The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-07-14
AIQUEDUCT Of
MEXICO CITY
Excellent Water Supply h CapL
tai Of Republic.
RANKS AMONG FOREMOST.
Each Resident Is Furnished With Sow
enty five Gallons Of Water Each Day,
Which Is Close Second to Amount
Supplied In New York City.

With all the wars, pronunicamentos.
revolutions and disturbances that have
torn the Internal government Of Mex
leo since the time the country was first
conquered by the Spanish. the gov
errors and citizens Of that republic.
have found time to cultivate the arts
Of peace and Of sanitation. 1t is Il fact
not generally known that the City of
Mexico has Il water supply equal to or
superior to that OF most American
cities. In fact, it runs New York city
a close second for the quantity OF wa
ter supplied it's inhabitants per capita.
The city of New York consumes 5OO.-.
100000 gallons of water every day. or
on an average Of little less than 100
gallons person, figuring the popula-
ton Of this city at more than 5.OOO.OOO.
The City Of Mexico has a water supply
that furnishes each resident within the
city limits with more than seventy five
gallons Of water each day.
The aqueducts that carry the water
to the Inhabitants OF the City Of Mex
lcu coLd become a strategic point in
war. but as the city is not entirely de-
pendent on outside water supply the
diversion of the water from the aque-
duct at the lake from which it is taken
would only cause discomfort. There
are hundreds OF artesian wells that add
to the supply OF the Mexican capitai.
The completion Ut the New York
aqueduct was heralded abroad and has
we'll been called one OF the great EN-.
cheering feats of the century. But
three centuries ago. or. to give the
year. in 1876. the first aqueduct built
under the direction Of white men on
the American continent was competed.
Spanish engineers laid ont the work.
and it cost millions in money and thou
sands Of lives Of the Indians who were
forced to labor on the works by their
Spanish masters. n
This first aqueduct was primarily a
necessary work to supply the city with
pure drinking water, and under the
hands and plans of the Spaniards it
also became a work of art. 1t is only
little more than five miles in length
and cannot compare With the New
York aqueduct in that way, but it has
become one Of the sights for the WISH
tor and is a marvel of early engineer
ing skill. :
One Of the artistic triumphs of the
Mexican capital is the fountain that
was built to commemorate the compile
ton Of the aqueduct. 1t was designed
by Spanish sculptors and the work was
done by Indians under their direction!
The stone was taken from qlarries in.
the hills and hauled to Mexico City by
manual labor. The cheapest things in
Mexico in those days were the lives Of
the natives. and hundreds Of thou
sands Of these were sacrificed on the
few public works that the conquerOrst
left as their monuments Of the occu-i
pancy Of the country. Il
Since the aqueduct Of 1876 others
have been constructed. The last was
completed under the Diaz regime in:
1900. =
The water is obtained from the
mountains west Of the city. and the
greater portion Of that used in the City
Of Mexico comes from the vicinity of
Tacubaya, almost a suburb Of the cap
ital. {
The residents Of the Mexican capital
never have been troubled with an in
adequate water supply. The difficulty
with them always has been to get rid
Of the water and keep the city well
drained. At one time the City Of Mex
leo had the reputation of being the
least healthful Of the cities Of the civil
lized world. The death rate amounted
to forty persons in every 1000. or
about per cent Of the inha bitants.
Since the completion Of the drainage
canal. which ranks among the engi-
neering achievements Of modern times,
the City Of Mexico has become as
healthfnl as any city on the continent I
This canal extends for forty three
miles and cost about $3O,OOO.OOO. "a
In estimating the water supply Of.
the different cities Of the world New
York Is among those having the great
est. The City Of Mexico is sixth on