The San Francisco call., 1913-12-08
6. Y. SUIT To
be ORDERED
TODAY
City Engineer to Head Com
mission in Charge of City
Water Supply
BULLETIN

Mayor Rolph in telegram sent
from Washington today to Acting
Mayor Jennings stated that he ex-
poets President Wilson to sign the
Hetch Hetchy bill before the end of
this week. The dispatch, which was
read before the board of supervisors
this afternoon amid loud applause, is
as follows:
Press disaptches have informed
you fully of San Francisco's Hetch
Hetchy victory. 1t but remains for
me to confirm this joyful news and
to say that we will take home the
bacon to you just as soon as the
president officially seals it. We
hope for this before the end of this
week Entire delegations here join
me in regards and congratulations to
you"
San Francisco is jubilant today over
the passage of the Hetch Hetchy biz
by the senate. City officials are conf
dent that the bill. which was CARRIED
at midnight Saturday by a vote Of f3
10 20. will be promptly signed by
PRESIDENT Wilson. The board of super
Vlsors will finally pass this afternoon
the bill authorizing the condemnation
suit against the Spring Valley water
properties, which is regarded by city
officials as the first necessary step to-
ward the solution of the water prob
lem.
WILL FORM WATER COMMISSION
Acting City Engineer Hunt said this
morning the first step in his office
after the Hetch Hetchy grant is
signed by the president will probably
be the formation of water commits
sion TO handle the project exclusively.
Ihls viii be similar to the Los An
geles aqueduct commission and that
OF New York. and will mean that CITY
Engineer 0'Shaughnessy will relin-
quish his present position to become
Its head, as the board will be distinct
from the engineering bureau. En-
gineers viii then be sent into the field
and work viii be begun in making the
surveys for the pipe lire and tunnel
1t will also be necessary to acquire
several rights of way for the conduits
over private property.
Engineer John r. Freeman has ad-
vised that the city should start first
on the % miles of tunnel through the
Coast rance, and that road should
he built along Tuolumne canyon for
the transportation OF supplies to the
Hetch Hetchy valley
NO LEGAL DISTRACTIONS
Assistant city Attorney SearIs said
today that when the president signs
the bin there viii be no legal OBJ
structions in the way of the city
commencing work on the big project
The only legal matters to come to the
city attorneys Office will be the Sc
curing of the necessary rights of way.
Acting Mayor Jennings is prepar-
ing a program for the celebration
which viii be given the eitys delega-
tion when it returns from Washing
ton
Jennings crystalized the sentiment
of the entire city when ne said this
morning:
I'm glad it's over 1t was a long
fight and a great victory. All San
Francisco and the bay regions should
be congratulated Few realize how
much this Hetch Hetchy grant means
The right to draw a practically mex
haustibie supply of fresh mountain
water from Hetch Hetchy valley will
make this city and those IN the neigh
borhood supreme in prosperity and
health. II means not only water, but
power.
Now that the struggle is success
ful this city should go forward by
leaps and bounds II is the lack of
water. especially in the outlying dis
tricts. that has held US back For
our immediate needs we must de-
velop the Spring Valley water sys-
TEN. It's requirement by condemna-
tion is the frst step. With the Gala
veras dam constructed, the Spring
Valley system will tide us over the
period Of years which must elapse
before we can bring the Hetch Hetchy
water here
COMPLAINT READY TO FILE
Attorney Thomas E. Haven. special
counsel for the city in the Spring
Valley condemnation, announced that
he had the big condemnation COM
plant in readiness TO be filed and
would commence suit Immediately
upon the passage Of the ordinance
The suit should be fled early this
week
The Hetch Hetchy bill gives the
city the right to build a dam across
the narrow mouth of the Hetch
Hetchy valley on a natural site, where
the foundations are of the same solid
granite as the high walls that inclose
the two mile cleft in the Sierras. BY
the terms of the grant the city can
store 224,000, 000 900 gallons of food
water Of the Tuolumne river. which
now goes TO waste. and to food the
floor of the Hetch Hechy valley, two
thirds of which is now owned by the
municipality.