, 1886-09-08

|Immensity Of the supply OF the Raw
Material.

efficient ~fltering system, a resume Of the
history of our water works may be accep
table.
Prior to 1870, the town of Cheyenne
was supplied by water from private pumps
and wells. In 1870, a private company
was formed, and ditch constructed from
Crow creek to a deep basin known as
Sloan's lake, northeast of the town.
From this lake the town was supplied
with water for irrigation purposes only.
The Union Pacific railroad then put in
pipes from their pump on Crow creek.
These pipes extended up Ferguson street,
and then branched for a block on each
side of Seventeenth street, or in other
words, only the business portion of the
town was included in this little system.
In 1889, the present complete system of
works was determined upon. The plans
were those of the then and present city
engineer. W. G. provinces. They take
their supply by gravity from a source a
mile and a half from the city. Into the
four large natural basins known AS the city
lakes, the water of Crow creek was to be
diverted, by damming the stream and
cutting a canal through the bluffs border
ing on it.
The work was successfully carried out,
and an unlimited water supply obtained,
the former dry basins now being vast
storage reservoirs.
Later, a conduit was constructed of vitri.
fled stoneware pipes, through which the
water passes from the creek to the
lakes. Conduits of the same character
CONNECT the waters of the several lakes
There are about four miles of these pipes.
They are ordinarily laid on a gradiant of
| in $50. and are generally 20 inches in
diameter. In some places the grade Is
sleeper, and the pipe Is reduce d to a ID.
inch diameter.
The minimum depth of the pipe below
the surface is four feet, and where the
bluff on the border of the creek is cut
through the depth is thlrty-fve feet. At
the inlet the pipe is far enough below the
surface of the pool to prevent freezing,
though the temperature has marked as
low as 2S' below zero. From the lowest
of the four lakes, a 10 inch pipe conveys
the water to the city. The city distribu
ton contains twelve miles Of cast iron
pipes Of six 10 three inches in diameter,
and is furnished with sixty nine double
nozzle fire hydrants, and sixty fire gates.
The irrigation supply, drawn from the
city water system is practically unlimited.
Trees and lawns have all the water they
need, and the bitches along the city streets
are supplied. The works cost $3.50, 900.
The cost of maintenance at the present
time is $500 per annum, while the city
revenue from them is some $40, 900 per
acrum.
This immense water supply it is now
the declared intention OF the city council
to pass through a thorough and efficient
f~ltering system. That this action will
meet the wishes, nay. the hopes, of a
great majority of the citizens of Cheyenne
goes without saying.
The fact that the water of Cheyenne is
fearfully and wonderfully made, can be
neither disguised nor disputed, and the
notorious fact can only be palliated by
action sufficiently prompt and efficient to
abate the evil at an early day.
That this action will be taken, there
seems now little doubt. The city engin-
eer is in correspondence with Eastern
parties on the filter bed subject. The
correspondence contemplates, on the part
OF the city, of the introduction of beds
capable of %fltering from a million to a
million and a half gallons of water every
twenty four hours. Thus it will be seen
that the raw material, of which the city
possesses such an unlimited supply, is
in a fair way to be worked up into a ser
viceable form.
The scribe took a pleasant drive recently
about the lakes which are the sources of
the city water supply. Just beyond the
lakes we noticed another and deeper nat
ural depression, which in the future days
of Cheyenne's metropolitan greatness, can
be utilized as an immense additional reser-
voir. Near this place is situated Lake
Terry, embalmed in the poetic prose OF
w. p. Carroll, esq, as an everlasting
memento of Journalistic susceptibility, and
of one ofthe sweetest singers of Cheyenne.
In Sloan's lake is situated the valve
well, controlling the city water system.
From here, the main pipe, twelve inches
in diameter, run cityward, passing
through the city park. This main extends
to Twentieth street, and from thence ra
dates the city distribution pipes, in six
inch mains.
Sloan's lake is also known as Lake
Makh pi-ah-lu-tah being the Indian name
of.the great Sioux chief, Red Cloud. Along
this lake are situated ice houses, from
which a city supply is drawn. The subur-
ban fields bordering on this lake are rank
with strawberries and agricultural growth
under a supply OF water, that magic
transformer of the lands of the great
American desert.
A Dangerous Negro.