Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-05-06
SANTA FE'S RESERVOIR.
Five Enterprising Citizens Secure
this Great Work.
What tho Ancient City is Doing for the
development of Her Fruit
Growing Resources
To the Stock Grower and Farmer: /:

10 tne 0tOck trOWer ana Farmer:
SANTA FE, N. NJ, April 26, 1s93.-An
enterprise is now approaching compile
tion about two miles from Santa Fe, that
is we'll worthy of description in the
columns of the Stock Grower. This is
the construction of an extensive water
storage reservoir. 1t is also worthy of
note that the capital to secure the con-
struction of this irrigation work was
secured through the personal efforts of a
few of Santa sFe's enterprising citizens
who conceived the idea, and by persistent
energy and hard work enlisted the aid of
capital from abroad to carry it into ex-
ecution. This proves what may yet be
accomplished in other localities. The
names of the gentlemen referred to are
Levi A. Hughes, Max. Frost, E. L. Bartlett,
]. w. Akers and J. D. Hughes.
They first organized the Santa Fe
Water d improvement company and then
succeeded in securing the aid of the Chi
cago Municipal Investment company to
furnish the means to prosecute the work.
A site for dam was secured on the
Santa Fe river, about two miles above
the town, and the best of engineering
talent was employed to construct it. The
work has now progressed 80 far that this
is evident to any professional eye.
The great dam across the river is about
two-thirds completed and the magnitude
of the work, as we'll as the care and skill
displayed in its construction is now ap-
parent to all casual visitors.
The dam is about $40 feet wide at the
bo nm nd O10 fook 1oy,rp n0roor ho rivor
from bank to bank connections. Whom
completed the top will be eighty-seven
feet in perpendicular height from the
bed of the stream. 1t is built by e1ca-
waiting the adjacent adobe ground and
filling it in in solid mass in firm con-
nection with solid concrete attachment
to the bed rock across the river bottom
and up both banks to the desired heights.
Some 200 men and a proportional num-
Der of teams are now being employed on
the work. In addition to the constant
hard packing that the adobe earth gets
as it is delivered on the dam by the
horses and wagons constantly driven
over it, large herd of goats are used to
do additional tamping by being driven
over the ground after each layer of earth
is deli> cred on the dam to depth of six
inches. This finally hardens the ground
until sharp stake can scarcely be driven
into it. The side of the dam facing the
water pressure is also being rip-raped
by large rock and cobble stone, to
thickness Of about three feet.
Although the water pressure against
this work will be enormous it seems i'm
possible that il can ever be destroyed by
foods or the natural water pressure when
its magnitude and the care taken in it's
construction are considered.
The whole cost of the work will be
about $225,OOO. This amount expended
during the dull months is no small item
of interest to all classes at Santa Fe, as
home labor has been almost wholly en-
ployed and spot cash paid for it. In ad-
dition to fresh and pure supply of water
that will constantly be furnished the city
of Santa Fe, surplus water will be stored
to irrigate 1000 acres of fruit lands
during the dryest summer weather with
out infringing on what may naturally flow
in the river. It would be of much inter-
est to many to give details as to the
of construction which has been
adopted to deliver the natural water flow
of the river into the acequias below tho
reservoirs, of the purifying fountain, spill
way, ETC., but space is limited in the
Stock Grower.
Your correspondents will defer further |!
notice of this enterprise for the present
and briefly mention the work and success
of Mr.. Arthur Boyle and Grant Rivenburg |
in the fruit growing and horticultural
lines. Taking the work of these two
prominent specialists in these lines as
samples of them any successful fruitgrow-
ers in and around Santa Fe.
The success of Mr.. Boyle in fruit grow
ing and horticulture in New Mexico since
be turned his attention to the occupation
in 1886, is phenomenal. he then took IN
hand stony tract OF land of about six
acres lying on the east side of the Santa
Fe river within three or four blocks of
the plaza and nplanted 1t with great
variety of yearling fruih trees of the kinds
and classes best adapted to the altitude,
and also interspersed all Of the smaller
varieties of fruits suitable to tho climate
and altitude, and built hot houses for
great variety of flower plants which he
now produces in great profusion. Mr..
Boyle now has cherry trees that pay an
annual profit Of 426 to the tree, together
nth annles mana nluma anricota and