White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-21
MAYOR PARKER
REASONS
FULL TENT OF VETO OF Sl6,-
900 BOND ISSUE ORDINANCE
FOR BUILDING MILL STREET
STORM SEWER.

Ely, Nevada, December 9Th 1878.
TO the Honorable, the City Council
of the City of Ely, Nevada.
Gentlemen: beg to return here
with to your Honorable body with
out my approval, Ordinance No. 10,
entitled An ordinance providing for
the issuance and sale of bonds of the
City of Ely, in the sum of sixteen
thousand dollars, SIC, 000.00,) for
permanent improvements and for
general corporation purposes and
providing for and levying a tax for
the redemption thereof"
AS my reasons for refusing to ap-
prove of this ordinance | submit the
following:
My first objection to the proposed
storm sewer is that 1t will be of little
If any use when completed, and will
never answer the purpose for which,
it is intended. 1t would be entirely
useless in a flood such as we had in
August of this year.
When / was elected to the Office
of mayor, two years ago last May.
there were two important questions
to consider, namely, some means of
controlling the spring floods in
Robinson canyon, caused by melting
snow in March OF every year, and also
the enlargement of the cemetery.
Both have been met and handled in
a satisfactory manner, and believe,
the people are satisfied with what
has been done. The storm sewer
which was constructed two years ago
was an absolute necessity, according
to my view, and | believe most of
the reasonably thinking people will
the area of the water shed which
drains into Robinson canyon. From
Ely west to Robinson summit is
eighteen miles, and a little north of
the White River summit on the south
to north of Gleason creek on the
north, a distance of more than twenty
miles, which is about three hundred
and sixty square miles. The natural
channel, and outlet. for this water
shed is through the business portion
of this city.
Now, let us consider the Robinson
Canyon country with hurry canyon
From Ely to the White River summit
is six miles. Snow never lies this
side of the narrows, and, neither does
it lie north of the White River road
From the narrows to the summit is
more than four miles and from the
White river road south there is not
four miles on an average that drains
in the canyon, and not than
sixteen square miles that can furnish
water to run through the city of Ely.
In the winter of 1889 and 1890
there was more snow in this district
than there had been any winter for
twenty years prior to that time. and
much more than any winter since.
In the spring following the winter.
we had no flood In the hurry canyon
from melting snow and. | believe, II
an the snow that lies this side of the
White River summit. at any time,
were I o melt. within a period of
forty-eight hours. Ely would be In no
great danger from the foods.
Now, II the proposed storm sewer
had been installed before the last
food, 1t would have been entirely
useless, for the reason that nearly
all the damage that was done to
property was on ground all the way
from ten to forty feet higher than
the proposed sewer, and in case of
another cloudburst. like the last, all
or nearly all, damage would be done
by the water before IL reached the
sewer. In fact, If such unforeseen
conditions are to be taken care of at
all, with all due respect to the able
Judgment of the members of the
council, as well al to the engineer
employed to draft your plans. | sug-
gest that IL would be necessary to
first get some intimation from
Divine Providence as to just where a
%cloudburst is going to occur. If the
floods which occurred during the
latter part of August r to be taken
as a guide, and if storm sewers are of
any benefit under such conditions, 1t
would seem that several sewers
would be necessary. For example
are the property owners on the north
side of the city, who were severely
damaged by the last flood, not en-
Titled to protection? Then, again.
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