The City's Private Water Pioneer
Before the city operated its own utility, one visionary resident sank a deep well on Ninth Street, betting his own fortune that he could out-pump the ground itself to supply 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 afternoon, pursuant to an invitation, a number of gentlemen, including Mayor Smith and the writer, went up to Charles Coppin's place on Ninth Street to witness the workings of the new pumping apparatus just completed by that gentleman. Mr. Coppin has expended already over $3,000 in bringing his ideas into practical working order. Mr. Coppin has sunk a well through cement and gravel 65 feet, and has on an average five feet of water. This well is six feet in diameter and walled up with brick. The water is raised and pumped into tanks by two powerful pumps worked with a windmill, with a capacity of 600 gallons per hour, and the other by a six-horsepower engine, raising 1,400 gallons per hour. The water is pure, fresh, and soft. Mr. Coppin’s tanks are located 300 feet higher than Front Street, hence the pressure of water from his mains would be sufficient to throw a stream over any house in the business portion of town. He states that the lead of water feeding the well is so great that the two pumps working constantly for six hours did not perceptibly lower the depth. He is so pleased with his success that he will soon commence sinking a well 21 feet in diameter, to be topped by a tank with a capacity of one million gallons. Mr. Coppin expects to have his works all completed so as to commence supplying the city with water by January next. He has sacrificed valuable property, spent much valuable time, and laid out a great deal of money, but still he feels encouraged. His success is assured, and he will reap a rich reward for his perseverance.
“It is painfully disagreeable to be compelled to sit in the quarters where the Court is holding its present session, and only be able to hear a part of a sentence now and then.”
Long before Seattle’s municipal water system was established, individual entrepreneurs like Coppin attempted to solve the city's urgent infrastructure needs through private investment. Today's debates over public versus private utility management and the city's capacity to keep pace with rapid growth echo the same anxieties felt in 1882.
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