Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-07-10

south 226 feet, east 220 feet. north
112 fact. wost 20a feet 1t was figured
that it would take 900 feet of 16-inch
pipe to cover the distance from the
water works to Third avenue The
cost )f this pipe would be $4,000. The
distance from Third avenue to the res
ervoir is / 100 feet, or total distance
e . 10 teet II vould cost 80 200 for
leliycri1g the pipe in D1Iargu on the
tracks. Tho excavation would cost
500 and the prGip itself would cost
yearly So 900 Taxing all expenses
in'o consideration everything com
pletc from the nurp house to the res
nrvoir Will cost from S12 900 to SIS
600.
The report was read by the purchas-
ing committee. who had entered into
negotiations with b. w. Ritter for the
purchase of about I acres of land
south of Durango and east of the Ami
mas river for a dumping ground.
The next question that came up
was that about the tailings and
shines that come down the Animas
river from the mills at Silverton. Mr.
Newman spoke at length on the sub
jeet, saving that while some mill
owners We're keeping their stuff out
of the water. it is impossible for 9th
afs to do so. except at great expense
which they cannot afford Other
members OF the council said that they
thought il was time to take the propo
5ition up, and do something definite
about ii. 1t was suggested that the
water be filtered before being pumped
| into the reservoir which could be
done at no great expense. but objec-
tion was made to this that poisonous
matter was held in solution, and there
fore flterine was not the process
needed At this point it was urged
that water for the city supply should
be obtained from another source, as
1t would be difficult from many stand
points to do away entirely with the
refuse that gets into the river as
there viii certainly be other mills
hard to keep the mill men from get
ting their sediments into the river.
Some have conditions by which they
can save the tailings. others have not.
Some prevent their shines from get
ting into the river, some cannot. 1t
will be six months before pump can
be secured for filtering the water. and
il will take another six months to get
it up. and if nothing can he done
with the mills in Silverton, it will be
no use spending hundreds of dollars on
pumps and things here. as the water
will be no good when it is filtered. 1t
was proposed to stop the mills en-
tirely rather than have the town OF
Durango and the country around ruin
ed because of them at least this was
the view OF one of the speakers, wind
ing up by styling that if the
tailings from the mills at
Siverton keep coming down here.
the country will soon be ruined, we
will have town here and nothing to
support it. The only thing Durango
can do in this case is to look after her
own interests. if We can get water
elsewhere. we had better not look to
the Animas for it,
1t was suggested that a committee
be appointed to see the district attor-
ney and that the matter be brought
to law Mr.. Miller said that civil
suit would cost much expense and de-
lay that a criminal suit would he
and he would advise that the latter
course be pursued. though somebody
woud have to go up to Silverton and
work for evidence and that would
take time. great deal of investiga-
ton would be necessary, and the com
mttee would have to get facts and
lay them before the council before le-
gal proceedings could be entered into
against people for dumping things into
! the river Mr.. Newman testified that
to his knowledge it is not the tailings
that we get in the water, but the
shines The tailings he says, stop
and settle in the still water near
Trimble Springs. and never reach Du-
; range The shines will not sink, but
are carried on down the river, and he
has taken them out of his filters.
where he has not found tailings 1t
was further argued that tailings have
been found in Durango water, and that
it would be necessary to prove the
fact whether we got the tailings or
not, before anything could be done.
1t was then moved and seconded
that a committee of five be appointed
to investigate the water matter in the
Animas river, to see If anything can
be done about the tailngs and shines,
to find out il there is sufficient cause
for action in the matter and to get
= what evidence they can. Messrs. AL
. eXander. Patterson Darlington, Bus
kirk and Newman We're appointed on
this committee by vote of the council
1t was voted also that repairs on the
water plant be postponed until this
committee reports regarding their in
vestigations
The committee of Woodmen author
lied to see the street car company in
regard to opening up the North Du-
range park in which case the com
pany would put in band stand. seats.
etc. reported that they had seen Mr..
Pickerill, and could not get any an
swer until Mr.. Porter, who is now at
Pine river. returned home.
The report of the committee APP
pointed- to investigate the books of
the water company was read. It