon and evening
that the upper floors of all the large
/ buildings and apartment houses were
! without any wafer whatever the pres
I sure being too low to carry the water
l above the second floor. The fire depart
I ment gauge. the normal pressure of which
. is 21 pounds. yesterday afternoon showed
Z d pressure of only twenty pounds. Last
[ evening the pressure began To increase
slightly and at midnight the gauge showed
! 90 pounds As soon as the flume went
out and the pressure in the water mains
was reduced emergency precautions were
taken by the fire department. AT the
orders of Fire Chief GlOre and Assistant
Chief Fitzgerald every steamer in The
city was fired UP and kept under a fun
head of steam. This makes it possible
for the fire department 10 pump q heavy
stream of water ON a fire, despite the low
pressure i'm the mains.
Crews from the watcrworks and street
departments OF the city worked all yes
terday afternoon and all night last night
and are still at work trying to repair the
damage done I'm order TO restore the wa
ter supply to the city and prevent COM
plete disaster
Conduit Is Washed Out,
The break in the fIume occurred at a
point below the reservoir and Just above
the place where the Big Cottonwood con
Cult crosses Parleys creek. The terrific
? force Of the waters snapped the biEstIm-
/ bers Of the wooden flume that confined
the water and. rushing onward tore 0gt
, / q section of the Big Cottonwood conduit.
r adding 10 the flood the waters from Big
! Cottonwood canyon
= Forty men are now at work putting iu
| an emergency conduit to carry the waters
5 Of Farley creek into the reservoir. When
I this conduit Is completed dam VIII be
built at this point. forcing the flood Wa
: ters through the reservoir. This will Te-
I Heye the pressure at the place where the
/ break occurred below and viii enable the
workers 10 repair the damage at that
2 point. The water Of Big Cottonwood con-
duit can then be turned back into the res
eryOir Ii is hoped 10 have this work
! completed By tomorrow night. but DO the
r waters Of Pariey's creek should continue
= to rise the situation may get entirely be
, yond control
! City Engineer KELSEY. j. T. Raleigh.
Z superintendent of streets. Thomas Hob
? day superintendent of waterWOrks- F. NJ.
I Matthews. land and water commissions
and Councilman q. +. RaybOuld visited
= the scene OF the break yesterday Su-
! perintendent HOLIDAY remained ON the
! scene ali night night directing the repair
i work This morning the mayor the city
b. engineer and members Of the city COu-
ell viii visit the scene of the break
Possibility of Disaster.
% II 30 further damage is done by the
{ flood waters at this point the damage
p zone will De about $1,000. The city or
S ficiais. however admit that the worst
S is not yet and With continued warm
. weather the prospective loss is lucficU-
p liable. They hope through the methods
p adopted To save the eityS water supply
+ and to restore the damaged portion u
. the Big Cottonwood conduit To conserve
D the present water supply from EmlgIa
Z ton canyon and City creek the sprinl-
10 lers and street tuSlerS WtI DE taken Off
% and residents will De asked today TO cease
e using the water for sDTiuhliug lawns.
: The men doing the repair work on the
{ stream were supplied last evening with
tents. bedding and provisions. and are
p thus prepared to remain on the scene for
= days. The Rio GrIude Railroad COMPANY
o has two work trains and crews at VyorlS
- strengthening the tracks on the Park
|Ciry branch. which crosses the creek At
. several places along the track there fs
. serious danger Of wasHOuts and traffic
|, 3 between Salt Lake and Park CITY on this
|. line has been temporarily suspended.
. Danger of q disastrous flood has prob
ably been temporarily aVerted by the
|. ! work Of the men VINO are strengthening
> the banks Of the stream, but present In
/, dicatiOus are that enough water viii soon
+ come down the creek to tear out fumes
and bridges all along the stream. More
) snow fell I'M the mountains last winter
: than in tweuty-seveu years and it has
> only just begun to melt. At low places
Z along Parley's creek and tine canals that
> form its outlet the water has now left
! the banks and is flooding Yards and fill
> ing cellars of residents on contiguous
property.