Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-05-02
NEW MEXICO STORMS,
People ut q Distance Learn Of Them BY
Way OF the Rivers.

TO Las Vegas, the Meadow City OF
New Mexico" writes an overland tour
list, 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 q large
mountain-shaded lake, formed by dam
ming the river. Over and above the
work OF the water company the river.
during the past summer. has been the
subject of a vast deal Of individual damn
ing, owing to its liability to get both
way up aud 'riled' for no cause obvi
ous 10 a stranger.
my first experience of the Gallinas
turning loose was ON an afternoon in
June. The town was bright with sun
shine, with n clear sky overhead, as l
sat on the hotel verandah enjoying the
beautiful spectacle Of constant lighting
flashes in a dense cloud that yelled the
mountains to the northwest.
Stepping indoors for a glass Of water
/ discovered that where q 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 river that divides the new from the
old town. | perceived that the clear.
shallow stream that | had seen ripping
over its pebbles an hour before had be
come a roaring, turbid torrent which
was rapidly rising, aud already threat
ened the bridge. 1t came within a foot
or two of the s~tring-pieces, so that float
ing logs could barely pass underneath
before high water mark was reached.
LAS Vegans know precisely what to
do i'm such an emergency and with tilt
ers and settling tubs had before night
a suficiency OF waterI only slightly
clouded for domestic use. The river
fell as rapidly as il had risen and the
wNers next morning were only a trifle
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
q bender was the thunder storm which
/ had watched in the distance the day
before. and which had fallen about the
headwaters in the mountains where il
probably had attained the dignity of a
cloudburst. II was learned later in
town that the rain had washed things
out considerably among the hills. Roads
were so quilted a. TO be impossible,
and in some places had dropped sheer
into %rayines, which they skirted, So that
new trails had to he made. In places
much dead timber had been washed
down mountain sides, TO he lodged in
valley thickets or carried down stream
in the rivers food.
But the unusual raininess Of the sea-
son, ever with the drawbacks Of occa.
sional high water aud smashing hail.
has been a godsend 10 New Mexico. and
has brought the country out in It's best
and most beautiful aspect. The some.
times arid mesas (table-land elevations)
and prairies neal the foothills are green
with ~luxuriant grass, and lakes and wa.
ter holes are filled TO overlooking. Stock
lind a good range about anywhere they
choose to 90. and the iocks and herds
grazing. widely scattered, on vast
emerald plains, present a charming pas
toral picture to the traveller rs he il
borne through the Territory along tn,
path Of the iron rails."-N. \. sun.