New-York tribune., 1880-09-25
THE MINES OF NEW-MEXlCO.

-DEVELoPMFNI OF THE MINING INDUSTRY IN
NKw.MEXICo
frROM 4 STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
SANTA F.. n. NJ, Aug. 25.-The importance of
securing an abundant supply of water with which
to wash the gold from the rich gravel beds Of the
New Placers on the Canon del Aqua grant, and the
impossihility of obtaining it by the usual means,
fully explained IN my last letter, in which
also said that the company not discouraged by the
great difficulties which have been encountered.
have undertaken a solution of the water problem
and have actually begun the construction of ex-
tensive hydraulic works for that purpose Their
plan is to dam up some of the canons in the Sandia
range of mountains the west side of Tuerto
Creek. and between it and the Rio Grande River
catch and hold in great reservoirs tie water which
falls the mountain sides duTing the rainy season
of July and August and that which comes from
the melting SHOWS Of winter and convey it to the
mines in large. strong, Wrought-iron pipes under
head of 100 or 800 feet. visited the scene of their
operations about ten days ago. and learned many
particulars of their plans.
ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY.
The Sandla Mountains so called from their IAN
ced resemblance in form to watermelon, extend
nearly north and south for distance of about
twenty miles. and the SUBMITS of their peaks. op-
positc the West Bonanza pacers. are fifteen miles
AWAY. They are composed of granite with cap OF
illncSlOnt, ana were apparently lOllntu Dy an up
heaval from the west which tilted up the rocks on
the side toward the Rio Grande at an angle of
about fortyve degrees, leaving the edges bare and
very abrupt. On the east side. the action CT the
elements has covered their surface with thin
wash, while numerous deep canons have been cut
into he side of the range In the upper portions OF
which small streams are found. although they dis
appear beneath the sand before thew reach the
valley. The slope on this side Is also covered with
- fho IN
the canons many beautiful fir balsams. remark
ably regular in form and of them three or four
feet Ill diameter. AS rode over the countrg lying
between the New Placers and the Sandia Noun
tans, bad an opportunity to observe the condi-
tons under which the pipe line will have to be
structed. Like other portions Of New-M Mexico
which | have visited, the valley, on both sides of
TueTto Creek. looks comparatively smooth when
seen from distance and from considerable eeva
tion. but attempting to pass over it the country
is found to be badly cut mp by deep arroyos and
what appeared TO be a moderately level mesa turns
out TO be succession of rugged and difficult foot
hills. But a strong pipe line can follow the general
contour of the country. and as there no points
on the route to be passed over which are higher
than that from which the water is to be drawn no
expensive tunnels will be necessary. The great
depth of the Tueito VALLEY at the point where the
pipe will the creek below the surface Of the
physical difficulties presented, and to overcome
this is simply question of weight of iron In the
pipe. The pressure of the water at the lowest
point Will believe be twice as great as that In
anv of the pipes used for hydraulic mining in Cali
fornia. The ride across the valley from Colonel
Gilettes camp 10 the foot Of the Sandia Noun
tains presented but few novelties. Much of the
country is covered with the growth of cedar
pinon, and cactus that Is every where seen the
beds OF the streams all dry. and the only
evidences that the country was inhabited were
the abom!na5le roads and occasional Mexican
adobe house. hardly more attractive than pie of
the mud of which it is built. At point on the
bank of erto Creek. a large rock. the fat,
perpendicular face of which was covered with rude
figures family cut into the surface. These are
queer representations of men, birds and animals.
and are. ! suppose, the signatures of great Navajo
chiefs who have roamed over this country ever
since white men came here
The canon IN which the first dam is TO DE built is
called La MADEIRA, and the little village at its
mouth bears the same name The water-couTse
through it is steep and rocky and dry in the lower
part and the sides of the after going about
half a mile from its mouth, composed of huge
granite boulders which have been detached from
the bed rock and lie piled up upon the surface in
bewildering confusion. Not far from the entrance
to the gorge, by the side of the road the re-
mains of a Mexican reservoir. which ! suspect.
from the name of the canon and the village men
toned above must have been used to pond up the
water for a mill The fact that i did not notice
any mill is no proof that there is there for the
little adobe grist-mls in this country gener
ally only about as large as dry-goods boxes and
have no windows. and might easily be overlooked
or mistaken for hog house or square Mexican
oven built for a large family. There were no evil
dences that the reservoir had contained any water
this year although the time Of my visit was in the
middle of the rainy season. little further up, In |
q broad part of the canon ] saw a small held
fenced n and along the upper side OF 1t there were
the remains of an aceque pronounced by the Mex
leans ab-say-h hal or irrigatng ditch but no crop |
was growing in the field. the dam which turned the |
water into the aceQuie broken. and the stream |
at that point dry Although saw no running |
water in the lower part Of the canon there was
everywhere evidence Of an abundance OF moisture. |
IN the rank growth of scrub oaks and undcrbrush |
as well As in the groves of fir basams As ap- |
proached the camp where the work was In pro-
cress which is about three miles up the canon. the
little stream would sometimes come to the surface
and flow along in sight for few rods, never more
than a foot wide and an inch or two deep. and then
il would disappear, and its bed would be perfectly
dry We measured the stream. approximately. at
ono nont and found that the amount OF water
flowing in it would not DO sufficient to compensate
for the loss by evaporation from the surface OF the
reservoir now being constructed.
rR POSED RESERVOIRS AND coNDu1s.
These hydraulic works are not being built under
the immediate direction OF the officers OF the Canon
del Aqua Company. That corporation gave the
contract for the work to Mr.. 5. L. Wiley. the emil
nent civil engineer of Boston, who has probably had
more experience in the building OF water WORKS and
the construction of dams than any othcr man VI
tbe country After making thorough e&ainina-
tion of the mountains and the valley ne agreed