The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1916-01-14
CITY WATER SYSTEM
REPAIRED IN 10 DAYS
In the Meantime There will Be an Ade-
quate Supply from Other Sources
to Relieve the Situation

When it comes to an alcoholic prop
osition Leavenworth is very, very dry,
and three or four days this week on
water the town was also very, very shy.
About ten days ago there were slight
signs OF slackness in the city's water
pressure. Last Saturday Mayor Day
suggested to Water Commissioner Toll
bert that an investigation Of the intake
might point way to relief. Two men
were sent up four miles west Of town to
to take look at the intake. They
looked and forthwith returned with the
information that the intake had intaKen
an excessive amount OF mush ice and
was gradually refusing to take in water.
The next day Mr.. Tolbert boarded a
pair OF skees and made the trip himself.
The mush ice was found to be mushier
than ever, the intake was choked up,
and the main conveying pipe. where it
is elevated on trestles for about thou
sand feet, was frozen in places.
Sunday afternoon the city system
absolutely failed to produce and all that
section OF town north OF the railroad,
where two-thirds OF the population are
domiciled, was waterless, and driven
to the snowdrifts for necessary moisture.
The pipes on the south side still yield
ed water, but the supply came from
another source and was strictly limited.
This situation prevailed until yesterday
morning. In the meantime Tolbert,
with several assistants, was endeavoring
to remedy the trouble, but without re-
suits. At the council meeting it was
decided, after due and ponderous de-
liberation, that the only solution of the
problem lay in purchasing new piping
to substitute for that which is now filled
with ice. City Clerk Brown was in
structed to purchase 1000 feet of pipe
at 36 cents per foot, and 200 feet Of
high-pressure pipe at A cents per foot
What isn't needed for the present
emergency will be held in reserve for
future day of trouble. Three hun
dred feet OF pipe were found to be
on hand and this was hauled out Wed
nesday morning with crew Of men to
get into immediate action on the pro-
cess Of substitution.
Last year when the system broke
down the Lamb-Davis Lumber Co.
came to the rescue and for the
consideration OF 1925 per month fur
uished sufficient water to get along on
until the municipal plant was again
running. 1t was hoped that this ser
vice could be repeated, but Mr.. w. W..
Wilder, representing the company, ex-
planned to the council Tuesday night
that this was impossible, owing to the
fact that the millpond, from which the
supply had been pumped, was drained
last fall and now contained only four
feet Of snow. AS last resort Mayor
Day employed Taylor Yocum, Lee
Howerton and Charley Fox, each with
q team, to procure spring water and
deliver limited supply each day to
northside residents. This arrangement
was started yesterday morning, but was
halted within an hour when water was
discovered in the hydrants. Here's
where we pin the medal on Sam DAILY.
Mr.. Daily is in the employ OF the
Tumwater Light & Water Co. as an all
round mechanical expert. He harbored
an idea that there was some fault with
the Joint water system OF the Great
Northern railway and the Lamb Davis
Co. which for some time has been run
ming a short supply, and that the fault
might be remedied. He took trip
mn the line and confirmed his idea.
With Roundhouse Foreman Bob Smith
and a roundhouse machinist, Mr.. DAILY
borrowed a locomotive from the rail
road officials and rode up the canyon
Wednesday evening to within one hun
dred yards Of the Great Northern power
house and turned valve wide open in
the water pipe. The valve had been
IL -fonrth omen. This explains