East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-11-28
Detailed Costs Recited, Vouchers at
Hand, Books Have Been Frequent
y Experted-PeopIe Invited to
Inspect Them.

Giving the public full and exact
facts relative to the cost OF the work
on the gravity water system Mcssrs.
Moore. Ia Dow, Jack and Brown.
members Of the city water commits
sion, today sct ut rest the wild and
unfair and untruthful stories that
have been circulated and published
with reference TO the work OF the
beard. Giving no heed TO the silly
filings hurled at them by DIR. Best, the
members OF the board give n dlgni-
fled. busincsslikc statement that
shows they have been conducting their
work I'm a capable. honest MANNER.
They give detailed statement OF all
expenditures and invite the public to
make free use Of the office 10 inspect
the vouchers ana satisfy themselves
as TO the report. They also call at
tention TO the fact the books OF the
water commission have been fire.
quentIy checked up by competent cx-
perts and that being public records
those books are open Mt all times to
public inspection.
TO the People of Pendleton:
When starting the present gravity
water system, which Is now In course
of construction. the comm ssion de-
cided the first thing was TO find a
sufficient supply Of pure water. Next
the best way To bring II to the distrib-
uting reservoirs situated at an eleva-
tion high enough to insure supply
OF water for fire purposes as well az
for domestic use to all parts OF the
city and to do tn 8 so that the reve-
nues derived from the sale of water
would pay the operating expenses Of
the system, interest on the bonds ne
cessary to install the plant and alsJ
yet aside each year n sum sufficient
to pay the bonds when they mature.
With these things In view, Mr. Frank
G. Kelsey, a competent engineer, was
employed to investigate the different
sources of supply After examining
the different springs OF the Umat,lla
river and Mckay creek he reported
that the North Fork of the umatilla
river seemed to be the only place
where sufficient supply was in
sight. He was directed to make a
survey OF a line from there to Pen
dleton and furnish the estimates or
the cost of the same. which he did,
hut the cost of the pipe alone was
$4,000. and the reservoirs and work
on the lines in the city would make
the cost more than $350,0OO. sum
VIII ch we considered prohibitive. we
then had him make "a report on the
springs about s 1-2 miles east of PEN
dleton (sometimes called the Cayusc
springs) but as the location of these
springs was lower than the proposed
distributing reservoirs, these springs
were not considered. This left the
springs at Thorn Hollow as the only
available place and after investigating
the springs there and finding flow OF
2. 600 600 gallons in "a hours, Mr..
Kelsey was directed to make a survey
of a line from there to Pendleton and
tn make plans and specifications for
n system II to be a wood stave pipe
line. This was done. These plans
and specifications were presented to
the board with good effect when the
f1Ent was DelH6 hhooc w Ao~"sS >"~
eastern Oregon state hospital here
and again with the legislature when
Il was asked to make appropriations
for the buildings. About this time at
tention OF the commission was direct
cd TO the cocrete pipe line then pelnl
mt in at Baker City and they wen
over there to invest gate 1t. They were
90 we'll pleased with the concrete
pine, after making this and other In
vestigations they decided to build
concrete line and Mr. Kelsey wal
again directed to make survey o
the concrete pipe line which he did
Having acquired the Shapl'sh springs
. 10 miles east of Thorn Hollow
with a flow of 100000 gallons, tn
commission again decided to star
work and the contracts were let t
complete the system. The develop
ment work Is practically all don
and the water Is now running through
the gate house and out of the vast
pipe which will be used for the over
flow. or extra water. when the line
completed. The house on the Weni
place has been moved onto concret
foundation on the h'll this side. Q
the springs and the place cleaned u
and leveled The water will be car
ried from the gate house to the res
ervoirs In Pendleton In concret
pipe with a capacity Of 5000, 900 gal
oons in "a hours. Should II ever