Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-12-13
In 100 DAYS.
Santa FEES Big Reservoir Will Be Fin
iShed and Work Commenced
on the Rio HOndO.
A Detailed Description of the Big Lake
"A Marvel of Engineering
Skill-A Great Works
Progress,

DR.. J. F. Banter, vice-president of the
American Health Resort association,
speaking of making Santa Fe their prin-
cipal sanitarium, said: 1.-THE one cause
of delay has been the water problem, but
this has now been solved and will prove
of immense value in the growth of your
town. We expect to get control here of
lands for our own purposes and induce
many to locate here and engage in fruit
raising and farming"
This dictum from man so able to in
fuence strongly very desirable class of
immigration shows to some extent the
great benefit the new reservoir will be
to the city. Yesterday the New MEXICAN
made critical examination of the plans
ard
PROGRESS OF THE WORKS.
Situated as this lake will be at the
mouth Of Santa Fe canon, affording a de-
lightful view across the valley to the
Wales mountains, the location is all that
could be desired as pleasure resort.
The company will further beautify it by
planting an orchard, and with the acre
ating fountain in full play will make a
spot of comfort and beauty for a days
pleasure.
But to come down to hard business
facts, the dam will impound 150,000,OOO
gallons or 2O,O0O000 cubic feet of water
This will afford an ample supply for
domestic purposes and garden irrigation
The reservoir is so arranged that no
rolled or muddy water will enter the sup
ply basin, as will be explained later, but
| it will be filled only from the pure, clear
| melted SHOWS of the early spring. This
arrangement insures both quantity and
quality.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE DAM
itself is all the most hypercritical could
desire. On the base it will be 300 feet
thick of well puddled clay, fine and
smooth in texture. This will be rein
forced with a core of triple sheath piling
set in bed of pure cement of a TESTED
tensile strength of 500 pounds to the
inch This cement with it's thrice broker
| Joints of sheathing Will almost totally
stop seepage, but every precaution ha'
been taken to prevent accident, and be
yond this core along the lowest line O.
the bed rock is to be laid a natural drair
of loose boulders so that whatever waite
trickles through the dam will be carried
off in an orderly manner, and emptiet
into the main ditch.
THE SOLID BEDROCK
o. the canon is to be cleared and the dan
will rest on this substantial floor, and il
the deepest part of the canon the suppl,
pipe will be laid in masonry tunne
eight feet in diameter, which will end in
water tower about 100 feet high, so ar
ranged that water may be drawn OF
through it tany desired hight, so that thu
city will always be supplied with the bes
and purest water. Below the dam, and a
the head of the supply pipes and ditch
will be a receiving basin whose surface
sixty feet below the water surface of tn
dam, and the gravity pressure will b
utilized to thoroughly spray the waite
before delivery.
In every dam the question of safet
arises. In this case it has been NOR
than satisfactorily answered. The write
has personally examined nearly ever
dam of note in this country, and believe
the security of the Santa Fe reservoir
SUPERIOR TO ANY.
The canon shoals gradually on it
southern side, and at the extreme south
ern end of the dam where the water, n
matter what the rage of the food, wi
come quietly and gently, is to be cor
| structed notable spill-way. 1t will b
constructed in arch form, the toe poln
3 ing into the water. 1t will be 300 feet
, the chord of the arc and have radius
$50 feet. On both sides the revetmel
t and apron will be very gently sloped,
that the flood water will be poure
easily into a ditch connecting with ii
Rio Santa Fe. The weir of this spill
way will be ten feet below the crest of ii
8 dam. But SO as to
TAKE No CHANCEb
against cloud bursts, tunnel with
automatic flip or bursting gate is to
constructed from the site of the arr
dam of the old reservoir, SO as to di
charge the flood water below the new da
: site. This tunnel will also be utilized
q times of muddy water to carry 1T avn
, from the reservoir.
The above is only brief outline of
}, very interesting work. 1t reminds Of
v in its solidity and precautions for safe
l. of one of the Indian structures which ha
withstood centuries of storms, and t
% destruction of civil and international WI
There are about 100000 cubic yards
@ be excayated. There are now about for
To scrapers at work, each with capacity
seventeen cubic feet, and making nine
u round trips each day. The complete
l. of the work is therefore assured in tin
r for next spring; and Mr.. ]. M. Howells, t
engineer of this splendid work, is now CO
!, tenn plating the commencement of wo
on
THE RIO HoNDO BASINS.
On the completion of this work San
: Fe will be the gamer, first by having
model water system, the superior
course, allowing for difference of capaci
of any in the country. The modern
u rigator will have a sure and consta
6 supply, and the acequias will hereaft
receive from the surplus of the reservoir