White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-26
CANYON WATER FLOW
THREATENING TO CITY

The flow of water down Robinson
canyon last Thursday night was for
short time alarming, but due 10
the prompt action on the part OF Of
ficials and public-spirited citizens who
volunteered their aid, serious DAM
age was averted.
The enormous quantity of snow
which has fallen in the hills during
the winter months has caused some
uneasness because of the fac. that Ii
was generally realized that IL the
weather should turn warm and SO
remain for an extended period, or,
worse still, should a warm rain visit
the district, 1t would be almost an
impossibility to control the waters
from the melting snow without great
damage to property and ircon-
vcnience to business houses as well
as residents throughout the entire
section.
The old-timers all agree that the
snowfall during the last winter has
far exceeded that for a like period
during the last twenty years.
Fortunately, weather conditions
have been favorable, and while there
has been a large flow of water down
the canyon 1t was only on the occa-
sion of Thursday night that 1t reach
ed a point wnere the ditch leading
into the storm sewer overflowed and
the waters came down Aultman
street. 1t did not, however. reach a
point In the cutters above the curb,
and the only damage reported was
in Central Ely, where some cellars
were flooded and lawns turned into
miniature lakes.
Mayor Gallagher had force of
men at work on the part of the city
and County Commissioner Baird, act
ing for the county. was likewise busy
with men in the vicinity of Lane
City. the efforts to prevent the
washing out of culverts was success
full, and at the intersection of the
passenger and high line Of the Ne
yada Northern, near the west bound
airy line of the city of Ely. as the
water gushed down the ditch and un-
der the yiaduct it struck against the
embankment of the high line with
such force as to make a big cut in
the embankment and for time
threatened to undermine the tracks.
The railway company was quick to
put a force of men on the job and a
bulkhead was built which turned The
water in more direct course down
the ditch. and by that means pre-
vented damage to the roadbed.
1t was found necessary to put in
a few shots of dynamite to straighten
out the ditch. and this blasting In the
early hours Friday morning awak-
ened citizens from their slumbers.
many running to the street 10 ascer-
tain The cause.
Those who recall the days i'm Ely
before the construction of the storm
sewer when, with each successive
thaw. Aultman street would resemble
the Truckee river and it became
necessary to pile bags of sand along
the street to prevent as far as pos
sible damage to the goods stored in
the cellars Of business houses. as we'll
as tt construct temporary bridges
with barrels. boxes and planks in or
der to cross the main thoroughfare
of the city. stood last Thursday night
and waited for one more such scene
which. fortunately. did not appear.
The weather turned somewhat cold
and this naturally checked the flow
of water. which has since remained
within safe bounds.
While there has been steady flow
down the ditch and through the storm
sewer for the last two days it is now
hoped that all danger has passed.
One of the industries which had
10 resort to heroic measures in order
10 maintain its publis service was
the White Pine Telephone Company.
where the high water reached point
in the sewer where there was an
evident defect and so flooded the cell
lar OF the telephone building that 1t
at times threatened to seriously in
terfere with the mechanism by which
the big switchboard Is operated. Man
ager Hugh l.. Thomas was constantly
on the job and with force of men
kept the pumps working twenty-four
hours I'm the day, by which means
the water was kept down to a point
at which the important service could
be operated and the general public
was by no means inconvenienced or,
in fact, did not know of the diff
culties which the management of the
company were experiencing.