Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-09-28
STARTING The WORK.
Plans and specifications for the New
Water system at Hand from Chi
cag0 Work in Progress.
Something About the Plans of the En-
terprise-Delay About Land and
Condemnation Proceedings
Instituted.

Plans and specifications for the new
water works system came to hand yester-
day from j. NJ. Howells, consulting en-
gineer for the Municipal Investment
company. of Chicago. Copies of same are
now being prepared at the local ONCE OF
the company and will be sent to the score
or more of contractors in various parts
of the west who have expressed desire
to bid on these contracts. As heretofore
announced, the preliminary excavation
work and the laying of the new water
mains will be done by the company Itself,
and the task of completing the final sur
veys was begun this morning. Teams,
sCrapers and shovelers will not be IN de-
mand for week or two,
SOME UNEXPECTED DELAY
having been occasioned by the very I'M
reasonable conduct of parties who own
small strip of land necessary to make the
first reservoir larger than was originally
contemplated. For ten days the officers
of the water company have been Offering
these parties all manner of inducements
to part with this small piece of terra
tirma. now used for farm purposes and
which produces about $l5 worth of corn
annually. They were willing to sell at the
outset, but after they discovered that the
| land was absolutely necessary for the en-
| largcment of the water storage reservoir
they declined to listen to all reason.
FAIR PROPOSITIONS REJECTED.
Upon inquiry it was discovered that
only few weeks since these. same parties
sold some Of their land for ST vara
President Hughes and Candelario Marti
nee, who had been employed by the water
company to negotiate with these people
then offered double the sum for the de
sired strip, and subsequently raised this
price, but without avail. Then it was
proposed by the water company that eaci
side select one man and these two select {
third to appraise and fix the value of thu
property, the company to pay what thes'
desintCrested parties deemed it worth
This was also refused by the land owners
: and one of them is reported to have sale
that the least cent he would take for it wa'
"Sl3, 100000"
Fortunately the law amply protects
long-sufering community from the un
reasonable demands of this class of OBJ
structionists, and so the water compan.
had nothing to do but to
RESORT TO THE LAW
for relief. Accordingly, condemnation
proceedings have been instituted in tn
district court, and at Albuquerque oil
Friday next. Judge Seeds being absent
Judge Lee will be formally asked to nam
a board of desinterested persons to pas
upon the value of the property and con
denim il for this all important public use, tn
water company to pay the owners thereo
according to the findings of this board
Unfortunately this action, for which tn
water company is in nowise responsible
may delay construction work for severa
weeks, and thus will many laboring mel
in the community be deprived of nue.
needed employment.
THE NEW RESERVOIR.
The plans for the new reservoir are yer
complete in every detail, and, in connec
ton with the laying of new water mains
will require an immediate expenditure O
at least $4,000. Reservoir No. l wi
have a capacity of 20,000,000 cubic feet o
150,000,00O gallons of water, and whe
once filled will supply the city proper 70
a period or three months, figuring tn
population at 5000 souls and tn
: consumption at sixty gallons of waite
per capita per day. This basi
of calculation is adapted because sixt
gallons is
THE HIGHER AVERAGE
amount consumed per capita per day i
any city in the United States-whos
people, by the way, use more water tina
those of any other part of the world. {
course the consumption here will nc
begin to reach this limit, as SO many {
the inhabitants will continue to rely upo
the ordinary flow in the river and ditcht
for their supply, so that in reality tn
reservoir, once filled with the surplr
storm waters, will afford water sufficier
for all domestic and irrigation purpose
within the city limits for six months at
stretch.
With this hattering prospect in vie