, 1890-06-01
FORT RUSSELL'S WATER
The Excellent System Building by
Keefe & McGaryey.
Submerged Dam and a Large Col,
lection Reservoir.
A Sufficient Supply of Clear, Pure
Water Assured.

Keefe & McGsrvey are putting in a
500. 900 water works plant for the gov
eminent at Fort Russell. This SUN is
for a catch basin, reservoir, submerged
dam and a lew hundred feet OF piping.
The mains were laid some years ago.,
though an extension was lately made and
three fire hydrants added to the arma-
ment.
Tho work was planned by Capt. Hum
phreys and is in his charge, though I'M
der the personal supervision of T. 81.
Humphreys. one of the brightest young
civil engineers in the west. He has been
with railways and irrigstins companies in
California. The gentleman is not related
to Capt. Humphreys.
Water for the fort is taken from
the Grow creek undercurrent Immediately
west of the north end of the post and
about two miles below the city's source of
supply. The seepage principle has been
adopted but not applied as BY tho town.
At the point in the valley selected for
the fountain head the basin is.about
1900 feet wide and extensive drilling de-
veloped the tact that water to q depth of
five feet above bedrock existed between
hard pan and the surface. This immense
flow is stopped by a heavy submerged
dam OF brick, laid with cement. with
broken stone for f~ltering in front and
packed earth embankment on the other
side. This wall, which is ], l20 feet long,
set in bed rock and a few inches over five
feet high, turns all water into a collection
reservoir which is perhaps the most inn
portant and ingenious factor of the sys-
tenn. 1t is eighty feet In diameter. four
foot masonry walls fifteen feet high
set in the hard pan. For the first five
feet from the bottom the stone walls are
laid without cement to allow water to en-
ter the openings. Above this cement is
used This big tank is 80 located that it
will catch the seepage besides the water
diverted by the submerged dam.
Water is carried from the collection to
the supply reservoir, a distance of 500
feet, through an iron pipe above the dam.
The storage tank is forty feet in diameter
and will contain never less than seven
feet of water. The pump house is but q
fewfeet away. Water is forced into elevated
tanks fol- tort domestic and garden uses.
Pressure in both instances is by gravity
and is amply sufficient. Pumping is only
into the raised reservoirs.
Both reservoirs will have covers and
concrete bottoms. John Peterson is
building them and the structures will be
a credit to the gentleman. The stone
comes from Mr.. Keete's quarry on the
Cheyenne & Northern.
The Fort Russell water system, which
is second only to the city's In interest to
Cheyenne people, is in every was a model.
A large quantity of clear, pure water has
been secured cheaply.
Engineer Humphreys says that really
the only way to utilize Grow creek water
for domestic uses is to capture the under
current with a submerged dam, as planned
by Capt Humphreys. The city system
of galleries is excellent in its q Is in
the right direction, but imperfect.
A drive to the works with l.. f. Wells,
MIR. keefe's manager, is a pleasure and a
tour over the ground with Measrs. Keefe,
Humphrey and McGarvey is a trip Of
deep interest.
Fifty men and a dozen teams are EN-,
ployed on the work and quite a camp has
been established. Good food in consid-