The Delta independent., 1903-04-17
Reservoir Breaks
BONNEY RESERVOIR BREAKS AND
MUCH DAMAGE IS DONE.
one-fourth Mile Of o AR. q. Track
Washed Away--Moch Loss of
Property


Last Saturday night. about o'clock
the waters Of the Bonney Reservoir we're
turned looee on tho unsuspecting
ranchers of the Uncompahgre valley.
The break did not occur at the dam.
but found email outlst u one end and
cut through the mesa where there was
a strata of gravel. WHICH washes very
readily when once etart6d.
About quarter Of mile OF the D. Il
I'R. G. track was washed oat seven miles
above Delta and foodesa The entire Un
compabgre river bottom
The reservoir Is locxtDd about fifteen
miles from here and VS. thought to be
perfectly safe. Tie eo1pany has kept a
man at the dam as satchman and
when the structure Ray4;way the watch
man telephoned the bn61k TO Delta and
to all the ranches along1he river.
w. G. Pritchard - Sported to have
lost ten head OF cattle, u c. Wetzel had
about 300 head 10 q I'D lot near the
river, few OF which ere lost. The
farmers in the bottomdhave sustained
slight losses. both OF LICK and other
property washed away c. P. Nu,ter
and family were not potified until the
water had almost resc1led their house
They went to high slbankmen, on the
west side OF the river and built a camp
fire where they rem.s(Sd until morning.
The Heayiest loss ill probably be
that sustaine by the ailroad.
Our reporter visitld the scene of
the reservoir disastsr and found the
break in tho mes. xHDut I'D feet in
length The water at 1ha, point being
thirty-four feet deep. one can easi
imagine the volume u eater ,ha, passed
through the Denves18 Rio Graude
tracks about quartesbt mile ses, ot
the break The wat a, that point
spread to about 1900 g b in width. The
water struck the TACK and broke the
fish plates holding the. rails, forcing the
rails. with tho ties attached. for quarter
oa a mile, for distssce OF thirty four
yards carrying oas 1psh railroad and
couniy bridges.
The waters spresd n<er number OF
| ranches snd eveesssJs is,i ana crpseed
the Upcompahgrr river. sweeping ever
newly Gown grain fields and taking of
, the soil aud spreading sedimeu, over
the alfalfa nelds. Houses were hemmed
in and parents had to carry children out
through water waist deep.
Residences we're surrounded to a
depth Of two feet with water. Mrs. Z.
| NJ. Waugh was awakened and sprang
from the bed into twenty inches of
water in the room. Mr.. Waugi's ranch
10 virtually sand bank Mail aud
passengers were transferred S ,turday
aud Sunday.
The railroad company has been
damaged more than any one els. and
that will not he anything like first
reported. Trains were passing over the
track Sunday night, bot considerable
work has been doue since on tn. road
bed.
The loes falls quite heavy on the
stockholders and il the damages amour,
to anything like claimed by some it ID
not likely to be rebuilt. Many OF the
owners live in this section Of the country,
and while they are rather console n tious
the matter aud desirous OF settling
all Just claims. will not b. able to do 90
IL they are too exorbitant.
II is thought that the natural flow
OF water this spring will be sufficient to
furnish water Tor most OF the ranches
under the reservoir. With what water
can be secured from the Loutenhiezer
ditch it may be possible that they will
wait Tor the completion OF the Gunni-
son tunnel.
The report that 4 bond OF $50 100 had
to be given the railroad company pre-
vious to tho erection OF the dam is err
roDeous, no bond had been given.
Tho dam had been raised several feet
during the past winter. at a cousiders.
ble expense to the stockholders.