The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1915-07-27

one again. The hot season has
only begun and already there is a
water famine and the city is prac-
tically without fire protection.
There is less than two feet OF
water in the big reservoir and if
that fire Monday morning had
been in the row of wooden build
ings on the dock as first thought,
the property owners would have
been obliged to stand idly by and
see their property burn without
any water to check the progress
of the fire.
The emergency is so great that
a special meeting of the council
was called Monday evening To
consider it. Only four members
were present. All recognized
the gravity of the situation but
there were as many Emergencies
of opinion as to the way i'm which
the situation should be dealt with
as there were persons present and
after two hours spent in discus
sion the members of the council
went home without even goine
through the formality of adj
iourning, and without taking any
official action.
The one thing that was brought
out clearly was that the present
water famine was not brought oi
by any failure of water at the
source of supply. The reservoir
on Thorn creek is full and the
water is running over The top OF
the dam, showing clearly that the
six inch supply pipe is not large
enough to carry the water need
ed to supply the city with the
present rate of consumption.
Engineer A. L. Jaqueth of Great
Falls, Montana, who made the es-
Innate for the proposed improve
ments to the water system and
who will have charge of the work
if the bonds carry at the election
being held today, was present at
the meeting He stated that
enough water was coming into the
reservoir to furnish 400 gallons
Ter capita for the residents of
the city. In other words, if the
water was used solely for dOmes-
tic purposes and none was wasted
a family for five persons could
use 1000 gallons of water daily.
This showns that a large amount
of water is being used for other
than domestic purposes or that
vast quantities are being wasted.
1t is a we'll known fact that a
great deal of water is being used
for street and lawn sprinklings
and to wet down around dwellings,
and business places to keep them
cool. Councilman COrmier made
the statement that vastly more
water was being wasted than was
being used. He said that in many
of the private families the water
was allowed to run all of the time
in order to keep food cool with
out the use of ice. That at
least two business houses thel
have soda fountains kept the
water running constantly, day and
night, and that much was being
wasted by sprinkling streets and
sidewalks.
He stated that he had ordered
these practices stopped and spoke
of one business man i'm particu-
lar That he had ordered To stop
these practices five times i'm one
day but the man paid no attention
Z to him and continued to waste
water after he had been told thai
the water was practically all Ou
of the reservoir. He wanted
drastic measures taken at once
lie would have the commissioner
shut Off every tap where Oh,
water is being wasted. Other.
favored passing a stringent or
dinance against wasting watei
with a fine and costs imposed fol
any violation and favored for.
bidding sprinkling OF any kind