Pueblo chieftain., 1921-07-02
Messages From
the People
Pueblo. Colo. June IS. 1921


Editor. Pueblo Chleftain.
Since the flood OF Jun. ard. have
heard OF numerous projects or theories
being mentioned or advocated. all be
ing to the subject OF controlling tho
Arkansas river during future floods.
and safeguarding property interests In
tho city OF Pueblo In the event OF fu-
tur. floods OF equal volume. each pro
ject being advocated. no doubt. by
some one who ls interested in the fu-
tur, welfare Of the community and not
from selfish motives.
| have been resident OF Pueblo for
moro than twenty-five. Years twenty
three years OF which tim, has been
spent in engineering practice. 10 per
cent OF my assets arc located within
the corporate limits OF the city and
sil located outside tho flooded district
or tn. vicinity thereof. and I eSpcc,
to make Pueblo ms home m long
I ann permitted to live. Consequently
bclicv. that am entitled to claim
some interest in tho futur. welfnr"
Of the community. Also having had
som. engineering crpcricnc. | might
claim some consideration from a pro-
f.ssioral standpoint
A combination OF tho above fact, Ia
my cScus. for submitting come figures
regarding our recent experience and
offering some other nrur-s tina, might
10 Of use In planning safeguards
against future occurrnncc1 Of sim
liar nature
I max. no claims to tho ross.s-ior
of "psnnrrp' against future caism-
i,ics that may be put uron uH by IN.
elements. hut do claim to know n fcv
facts which nro fundnmentai-onA Of
which is tha, a wash-'ub full Of water
can not bo eIupticd into n gallon mea
sur" without running II over. which
IL a r.rrt OF comparison Of what ru-
.bio WIS trying to do In attempting
to Gerry tho recent mood In tho exist
inE channel
First-Tha velocity. or rate or speed
Of tho recent flood from NanFsnola to
Lamar was nvs miles per hour or
"a n. per second. Pueblo being 10
Gated nearer ;hA mountains. the Ecna
eral aippo OF the country Ia more abrupt
and the velocity would b, greater.
therefore have adopted tho nsurc cf
: u. per second ss tho basis for the
following calculations.
Using linton avcnuo for cross sec
,ion of tho river channel the distance
from tho south end Of tho visduct 10
tn. center of tho s0o block on Santa
10 avenue. H00 feet between high
water lines and st right angles to the
channel. too feet Of tho sbovs. aver
ago depth Of feet. Thip portion of
tho channel. ucEiecilnS the greater
portion Of tho existing river channel
and the ino feet on tho north. carried
iloNln GU. n. per second. Tho lnp fcst
additional width and the portion Of
existing channel. neglected IN prev
inus calculation, would surely have
carried icvno cu. n, per second mskirz
tho total. or maximum nov chAo CO. 90.
r. rsr second during the recent food
gscond-tsinE the above nEure. viz
80 GO cu. n per second as tho volume
for which to provide a channel from
N. south end Of vtsduct to the north
Iiua of e street ttnH foei n present
grade at = street were raised Il feet.
and channel itcN feet wide and - feet
deep. eliminating existing bends and
obsfruc,ipns. a straight channel from
tho southwest corner cf tho asyium
grounds 80 Santa Fn avenue nsnr the
Junction with e street the velocity
v.ould probably ta increased tp ten
fee, rar second This channel would
carrv 2ls.Noo fee, per second. or 'he
recent Mood with i1is per cent factor
Of safety.
The above figures ore not given as
actual facts. as 'has might appear
had I run an actual lina Of levels
across the channel Ar deprsssinns
and humps are take, into same. but
the figures obtained are very closs
estimate cf the actual facts and vii
AFFORD something for serious minds 20
consider when actual rsc1ns'ruc'ipn
begins. uhich should be planned on
absolutely safe lines
Very ,rulv YOURS,
CHAS. q CLARK
Civil and Ninins Engineer
sfI Polk n.