Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-10-24

tnted the party visiting Las vegas:
Arthur p, Davis. Assistant Chief
Engineer, U. s. Reclamation Service,
consulting engineers w. M. Reed,
Stationed at Roswell: d. M. Hall
whose headquarters are at FL Paso;
W. II. Saunders who Is stationed at
Los Angeles and II. c. Hurd. who
Is in immediate charge OF the work
on the Hondo.
Mr.. Davis left on No. 2 yesterday
for Bellefourche. s. d. He expects
to be at his headquarters In Wash
ington by Nov. 9Th. Messrs Hall
and Saunders departed on No. yes
terday evening for their respective
headquarters and Messrs. Reed and
Hurd left on No. 2 today for Roswell.
Views Of Judge long
To The Editor Of The Optic.
Our people are so deeply interested
lin the construction of the public res
ervoir out on the Mora road, that an
article on that subject may be accept
able
1t will be recalled that very soon af-
ter the appointment by Judge Mills Of
| the board Trustees to take charge
OF the Las Vegas grant, even before
the patent therefor was issued, that
the board of trustees to take charge
the secretary OF the interior, asking
him to construct reservoir about
| three miles ont on the Mora road.
under the provision of the U. S. rec
! lamation laws, that soon after, Mr..
w. M. Read, government engineer,
| was sent by the department to make
preliminary observations and ascer-
tain, whether the project was suf-
ficiently practicable to justify the sec
rotary in ordering survey, and that
"a little later on other engineers were
sent out for the same purpose and
/ later upon the urgent and repeated
solicitation of the secretary of the
board of trustees that Mr.. Earl Marsh
was sent here to install water gauges
in the Gallinas and Sapello rivers.
Unfortunately this step could not
be secured until after the spring
rains Of 1903 had passed and SO the
measurements only proved that it
was period OF drought. However, as
this drought was general and long con-
tinued all over the southwest, the
failure to obtain average results from
the water measurements did us no
harm. The department was kept well
advised that conditions here were alb.
normal. Finally, an important meas
nre, which in every reasonable way
had been urged on the department
/ was secured and United States sur
veyors came and inspected and sur
veyed the reservoir site, it's feeders
and laterals All this work was. from
time to time reported to the depart
ment. An important memorandum
was furnished the department by the
secretary Of the board of trustees,
tending to show that satisfactory title
could be conveyed to the United
States to secure construction.
There is, as a part of the official
machinery in the reclamation depart.
ment, board Of consulting engineers.
composed Of eminent men Of large
experience in the construction of
DAMS, reservoirs and irrigation enter.
prises. This board is composed OF
Messrs. A. G. Davis. w. H. Saunders,
p NJ. Hall and w. M. Read with Mr..
H. c. Hurd, the surveyor, who have
the power to install or turn down
all United States reservoir PROPOSE.
tions They make the final report.
On Friday night the above members
OF the board registered at the Casta-
media. and on Saturday with Messrs.
"A a JOHeS, mdJoT WHitluoIt, hiiidi VI
Browne and myself went over the res
ervoirs and the feeders.
The purpose of the board was to
take observations of the work upon
the ground, and then to 60 over the
data furnished by the previous sur
vey. and all information on file in the
department and after thorough consfd.
Grafton to report for or against the
proposition.
The fate of our reservoir is now In
the hands Of that board. All has been
done that possibly could be, and there
is every reason to believe the report
will be favorable. The members OF
the board were very reticent and
perfectly silent and non-committal,
yet, from all that has been done. the
feasibility of the project. the data
bearing on the important points, that
has been furnished, there is good rea-
son to be hopeful.
So far the secretary of the interior
~