Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1899-08-10
BEGIN IMPROVEMENTS.
Aqua Pura Officials Say They Are Going
To Improve.

The Aqua Pura company. aroused
by the energetic steps contemplated by
the city government, have commenced
work on large storage reservoir to be
located on bench CT plateau imme-
diately west of the insane ylum.
Ten teams and scrapers were put to
work today in making the excavation
and the number will be increased to
twenty-five or thirty.
On August 3, j. ID. Powers, president
of the Aqua Pura company, telegraphed
the following instructions TO Superin-
tendent Pierce of this city: "Begin
work on reservoir and prosecute it vig-
orously as possible" This telegram
has been followed by more specific in
structions by mail. Stephen Powers,
who has been keeping the books OF the
company, has accordingly been placed
as engineer in charge of construction
and bis place in the office has been
filled by Miss Natalia Stoneroad and
collections are being made by Charley
Rogers. Mr.. Powers is civil engineer
by profession.
The land on which the proposed res
ervolr is located is situated 220 feet
higher than the city of Las Vegas.
This height, it is stated by the officers
of the company, will give steady pres
sure of 100 pounds in all parts of the
city at all times The reservoir is to be
ATS feet long and 200 feet wide, running
north and south. 1t will hold 100000
gallons of water. About 100000 gal
Ions of water are used every day in Las
Vegas, so the officers of the Aqua Pura
company say, and the reservoir will, in
consequence, hold about a weeks sup
ply.
The bed of the reservoir will be rip
raped with vitrifed brick, thus per-
mitting it to be at intervals cleaned
out.
The site of the reservoir was bought
year ago but the improvement now
being made was delayed ON account of
litigation in the courts. .'ihe officers of
the company now announce that the
improvement is to be made regardless
Of subsequent events or judicial decis-
ions.
The company also owns forty acres
of land adjoining, where an additional
reservoir may be constructed in the
| future.
1t is proposed to have the first reser-
voir finished this fall or winter, in
plenty of time to avoid the food waters
next spring. TIE plans Of the company
contemplate the removal of the dams
In the GaiIinss river above the Hot
Springs. AS soon as the construction
] work on the first reservoir is finished, a
second one, to hold 100000 gallons.
will be constructed In the canon above
The Hot Springs. The company also
contemplates laying large quantity OF
new pipe in the city of Las Vegas and
will run 12-inch pipe from the Springs
down to the reservoir at the Insane
Asylum and l2 inch pipe from there
to the city. 1t is sttaed that the i'm
provements will cost 100000.
In addition to the above Mr.. J. H.
Ward, an attorney who came here as
the representative Of large stockholders
in the Aqua Pura company, in conver-
sation with the writer. stated that he
came out 10 the interest of the COM
pany to look over the situation and ad-
wise them what to do. The result oi
bis visit is embodied in the above out
line of the plans.
| He said in substance that there was
no doubt that the citizens of Las Vegas
had right to feel indignant at the way
the company had treated them for soms
time past, that they had at last begur
to realize that the comyanys Interests
would be best served by improving th.
water system commensurate with tht
growth of the city. that Las Vegas hat
. splendid future before her and woule
ultimately be a large city-couidn'
help it; and that the company proposed
to keep pace with the city hereafter
4 He said further that enough promiae