The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-02-05


upon this foundation IN but 2f0
pounds per square inch. II will be
able 10 resist this load with a safety
factor Of 49," Tho foundation should
be safe II II can carry dam 30
times as heavy as the one we have
built.
Question 81 "ln there danger Of
seepsge thru the north bank with
water at an elevation Of f,51o feet,
N the lake be raised by gradual
stages covering series OF years7'
The answer 70 this question il
practically duplicate of report
made by Professors Landes and
Roberts Of the university. some two
years before the engineers were en-.
ployed.
The university report Was made
TO the city engineer I'm July, 1910.
and the concluding paragraph reads
as follows. The probabilities al
most amount 10 certainty that
there viii be large loss from the
lake by seepage around the north
end OF the dam. unless great precau-
ton be taken. II may be neces-
sary 10 carry wing from the north
end OF the dam In the form Of
concrete curtain wall, extending
down TO bedrock Should a long
wall prove impracticable. II may
be sufficient 10 puddle the slopes
OF the reservoir"
After recommending the digging
OF n series OF test walls. the cngi-
neers' report says: Under the high
pressure which would obtain
against this bank. we believe moth
Ing short Of very thick and very
well compacted mat OF clay puddle
would be effective against seepage.
and such provision would be abnor-
mally expensive"
From these extracts It will be
seen that we learned nothing from
these engineers about seepage but
what Landes and Roberts had told
us long before. What most people
do not understand In that this dam
is a necessity 10 store water for
Seattle when the population con-
sumes more than the Cedar river
will supply In seasons OF low water.
AND THAT TIME IS APPROACH
ING.
IL may prove expensive to seal
the river bed and make the dam
available. but how vastly more ex-
penEye It would be 10 duplicate
the Cedar river water system,
II is useless to speculate. be-
cause there are no available
streams and lakes tributary to Sc
attic comparable TO IT,
The nse OF the dam for power
purposes is merely incidental.
When people wake up to the fact
that their water system Is involved.
some OF the public officials who
are now working with private in
terers to delay sealing OF the dam
win get the az.
The council has made two sub
stantial. appropriations to go on
with this work during the last Is
months.
The board OF public works. how
ever. has not been permitted 10
turn a hand toward sealing the
basin.
And yet. In face Of all these plain
facts-fscts proved by the pubiIo
record-Mayor Gill. with charterIs-
tic and braxen untruthfuIness. hao
been crying from the housetopo
about Cedar river dam, THO He
KNOWS THERE IS ABSOLUTE
LY NOTHING IN THE HISTORY
OF THE DAMS LOCATION on
CONSTRUCTION WHICH IN THE
SLIGHTEST DEGREE REFLECTS
UPON THE CITY COUNCIL on
DIscREDiTs THE cAilaG NoH-
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
N oIii's desire 70 help munlclpa1
ownership was one-haif ~ strong
~ his desire to cripple Il In the IL
terest OF private corporations, ~
would explain the facts instead u
trying to rislead the people.
There is no lie so vile as half
truth" OLIVER r. ERICKSON.