El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-22

Las Cruces, y. II. May 22.-The con
tractors have Just completed a most
thorough test of the municipal water
system that proves the efficiency Of
the equipment and the workmanlike
manner in which the plant has been
installed The waterwOrks and sewer
system that proves the efficiency of
a bond issue of SIS. 600. voted by the
people at a special election in 1911,
and the contract awarded, covering the
original plans at much less than the
sum realized by the sale of the bonds.
The completed plant consists of two
drilled wells, 121 and 12S feet deep. re-
spectively. These wells are cased with
10 inch well casing, attached 20 which
is a Cooks strainer, II feet IN length.
The wells are $50 feet apart and each
well is equipped with a separate 80
horsepower oil engine. Each engine
has a capacity Of $4,000 gallons of water
per hour. The first test made Of the
mains gave pressure by gravity OF
90 pounds per inch from the natural
fall OF over so feet This pressure was
increased by directly pumping into the
mains until 70 pounds per inch was
recorded and the mains held up with
but one defect, caused by a cracked
pipe. that has since been removed.
In addition to the pumping plant
there IS a large steel tank with a ca
pacity of $4,000 gallons. This tank is
on a 70 foot steel tower, which rests
on a concrete foundation giving a
total head to the system Of 125 feet
above Main street. There is also a
standpipe with 5000 gallon capacity,
in addition to the tank. The capacity
Of the mains is such as to give a p
hour water supply at the present rate
OF water consumption and the tank
and standpipe will increase this stOr-
age by $4,000 gallons, enough for q
additional hours
In Constructing the water system the
mains range from eight inch on Con
vent street down to four inch on the
less important thOrOughfares. and the
total length of all mains exceeds SO. 600
ieet. or Z - miles There tire 81 fire
hydrants which are placed al cOnven-
lent corners IT. the business and resi-
dence sections. and these hydrants az
ford a most complete fire protection
Sewer system Complete,
The sewer system. as completed. con-
tains Ove- eight and One-haf miles OF
sewer pipe, with 30 manhOles and Il
automatic flush tanks The sewerage
Is handled by gravity from the resi-
deuce and business section TO a septic
tank situated on the west side Of the
Santa Re right OF way The purified
sewerage IS here raised by two double
oil pumps TO a distance Of 20 feet above
the bottom of the tank, where il again
enters the main and is carried off The
entire system, as designed and COM
pleted. viii accommodate a town at
least three times as large as Las Cru
ces, and the water system itself viii
be easily enlarged to double its pres
ent capacity with but small expense
Other News Notes.
The construction crew Of the Noun
tain States Telephone company has re-
solved itself into g destruction crew
and is rapidly denuding Main street OF
the unsightly poles that have been an
eyesOre for years, a. well as a menace
to the public on account Of the ends or
the poles in many cases being rOtted
off TO such an extent that II is necessa-
ry only TO push the poles over and al
low them TO fall after removing the
wires. The street looks much wider
without the overhead wires, and with
the telegraph and electric wires run
ming through the alleys instead OF
through the streets. as they now run,
the Improvement will be still greater
A serious break in the water main Of
the old water company made travel on
Main street fncOnvenient for some time
MOnday. The pipes burst and flooded
the street. also causing a cavein along
the pipe line. which INSTRUCTED traulc
most Of the morning
The team Of c. T. Turney, which was
left tied in front Of the BascOm-
French store. broke their hitch rein
and came down GrigEs street at rate
that broke all the speed regulations OF
the town, running into team owned by
b T. Link Little damage was done
Sunday Nav 26 viii be celebrated
by the members Of the Aleanza Hispano
Americana with a picnic and dance at
the Shalem colony. About 100 mem
bers belong to the Las Cruces local
and a good time is expected
W. 3 Murphy has just completed an
extension on the rear of mis- Main street
store, which will make this room one
Of the most cOmmQdious stores IN
town. The new addition is OF brick,
two stories high. the upper floor be-
ing devoted TO sleeping apartments,
furnished with all modern conven-
fences The old building, as well as
the new addition. is occupied by the
firm Of Berry & Davenport
The Mesilla Valley Fair association
is making arrangements to hold a
public meeting and luncheon in the
near future for the purpose Of making
arrangem ents for a second annual fair
The question of providing permanent
fair grounds that can be improved and
used for baseball and athletic events
viii be one of the topics under cOnsid-
Grafton at this melting.
It Is hoped that the BOrderland Auto
route will be completed between Las
Cruces and FL Paso before the fair, so