The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-29
NEW MEXICO THUNDER STORMS.
People at Distance Learn Of Their
Doings by Way of the Rivers.

From the New York Sun.
ITO Las Vegas, the Meadow City of
New Mexico, " writes an overland tourist,
ian excellent pipe system brings pure
water down from the upper Gallinas
river which you may drink cooled with
ice frozen upon the same crystal stream.
The reservoir, six or seven miles above
the town, is large, mountain-shaded
lake, formed by damming the river. Over
and above the work of the water COM
pany, the river, during the present sum
mer, has been the subject of a vast deal
OF individual damming, owing to it's liza
bility to get both way up and 'riled' for
no cause obvious TO a stranger.
My first experience of the Gallinas
turning loose was on an afternoon in June.
The town was bright with sushine, with
clear sky overhead, as L sat on the hotel
veranda, enjoying the beautiful spectacle
of constant lightning flashes in a dense
cloud that yelled the mountains to the
northwest.
stepping indoors for a glass of water,
discovered that where clear stream
was wont to flow, a thick, muddy liquid
was all that could be drawn from the
faucets. A few minutes later, crossing
the bridge over the river that divides the
new from the old town, l perceived that
the clear, shallow stream that l had seen
ripping over its pebbles an hour before
had become a roaring, turbid torrent.
which was rapidly rising, and already
threatened the bridge 1t came within
foot or two Of the string pieces. so that
floating logs could barely pass underneath
before high water mark was reached
Las Negans know precisely what to
do in such an emergency, and with filters
and settling tubs, had, before night, a suf-
ticiency of water only slightly clouded for
a 10 ,,fr- f,1l III
as it had risen, and the waters next morn
ing were only trife higher than usual
The pipes before the end of the next day
were flowing clear, and people seemed to
give the matter of the flood but little
thought and less comment.
The cause of the river going on such a
bender was the thunder storm which
had watched in the distance the day be-
fore, and which had fallen about the
headwaters in in the mountains, where it
had probably attained the dignity of a
Cloud-burst. 1t was learned later in town
that the the rain had washed things out
considerably among the hills. Roads were
so gulled as TO be impossible, and in some
places had dropped sheer into ravines
which they skirted so new trails had to
be made. In places much dead timber
had been washed down the mountain
sides to be lodged in valley thicketS or
carried down stream in the rivers food.
But the unusual raininess of the sea-
son, even with the drawbacks of occa-
sional high water and smashing hail has
been a godsend TO New Mexico, and has
brought the country out in its best and
most beautiful aspects. Tho sometimes
arid mesas (table-land elevations) and
prairies near the foothills are green with
luxuriant grass, and lakes and water
holes are filed to overlooking. Stock find
good range about anywhere they choose
10 go, and the tiocks and herds grazing,
widely scattered, on vast emerald plains,
present a charming pastoral picture to
the traveller as he is borne through the
territory along the path of the iron rails. y