The Alaska daily empire., 1916-01-03
FAMINE
 CRITICAL, CITY
 COUNCIL MEETS
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 dividual owners of Granite creek min. Ing claims, The belief seems to be generally held that this could be done.
 Some Favor Private Capital.
 While the most of the people who have discussed the question with The Empire favor a municipal owned wat CT system. lf one can be financed, others favor encouragement to private capital to do the work under a fan chise from the city. containing a clause which would permit tho city to purchase the plant All are agreed, however. that there should be a new and better water system for Juneau with a greater water supply and the absolute certainty that the water is good for drinking purposes. The statement was made again and aga.n that the present water system Is inc adequate and mismanaged.
 Salt Water for Fire Protection.
 Ere Chief Sim Fireman lavors the immediate installation of a system which would permit the city the use of salt water for fire protection. Un- der the arrangement that was made with the Alaska-Juneau, he said, this could be done quickly and without great cost
 Supply To Inadequate"
 Superintendent of Streets J. H. Wheeler. who has been making an in- vestigation of the present water sup ply stated today that undoubtedly the water supply is inadequate At the present time. he says, there Is hard Fly enough water coming from the springs to supply the town. and in the near future the supply will not meet the needs of the city for ordi. nary business and home purposes. Just now the reservoirs are full again but if @ large fire should break out now all the fire department could do would be to sit and watch 1t burn. When the old Juneau Hotel burned five years ago the tanks were emptled, and the same thing would happen again if large fire should break out. The two reservoirs would be drained dry within two hours. and then we would be up against it' he said. Con- tlnuing along the same lines. he de- clared: 'I sat up all night Friday for fear that a fire would break out and if one did it would be necessary to check it with chemicals before it got well started. If one got away from the chemical apparatus 1t would have to burn itself out Last summer for over month neither Driver Frank Sargent nor myself left the City Hall even to walk down town day or nighl for fear a fire would break out. The water supply was low then and 1t is entirely inadequate for fire protec- ton"
 Should Use Salt Water
 The city has an agreement with the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company whereby certain of their taxes are re- mitted Tn exchange for permission to connect the city mains with their high pressure fresh and salt water systems for fire protection. but as yet the connections have not been made The city council was notified some time ago that the fresh water system of the mining company was ready and the connections could be made at any t'me. but so far nothing has been done in the matter.
 The agreement reads In part 'Il is agreed by and between the parties hereto that the Alaska Junau Gold Mining Company shall construct a milling plant-and in connection there with shall install a water system connected with It's high pressure fresh water supply and also with a salt water pumping plant so that ether fresh or salt water. or both : under high pressure shall at all times , be available for use in connection with the extingulshing of fires and said , system sball be maintained for a per iod of 30 years;
 "Said Alaska Juneau Gold Mining company shall permit the said City of Juneau. as soon as said system is completed and ready for use, to lay water mains and connect the same with the water system so installed and allow tho waters Of said system to be used by said City of Juneau for the purpose of fighting and ex. tinguishing fires whenever any fires occur In the corporate limits of the City of Juneau"
 The agreement is signed by II. A. Bishop. as mayor of Juneau and Rob- ert A. Kinzie as superintendent of the mining company and was dated March 7th. 1913.