Members of the city council have been wondering of late where they stood on the Cedar river water proposition. They were uncertain as to how much say they had in the construction of the system. This desire to act culminated in a special meeting yesterday afternoon of the committee of the whole of the city council, presided over by Raymond. A majority of its members were present, as was also Mayor Wood, City Comptroller Parry, City Engineer Thomson, Frank N. Little, L. B. Youngs, Acting Corporation Counsel Frank Tipton and George Cotterill.

The status of the work at present is best outlined in the following report submitted to the city council by City Engineer Thomson:

"In accordance with your instructions, I beg leave to present the following report of work done upon the Cedar river water system and recommendations as to future plans.

"Report has already been made to your honorable body of the expenditures made under authority of ordinance No. 4323, which was passed in June, 1896. Field operations were commenced soon after that ordinance was passed, and continued until the rainy season set in. Since then the work on the maps and calculations has continued, along with our other office work. In this connection I wish to call attention to the fact that all the surveys and draughting done in connection with the Cedar river system have been made within the ordinary appropriation for the usual office and field force. In fact, the total cost of this department for 1896, including all work on Cedar river system, was $11,349.52, as compared to $15,185.15 for 1895, a net reduction of $3,835.63. This result was possible only by the use of the greater portion of the regular office and field force on the Cedar river work and a doubling up of duties all along the line.

"When surveys were commenced, last summer, it was my expectation to simply revise the Williams flume line location from Cedar river to Swan lake, so as to serve the purposes of a pressure pipe line. With this idea in view, much preliminary office work had been done in the way of projecting a location based on certain connections with the Williams line. Attempts to run this projected line, using the Williams line as a basis, resulted in constant confusion and failure to reach the desired elevations. We were forced to the conclusion that the contours indicated on the Williams maps were at many critical points so far from representing the true topography as to be largely useless for purposes of projecting a location. I had also become convinced of the wisdom of abandoning the idea of a dam nearly thirty feet high in a mountain stream like Cedar river, and substituting for it a form of intake similar to that adopted by Portland on the Bull Run river. Hence, after full consultation with members of the special committee appointed by the city council, our field work took the form of an entire new preliminary survey and location between the head works site on Cedar river and the point of discharge into Swan lake. Summarizing our work, I find we have run 7 miles of preliminary line, 8 1/2 miles of location line, 30 miles of sectional subdivision, 15 1/2 miles of line levels, 30 miles of contour levels, making a total of 45 1/2 miles of transit and 51 1/2 miles of level work. Besides this, about 5 miles of transit work has been done on the overflow line of Swan lake, making a total of 102 miles of surveys accomplished.

"On July 7, 1896, I furnished to the corporation counsel, for use in condemnation proceedings, a preliminary description of the route between Cedar river and Swan lake and the land to be overflowed around Swan lake, together with a list of the owners of land affected. After the completion of surveys before referred to, in December, 1896, I transmitted to the corporation counsel a further statement giving the complete detail location of the line, with maps showing the exact position thereof with reference to all the ownerships affected.

"There now remains to be done the following work:

"First-- The completion of an accurate survey of the overflow line at Swan Lake.

"Second-- The definite determination of the course of the line, and a survey thereof between Swan lake and the high service reservoir in this city, a distance of about seventeen and one-half miles.

"Third-- The making of the section subdivisions and surveys of property lines crossed and affected by and necessary for the right-of-way along said pipe line.

"Fourth-- The final and precise location of the sites of the low service reservoir or reservoirs and the acquirement of land therefor.

"Fifth-- The completion of the specifications in conformity with the results of such determinations.

"Sixth-- The making of the absolute detail and specific drawings touching each and every feature of construction from headworks to the high service reservoir.

"These six items will probably have to be prosecuted somewhat in the order in which they have been given, although nearly all of them can be carried on simultaneously. I do not anticipate any such difficulties or any such extended labor in the matter of revised line between Swan lake and the city as was encountered between the headworks and Swan lake. The reason of the great labor necessary in the determination of the line from the headworks to Swan lake was twofold. First, Mr. William's original plan contemplated the delivery of water from Cedar river into Swan lake by means of an open flume. Second, he contemplated such deliver to be made from water raised in a considerable height by means of a dam at the point of intake. The change from the use of a flume to that of a conduit necessitated a great deal of modification in his plans and the elimination of the dam made necessary still more changes.

"For every phase of the work which may be encountered, I have, at great labor, prepared general specifications clearly defining the principle of construction These, however, will have to be rewritten and reformed, item by item, as the final determination of policy is reached with reference to each phase of the work. By liberal appropriations from the council so that this work could be pushed with full energy in all parts, I see no reason why we should not be ready for the award of contract at as early a date as it will be possible to obtain verdicts upon our condemnation cases for right-of-way between the headworks and Swan lake, and it is also possible that by giving entire attention to that matter, the suits for condemnation for the overflowed land around Swan lake could be set forward and brought to a determination at the same time as would be the sits for the before mentioned rights-of-way. The preparation of detail drawings for the final details of gate houses and such structures will proceed during the entire prosecution of the work and will keep employed one of two asssistant engineers and several draughtsmen throughout that time."

In conclusion Mr. Thomson recommended that only the most efficient engineering talent be procured for the prosecution of this work. He had a number of blue prints on the wall and explained from them the surveys, their advantages, disadvantages and probable expense.

The condemnation proceedings for the acquirement of the right-of-way have been in the hands of the corporation counsel. Tipton stated that owing to the defective legislative act in force before the one passed in the last session, the legal department had been obliged to go rather slow with condemnation suits, as the rights of the city had rested on some uncertainty. Because of this uncertainty it had been deemed wise heretofore to preserve some secrecy as to the steps being taken in order that the city might not be forstalled in its action. The acquirement of lands by purchase or condemnation could now be proceeded with uninterruptedly.

The city engineer was asked by Crichton whether he had figured on letting the contract for construction of the plant to one firm or to a number of small contractors. This was a matter, Thomson said, to which he had given much consideration, and he was inclined to favor giving but one contract to cover the whole thing. This would make one company responsible for the payment of all bills, and even if they chose to sub-let contracts the city would recongize but one firm. Crichton said his idea was that in letting a number of small contracts lcoal firms could have a chance. Navin thought if the sub-contracts were to be let the city should do the letting.

Chapman wanted to know the council's part in the work. He wished to know if it had any part in the rejection or acceptance of the surveys made. It was explained by the city engineer that the council, as he understood it, had nothing to say about the surveys, but could reject or accept any bids submitted. The committee finally adjourned without accomplishing more than the absorption of considerable information and a desire for more.