Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-03-09
MANY LAS vEGANs JOURNEY TO
PETERSON CANYON TO WIT
NESS EVENT
MEANS UNFAILlNG SUPPLY
aqua PURA coMPANY's NEW
STORAGE BASIN IMPoUNos
es.ooo,ooo GALLONS
ASUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
1T GIVES THIS CITY BEST SYS-
TEN OF ITS KIND IN THE
SOUTHWEST

In the wind-swept Peterson can
yon, five miles north of Las Vegas, g
frail little woman yesterday afternoon
turned a lever. Her action marked
the completion and putting into ser
vice of an improvement which, though
the property of private corporation
sets another mark in Las Vegas for
ward progress and means comfort and
protection for every citizen of the
two cities on the banks of the CALI.
mas for many years to come-the
Aqua Pura company's new 63,000,00O
gallon reservoir.
At the invitation of F. H. Pierce,
manager for the Aqua Pura company,
a large number of representative
business men and city officials were
present to witness the inauguration
for use of the huge undertaking
which has engaged the attention of
the brains and strained the muscles
of sixty men night and day for five
long months. Mayor X. d. Goodall,
members of the council, bankers, bust
ness and professional men and many
ladies saw the CLINT of sunlight on
the first trickling stream Of water
that was discharged from the large
inlet pipe in the dam.
AS the stream steadily increased in
volume and shot for several feet into
space before dropping into the reser-
voir below murmur of admiration
ran through the crowd. Two OF the
three inlets were utilized yesterday
afternoon. The water was discharg-
ed first through the second inlet,
which is about thirty feet from the
bottom of the reservoir. The water
was turned in promptly at 3 o'clock.
Less than fifteen minutes later, al
though great volumes of water had
been discharged through the first in
let the water had risen to such
a height in the gate chamber
that the upper inlet, at height
of nearly fifty feet from the
foot of the dam, began discharglng
its stream into the reservoir No DIM
inishment was noticed in the amount
of water coming through the first In
let to be opened while the upper in
let rapidly attained an equal dis
charge with that lower in the tower
II was an interesting and inspiring
sight.
Many of the people who witnessed
the little ceremony yesterday gazed
for the first time on the big dam
They were astonished at the size OF
the structure and it's solid construc'
ton. Many expressions OF praise
were heard from persons in the crowd
The dam is constructed from top tc
bottom of reinforced concrete. 1t Is
as stable and firm as the hills among
which it rests. The dam is 235 feet
IN length at the top, including the ex
+remities. which are buried several
feet in the sides of the hills to insure
stability. The average height OF the
dam above the bottom of the reser
voir is fifty feet although in one
place it reaches fifty-five feet. The
foundation extends thirteen feet into
the bedrock beneath the bottom
of the reservoir. At the base
the dam is fifteen feet in thickness
while at the top it is four feet. IL If
not built on straight lines, its faces
heing so curved as to offer the great
est resistance to the force OF the
waters to be impounded. The Aqua
Pura company built for the future as
we'll as the present when 1t con
strr1cted the new reservoir. Th'
foundation is built OF suffic1en
strength to bear up the weight 0
dam ninety feet in height, OF neari!
double that of the structure put Il
use yesterday.
The new dam is thus several fee
D.