Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-25
FriscO's Water
40O,OOO,O0O Gals
Used Every Day

San Francisco, Jan. 3i-tbE y. -
Water from the detch Hetchy
source. in the high Sierra Nevada
mountains of California. will flow l56
miles by gravity into the reservoirs
OF San Francisco within about four
years. according TO present plans.
The enormous Hetch Hetchy project,
involving in all its phases something
like s20o. 100000, is nearing compile
ton, though a vast amount OF work
still remains TO be done.
The latest economic problem in
connection with the Hetch Hetchy
found expression in request by the
San Francisco board or SUPERVISORS
to the state railroad commission TO
appraise and fix the value OF
two private power distributing sys-
TENS now operating in the city
In obtaining the water supply
from the mountains the city de-
Veloped. almost as by-product,
electrical energy which though IN
complete. can be whciesated within
a year 10 distributing companies Tor
approximately 81 1000. 0np annually. \
faction of citizens, however, is urging
the city not to dispose OF tins power
but instead TO so into the power
business by purchasing the eXlstlhs
distributing systems and selling hSht
and power TO the people directly.
Other residents are opposing such
municipal business.
When completed the 1letch Hetchy
supply will give san francesca anu
adjoining communities fot'pVV'up'
gallons Of pure mountain water u1l!E'
a generous supply for a community
of 100000 inhabitants HetcH
~ % nj
eratinc more than a billion kiloWtV
bCI~s IF electrical power annually.
The city now uses about 5tu,Voo'VVp
kilowatt hours.
The efforts to secure Hetch HetchE
water date back to 1901. Ihere W.
considerable opposition in the begin
$40 and the contest was carried
thronsh three national admlnlstfa-
lions Finally a bill, giving the C'tH
al II had asked for, was signed III
1oI3 and work was start IN l9I4'
Owe IF the first steps taken by the
CITY after obtaining the ste " - -,
construction of a standard SuaEe
ABROAD GS miles long 10 haul sup
rIies cement and materials. ~ ny
aaet end OF the railroad now st"hu9
StShauohnessv dam, which tutneT ,
The valley behind it into a neau ' ~ -
ralIa seven miles Ions. II cos "a
rt-q5c2l 1t was butt to last
centuries and is n monument -
Tnoineer NJ. NJ. OSht NJ
Hhose Withdrawal from Pos''lm,,
,,o,.iner him $4,000 year 70 -.
,,I.at,eb me Hetch Hctchy proJett h h"n
can Francisco at n SALARY W.
las a touch of sentiment 70 nla'
80 ,,,,dn m otherwise Of enGIneCl ilf,
on5 financing. The reservoir DEM 91-..
~ don, will hold s. billion @a' l'Is,
thn largest capacity OF any c''S
Of Chicago. -,
1Iatcb Ictchy valley is AZ an tl'
,,io,, of 2 400 feet above seal ieNt'.
patnrn If was Hooded it's floor "'sa
iIaarod If timber. The reserNo'l
ol,,ors I 500 acres. with n draIA"fC
otso Of oq4,OON acres. FN ""N1'l
raod - miles above Hctch IetchN -
Ial,n Eleanor, another reservoir l'4"
inr nine billion gallons Of water
The water after being used in two
power plants, will pass INTO a tunnel
already completed. 1873 miles long
and ranging in size fl rom - feet 4
inches by 10 feet G inches to 10 rect
3 inches by 10 feet 5 inches the
tunnel cost $S,000.O00. Below tins
tunnel will be Priest dam and the
reservoir for the great Moc&SSlh
Creek power plant, which, when com
Melted next June, viii sc able to pro
ducc 100000, eco liiloWatt hours ot
electricity annually. 2quallin= the
present total supply Of San Francisco.
The vertical drop Of water for TINS
plant will lie 1915 feet.
Ultimately the city viii furnish
100000 hydro electric horse power
from the Hetch HctChy system.
To bring 1Gctch Hetchy waters 70
the door Of san Francisco viii re
0uirc 81 miles of tunnels. 10 feet !"
inches in diameter. and 90 miles Of
large steel pipe f1umeWay. The entire
apueduCt will be thus enclosed. There
will be no pumping, all the water
flowing by gravity. The salt marsh
"a on san Francisco bay will he
CT osscd on trestlcs, and a tunnel will
be built under the bay channel.
The city controls for the project
10000 acres of watersheds, has
bought 400 acres for reservoir sites
and other purposes and acquired more
than 150 miles OF railroad right Of
way.
To carry on the work II was ne
cessary to- build 4 small city in the
mountains. including m Office build
ing, hospital railroad shops, ware
houses and saWmill.