Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1903-09-19
EVIDENTLY NO LIMIT
TO RYE PATCH WATER
Experiments Made Show Flow OF
100000 Gallons Per Day.

w w. Booth, w. II. ~ Men. II. ID
Davis and L. O. Ray, visited the Rye
Patch, where tests OF the amount oil
water under control have been pro-
ceeding the past week under the
direction of the general manager oil
the company. The visitors were
more than pleased with what they
saw, and If they had had any doubts
as to the ability of the Tonopah Wa
ter company to furnish all the water
that they could possibly be called
upon for, that doubt was removed
after observing the test that was
going on before their eyes. The com
pany has been working on their prop
osition in a quiet way for the past
six months and their efforts have met
with such success that they are now
in a position to contract for the
delivery of any amount of water in
Tonopah up to 5000, 600 gallons per
day. As the work of the company
promises to become an important
factor in the development of the dis
trict, the following particulars re-
garding its inception and progress
have been gathered and are herewith
presented:
The particular advantages for the
development for a large aud constant
water supply at Rye Patch first
attracted the attention of E G.
Wheeler, secretary Of the Bay Cities
Water company of California, early
in the present year. He had for
many years made study of under
ground waters as an available supply
for large cities, and is the discoverer
of the great system in Santa Clara
county, California, now owned by the
Bay Cities Water company. This is
said to be the largest underground
reservoir in the world, and furnishes
water in sufficient quantities to sup
ply the combined cities OF San Fran
cisco and Oakland with an abundance
of water. During the many years
that this system was in process OF
development the most careful and
exhaustive study was made by Mr..
Wheeler and other experts in order
to determine the exact quantity and
location of the underground waters.
The result OF this work has enabled
the work at Rye Patch to be done on
the most thorough and scientific lines
and there has now been compiled by
the Tonopah Water company an &C
curate underground survey, as ii
were, of the Rye Patch district.
The amazing similarity between the
formation at Rye Patch and Coyote
creek, in the Santa Clara valley, con
vinced Mr.. Wheeler that there was
here another underground supply Of
water which was practically mex.
haustible, and this in spite of the
arid character of the surrounding
country and absence of rain He
accordingly, organized the Tonopaf
Water company, composed of Sar
Francisco capitalists, and proceeded
to make as careful investigation a:
science could suggest. During the
past six months over twenty wells
averaging in depth from 80 to l6;
feet, have been sunk, besides many
test holes, the soil and gravel forma
ton in each have been carefully ana
lived and the water levels determined
and tabulated.
On the eleventh inst. Mr.. Wheele
came to Tonopah in company will
Frank S. Washburn of New Yorl
and the consulting engineer of th
Bay Cities Water company. NJ
Washburn is hydraulic engineer o
national reputation, and the Tonopal
Water company was peculiarly fort
innate 10 securing his services, as h
was on the coast for a short time onl
and turned aside from his easter
trip to visit Tonopah. His repor
fully confirmed the opinion previousl,
formed that there was tionabl,
at Rye Patch remarkable and enor
nous underground cacehment of pur
water.
On Saturday last ten Of these wells
approximately fifty feet apart, wer
connected and powerful pump Sc
TO work for a continuous test of on
week, day and night, in order t
finally determine the water curve
The result has been most gratifying
A steady flow of 400, 900 gallons pc
twenty-four hours was obtained with
out any apparent diminution of tn
supply, No effort was made to ties
the maximum capacity, but the ex
tent of the average flow of tn
territory drained by the ten well
and being about 800 feet in width wa
accurately determined. AS the com
pany's holdings extend ten squar
miles in extent, upon which an in
definite quantity of wells might b.
sunk if necessary, it can be easily seel
that the available supply is practi
cally inexhaus tible.