Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-05-16
RUBY HILL WATER WORKS.
Full Description of the Property.
Including Its Cost and other In
teresting Data.

Many people who have lived in this dis
trict since its discovery know little Of what
is going on in our midst, and are entirely
ignorant of the existence Of many import
ant enterprises which are carried on at our
doors. There seems to be a sleepy indiffer-
ence on the part Of our people to every
thing connected with the prosperity of the
district, while anything pertaining to the
well being Of remote localities will always
awaken q lively interest, and attract the at
tention and capital which should be ex-
pended at home. There is no town OF its
size On the Pacific coast that has the facili-
ties and resources requisite to make q great
commercial center that Eureka has, and
many of our shrewd business men, years
ago, looked forward to the time when Eu-
reka would be the great center OF the min
ing interests of the Pacific coast, and, be-
lieving in the ultimate prosperity Of the
district, have expended thousands of dol
lars in carrying to a successful termination
many enterprises which men, less sanguine,
would never have had the fortitude to han
die. Prominent among these is the Ruby
Hill Water Works, which owes its present
prosperous condition to the energy and
sDTeWQ DuBl0e5b hDlllty Oh our lOTmtT
townsman, Walter B. Harrub.
In 1872 W. H. Clark, at that time senior
partner in the firm of Seaton & Co., To-
Gated a spring on the site Of the present
reservoir in New York Canyon, and during
that fall and in the spring of 1878 laid a
single pipe along the eastern slope OF New
York Hill, and thence to the original tank
on Ruby Hill, opposite the present Water
office.
In the spring Of 1874 the property passed
into the hands Of its present owner by
| purchase, and by him has been success
fully carried through obstacles which few
men would have encountered, until to-day
it is one of the best-paying institutions in
Eastern Nevada. At the time of purchase
the property conveyed consisted of about
IA, 900 feet of pipe and four tanks Of a very
primitive make, being simply square boxes
constructed Of inch boards nailed on both
sides Of a 2x4 scantling, with a sheet iron
bottom, having a total capacity of IS, 600
gallons.
As soon as Mr.. Harrub came into pos
session he erected three large tanks in the
rear Of the Office on Ruby Hill, which have
a capacity Of 90, 200 gallons each. The
tanks are of the most improved make,
being made of the heart of redwood, mea-
sure % feet across the bottom, are l6 feet
deep, with false or double bottoms. and
are held together with strong iron hoops
four inches wide. At the same time the
spring known as the Silver West Com
pany's spring, at the head Of New York
Canyon, was purchased, and pipes laid
from it to the main reservoir. Those tanks
proved entirely inadequate to supply the
increasing demand for water, and in 1875
three additional tanks, Of an aggregate Of
lao, 900 gallons, were erected on an emil
nence directly west Of the Phenix mine,
and about the same time the Way spring,
near the summit Of Secret Canyon, was
purchased, and the water conveyed to the
reservoir through a ditch cut along the
base of Peelstick hill. At this spring
about 500 feet Of tunnels we're run in va
rious directions in search Of water, a shaft
sunk so feet, an open cut run 80 feet, be-
sides several other openings, amounting in
all to about 700 feet. The tunnels are well
timbered, with heavy 6x6 square timbers,
and the shaft is as compactly timbered as
any mining shaft in the district. A few
months later a new ditch, several hundred
feet north of the original ditch, was
opened, and another line of pipe laid to
the highest tanks on the hill. At this time
a large amount Of money was expended in
enlarging the reservoir in New York
Canyon. This reservoir is 290 feet long,
from As to 80 feet wide. eight feet deep,
and contains 1000, 900 gallons of water.
1t is made Of two thicknesses of tongued
and grooved redwood, with two and a half
inches of clay on the outside between the
redwood and earth, and has -four inches of
clay on the bottom. 1t is constructed in a
very substantial manner, and will stand
any pressure brought to bear on it. At
the reservoir is another tank, of so, 900
gallon capacity, and 500 feet of we'll tim
bered tunnels. This is enclosed with q
very strong fence. Inside the fence Mr..
Harrub has planted a large number Of
| trees, sowed grass and other seeds, put q
number Of fish in the reservoir, and con-
templates putting q small skiff on the
water, and fixing up the ground for picnic
parties.
In 1875 the Lucky springs, two and a
half miles due south Of the reservoir, were
purchased, and q line of pipe laid to con
meet with the Way spring pipe. Here
about 200 feet Of tunnels have been run,
which are all strongly timbered. A shaft,
also well timbered, has been sunk to a
depth OF 80 feet, and about 100 feet Of
open cuts.
Owing to the extreme drouth of the past
C1A 1la v bA6hO MI RAS "a 4 "
for any emergency, Mr.. Harrub expended
over S12 900 last year, in erecting three
14-foot Althouse windmills, one on each of
the springs, besides running a number Of
tunnels and drifts. Each Of the windmills
are capable Of pumping from $4,000 to
10000 gallons per day. A syphon was also
erected on a high point in New York
Canyon, through which the surplus water
passes into the reservoir when the tanks
on Ruby Hill are filled. This is ~self-act-
ing, and prevents the water from forcing
itself back to the springs, and also keeps
the pipes open in the winter.
The entire cost Of the works have been
over Sl4O, 900, and would have greatly ex-
ceeded that amount had Mr.. Harrub not
attended to the work personally, and pur-
chased his material and supplies from the
leading houses in Pittsburg and New York.
The entire property consists OF ID miles of
pipe, laid two INT a half feet deep, and
covered to a depth Of three feet, three Alt
house windmills, eight tanks and reservoir
with a capacity of l, sS2, 900 gallons. About
l, 800 feet Of tunnels and shafts, and suita-
BILE buildings on Ruby Hill, and at the
various springs.
Everything about the property is in good
running order, and the supply Of water is
sufficient for every demand. Besides the
families on Ruby Hill who are supplied,
there are a number Of mining companies
who use the water for their hosting works,
paying for the same q stipulated price,
which has been agreed upon. As soon as a
few more mines erect machinery this will
be one of the best paying properties in Eu-
reka mining district.
Death of Mrs. John +. Rule.
A letter was received on Wednesday,
says the News OF yesterday, from Cheshire,