Lake Washington Water Flows Into the City
A new engineering milestone as city reservoirs are filled from the lake, promising both hydration and fire protection for a growing Seattle.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Yesterday, at 6 p.m., the first water was pumped from Lake Washington into the reservoirs of the company in this city. The pumping was done through 12-inch pipes to an elevation of 315 feet, at the rate of 100,000 gallons an hour. About 15,000 feet of piping was tested, and sustained the great pressure without a break or leak. Great credit is due to Mr. H. H. McWilliams, the superintendent of construction, everything connected with the works having proved his ability as a competent engineer. The pumping was witnessed by the president and secretary, Messrs. Gilbert and Leary, who are also the principal stockholders in the company. Our property owners and citizens generally are gratified at having an abundance of pure water at last, and feel that a great reduction will be made in rates of insurance when a sufficient number of fire plugs are provided for the use of the city.
“Our property owners and citizens generally are gratified at having an abundance of pure water at last.”
This event marked the beginning of Seattle’s modern relationship with its primary water source. Today, Lake Washington remains central to the city's utility infrastructure, though the environmental challenges have shifted from accessibility to preservation.
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