Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1899-12-15
ELEPHANT BUTTE DAM.
Examination Of Witnesses in the
Important Irrigation Case.
Scheme Of Cattle Men to Gobble Up
Public Lands.
81. Louis, Kansas CITY & Colorado Rail
read an Indsp:ndent lime.
ARIZONA coPPrR MINES CASE.

Special TO The Citizen.
Las Crucee, Dec. l5.-W. p. Sutton WA
recalled yesterday morning and Ques
toned - 10 his connection with the
Mexican government In relation to the
International Dam site. He said that ht
had been employed by Max Weber, Of
Jusrtz, and had discussed the Inter.
national dam with President DiaE and
minister Romero.
Phillip II. HarrounS OF AlbuQuerQue
was ths next witness called. He Is a
civil engineer and has known the Rio
dfande since 1859 He Investigated the
stream dow OF the Bio Grande and reser.
voir sites for the United States govern.
ment. He took measurements OF the fiow
OF the Rlo Grsnds at four different sta.
ttons, Ut kmbufo, White Rock ca yon,
San Marcisl and hi Pasc.
The data collected WAS printed aud Of
the river from 1889 TO 1899 In tabular
form were also part OF the evidence In.
troduced.
W. ". Foley WAS the next witness. He
Is civil engineer and holds the position
Of consulting engineer OF the United
states on the International Boundary
commission. He has been acquainted
ten years with the Rio Grsnde; has fol
lowed Its course from Del Norte, Colo, to
twenty-five miles south OF kl Paso and
all the river from Laredo to Brownsville.
Texas.
He said that the Rio Grsnde at Del
Norte, Colo, was q mountain stream,
with rocky banks. south until II reaches
the Conejos, then through hilly country,
with quite q fall, until II reaches Em.
budo. Then sou b through alluvisl soil
to the lower kspanolR valley. II then
enters q valley which extends to = few
miles south Of San Msrcisl, passing
through only one small canyon above SO
zorro; thence west Of the tornado del
Muerto to near the Elephant Butte site,
where Il again enters hilly country, then
through valley to below Rinc0n; from
Rincon TO old Fort Seldom, through hilly
country, and from Seldom to HI Psso over
sandy soil.
At ii Psso he gauged the waters of the
BIO Grande from May 1897 up TO the
present time.
A table estimating the entire flow Of
water that passed ri Psso for Q number
Of years, gathered from the data and
measurements taken there. showing how
long II would take the entire flow OF the
river to dill the Elephant Butte dam, was
offered ~ evidence. The table estimated
from nine to forty days according to the
amount OF water In the river.
According to his Investigations, there
are seven bitches that use the Rio Grande
water between the Elephant Butte Dam
site and Rinc0n. with q capacity Of 200
sec. feet. In the Mssills, twelve bitches.
with Q capacity Of $40 sec. feet. In the
ri Pas0 valley seven or eight bitches
with q capacity Of 500 sec. feet. Another
table showing that IL would take from
twenty-five to forty six days to All the
Elephant Butte dam, after enough wat er
had passed to supply these bitches was
next offered In evidence.
He stated that he had taken cross.
sections from Rio Grande City south to
Brownsville. Texas, while surveying for
the Boundary commission. and submitted
maps showing the amount OF water that
passed al different times, both at high
and low waters. and estimated the
amount OF water necessary to the water
level. one. two. three feet, etc. On cross.
examination. Mr.. Hawkins asked him
how much would the flood wafer that
passed El Psso In 1897 raise the river at