The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-05
NEW MEXICo'S STORMS.

From the New YORK sun
ITO Las Vegas. the Meadow City of
New Mexico" writes an overland tour
list, IAN excellent pipe system brings
pure water down from the upper CALI
mas 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. noun
tain-shaded lake, formed by damming
the river. Over and above the work of
the water company the river. during
the present summer, has been the sub
ject of vast deal of individual dam
ming, owing to its liability to get both
way up and riled' for no cause obvi-
Gus to stranger.
My first experience of the Gallinas
turning loose was on an afternoon in
June. The town was bright with sun
shine, with clear sky overhead, as I
sat on the hotel verandah enjoying the
beautiful spectacle of constant light
ming flashes in dense cloud that
yelled the mountains to the northwest
stepping indoors for glass of wa
ter | discovered that where a clear
stream was wont to flow, a thick mud
dy liquid was all that could be drawn
from the faucets. A few minutes later.
crossing the bridge over the river tina:
divides the new from the old town. |
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 stringpieces, so that floating
logs could barely pass underneath be-
fore high-water mark was reached.
Las Vegans known precisely what
to do in such an emergency, and, with
filters and settling tubs, had, before
night, a sufficiency of water only
slightly clouded, for domestic use. The
river fell as rapidly as it has risen, and
the waters next morning were only
trife higher than usual. The pipes be-
fore the end of the next day were flow
ing clear, and people seemed to give
the matter of the food but little
thought and less comment.
The cause of the river going on
such a bender was the thunderstorm
which | had watched in the distance
the day before. and which had fallen
about the headwaters in the noun
tains, where it probably had attained
the dignity of a cloudburst. 1t was
learned later in town that the rain had
washed things out considerably
among the hills. Roads were so
quilted as to be impossible, and
in some places had dropped
sheer into ravines, which they skirted,
SO that new trails had to be made. In
places much dead timber had been
washed down mountain sides, to be
lodged in valley thickets or carried
down stream in the rivers flood.
But the unusual raininess of thi.
season. even with the draw ba clxs of 90
casional 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. The some
times arid mesas ttable-land elevationsl
and prairies near the foothills are green
with luxuriaht grass, and lakes and
water holes are filed to OVERLOOKING
Stock find a good range about any.
where they choose TO go, and the flocks
and herds grazing, widely scattered, Oh
vast emerald plains, present charm
ing pastoral picture TO the traveller as
he is borne through the territory along
the path of the iron rails"