Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-12-11
IMt.uNod from INT raen.

| '''t'N lllNt EItillN ElllItt( l|N tilOtIIIlS,
The first sight OF the
HUGE DYKE
awakes '..r .,rofoundest admiration. \
line OF rcGdl,h hue, rising above the hori-
zon and winding in a serpentine course
over the immense Plain, first attracts our
eye. As we come nearer its proportions
grow upon our comprehension as work
OF mans labor within seven months. We
behold Il level rampant twelve to fifteen
ieet high, that's broad enough for Il double
team to drive upon it, forming perfectly
level road. Our horses have climbed to
It, and we take our choice in what direc-
ton they shall carry us, for smooth as Il
city street this elevated road stretches be-
fore us for twenty-five miles. We con-
cIude to drive northwaId to the head Of
the main ditch. Below us is the canal
bed sunk twelve feet below the ground,
and this leyee rises eight feet higher The
MAIN DITCH
is forty-tye feet wide at the bottom and
seventy feet at the top. This continues
four and half milesfro the head gates,
eadlng 500 feet through a hill OF solid
limestone, to the reservoir formed by he
dam, constructed of the rock thus eX-
Cayated on the side OF the Pecos river
| From this dam the water flows back into
natural depression, surrounded by grass
covered hills, where thousands of cattle
are leisurely feeding. The lake thus
formed is six and Il half miles long and
| threeQuarters of mile wide, bounded by
| lrregularly curvng shores, and leaving
beautiful islands to break its surface. The
capacity OF this reservoir will he ,0JO,-
900, 900 cubic feet. When completed and
filled it will have q pressure OF thirteen
| feet head above the water in the canal
and twenty feet above the standard grade
The dam OF the river requires Il crest ten
feet wide with base OF | Is feet in width,
1t must stretch l ,040 feet to the opposite
| bull, and its crest must he fort, iPeJ high
from the waters edge. Its core is of lime
stone, rising from the bed rock OF the
river, covered with earth, with a slope OF
two to one, and Its permanenCy is secured
| by the use OF a natural draw or outlet five
feet below the top of the dam, which will
release the surplus waters OF flood. Tn,
cut which forms the
ENTRANCE GATE TO THE CANAL
is thirty feet wide, twenty-five feet high
and 500 feet in length This hill of solid
limestone can never be washed away.
We follow the main for over three
miles till it crosses the river. Here Il
work which tested the skill and courage
I,,f ntt 10
main canal DIVORCES into two forks TWEEN
tl-hve feet wide at the bottom, which
take their course down each side of the
river.
But, to preserve the grade of the canal,
which crosses the river, a huge earthwOrE
is constructed, which carries the ditch as
securely as II it were natures handwork
and solid from the bed rock. This
TERRE-PLEIN
is an embankment 1900 feet long, built
up an average OF ten feet from the ground
to the standard grade. Through it runs
the channel, % feet wide at the bottom,
with banks on each side 50 feet wide, and
sioping . to /, so that this immense
earthwork is lG9 feet vide at its base, and
rises TO feet from the rivers level. Here
it is joined by an equally imposing tlume,
which is 475 feet long, % feet wide and s
feet hiIh, resting on trestle work IS feet
clear above the bottom of the river. Its
spans are from IL to 20 feet apart, and it
| joins auot er terre-p Elm 800 feet long on
tie west side. of the same dimensions as
the earthwork already described.
One can estimate the labor and cost in
vOlved in the construction Of these two
great works. The material used in the
terre-ppiD~ was $4,000 cubic yards OF
pa ked earth, from which every root and
stone was 'alousy excluded, In the
construction OF the tlume 225,tOO feet
| board m-a,ure, OF lumber o. sizes varying
flom 2xl2 to l2inches square, and tlmbers
~ feet long, are used, which were trans
| ported 600 miles from eastern Texas by
railroad and over loo miles by wagon.
| The cost of the entire work lies in the
books of the corporation and for their use
alone but the terre- pleln described has
over against it the sum of $50 ,OO0 the
| tiume SIS ,O0J, the entrance to the ditch
and dam $50, 900, and One-half mile Of
rock excavation in one part OF the ditch
$4,000. The bridges to be built for roads
across these bitches, extending 80 miles
across the country must be from IS to 100
| feet long, constructed OF lumber to be
| hauled 100 miles by wagon.
The excavation of the ditches with q
| iyke leveled on top, has required the work
of Il regiment of 1000 laUOrerS and 30
| double teams for nine months. These
men have been transported at the con-
tractors expense from southern aHd east
ern Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Louis
| lana and distant parts OF New Mexico.
THE SURFACE COVERED
by these bitches for irrigation is 10000
acres on the west side OF the Pecos !; 80 900
on the east; 40, 900 by the north system
above Seven Rivers, and below the Black
river the ditch will be extended to cover
| 3d. 900 acres more.
The capacity # the storage reservoir for
| the lower system equals the amount re-
| CURED by the canal for IS days, or if the
users of water were put upon a half allow
ance, for IS days, which would cover the
effects Of any failure of the river from
drought, which has never yet been known.
THE EXTENT
of the canal system thus inaugurated by
the principal bitches Of the Pecos Irriga-
ton company is beyond easy calculation.
The main laterals which will be run at
the company's expense will exceed 100
miles IN length. These will be more than
trebled by the bitches made by property
owners at their own charges. The main
canals will carry seven feet of water at
their fullest capacity; the laterals from
three to four feet This gives sufficient
draught for canal and other small boats,
which can be made a means OF commune