REPORT 
 
 JAS. D. SCHUYLER, 
 
 CONSULTING ENGINEER. 
 
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 PUEBLO GRAVITY WATER COMPANY. 
 
 
 
 REPORT OF CONSULTING ENGINEER. 
 
 Denver, Colorado, September 18, 1890. 
 
 Directors Pueblo Gravity Water Company: 
 
 Gentlemen —At your invitation I have recently examined 
 the field of operations, which you have undertaken with a view 
 of determining the feasibility and cost of developing and con¬ 
 veying to Pueblo an ample supply of pure filtered water, suffi¬ 
 cient for the wants of that flourishing city for years to come, and, 
 as you requested, herewith submit my report, embodying my 
 views of the project. 
 
 The painstaking and intelligent manner in which your en¬ 
 gineer, Mr. D. C. Henny, has performed the preliminary studies 
 of the situation, has enabled me to obtain a thorough insight 
 into the scheme without loss of time in groping for necessary 
 information. I have reviewed his work very carefully, and 
 take pleasure in commending it for thoroughness and accura¬ 
 cy in every detail. 
 
 Pueblo is a city of nearly 30,000 inhabitants, supported 
 by a network of railroads and extensive manufacturing indus¬ 
 tries. The start which it has made in manufacturing, and its 
 advantageous position as a railroad center, seem to point to a 
 steadily progressive growth in wealth and population. The 
 demand for a water supply, superior in quality and volume to 
 that at present available, is urgent, and the field for new 
 works is promising and lucrative. The present supply is de¬ 
 rived from the Arkansas River, immediately above the city, 
 and is pumped to the consumers. The river is a turbid 
 stream, never clear and pure, but carrying a fine silt in sus- 
 
 941!56 
 
— 4 — 
 
 pension, which seems to defy all the efforts thus far made to 
 settle and clarify it. The works in North Pueblo (north of 
 the river) are owned and operated by the city, under the 
 management of a Board of Trustees. In all respects, as near¬ 
 ly as I can learn, the works fail to satisfy the wants of the 
 community; whether from faulty management, insufficient ca¬ 
 pacity, inadequate fire pressure, excessive cost to the taxpayer, 
 impure quality of the water, or a combination of all these de¬ 
 fects, the fact remains that the existing order of things de¬ 
 mands a radical change. 
 
 It is your desire to bring about this change by the in¬ 
 troduction of clear, pure water, which shall flow into the city 
 by gravity from an elevation sufficient to give ample fire 
 pressure, and in quantity sufficient to respond to any draft 
 that may be made upon it. If you succeed in carrying out 
 your plan, the investment would seem to be a highly lucra¬ 
 tive one, and entitle you to the grateful patronage of the en¬ 
 tire community, as well as a liberal subsidy. 
 
 The source of your water supply is the under-flow of Fon¬ 
 taine qui Bouille, which you propose to draw out by means of 
 drain pipes of large size, to be laid across the subterranean chan¬ 
 nel on the bed rock or clay sub-floor of the valley. 
 
 Overlying this floor are beds of coarse, saturated gravel, 
 which extend up the stream some thirty miles, to and above 
 Colorado Springs, as well as for some distance up all the tribu¬ 
 taries. The spot selected for this development work is near 
 Wigwam station on the Denver & Bio Grande Railroad, some 
 nineteen miles above the mouth of the stream at Pueblo, where 
 you have purchased sufficient land to give you control of the 
 major part of the water bearing gravel beds, from side to side of 
 the valley. The elevation of the surface here is about 5,200 feet 
 above sea level, or 540 feet above the level of ordinary low water 
 in the Arkansas at Santa Fe Avenue, and 525 feet above the 
 principal business streets of the city. 
 
 The fall given to the main conduit, from the collecting well, 
 into which all the drains empty, to the distributing reservoir in 
 North Pueblo, a distance of 75,380 feet, is 216 feet, or, on an 
 average, 15.1 feet per mile. The depth of the reservoir, as plan¬ 
 ned, is twenty feet, and the height of the bottom of the reservoir 
 above the main streets of the city is 258 feet, which will afford 
 
) 
 
more than 100 pounds pressure, after deducting friction in the 
 distributing mains. Hence it will be seen that the elevations 
 are extremely favorable, and water can be thrown all over the 
 mesa of South Pueblo with good, ordinary pressure. 
 
 The explorations made by Mr. Henny by means of boring 
 at intervals across, as well as parallel with the valley, have 
 shown, that the hard clay bottom beneath the gravel is from ten 
 to forty-four feet below the surface, and is shaped, as one might 
 expect, like a large trough, 5,000 feet wide, the deepest part being 
 on the east side, east of the present surface channel. This trough 
 is filled, heaping, with gravel, over which lies the surface soil of 
 adobe. 
 
 The permanent water level, as shown by the borings, is not 
 really a level line but inclines toward the lowest part of the trough, 
 almost parallel with the clay bottom. The thickness of the clay 
 sub-stratum is unknown, although one of the borings pierced it 
 for sixty-six feet without change. It is identical in character 
 with that found underlying the whole country in this region east 
 of the Rockies, and is locally recognized as the bed rock of the 
 country, so thick and so dense as to permit no water of streams 
 flowing over and upon it to escape by percolation through it. 
 Hence all the water of the stream not visible upon the surface 
 must flow along this clay trough through the gravel contained 
 in it. 
 
 The borings were so carefully made, that a contour map of 
 the clay bottom was prepared, from the data so furnished, which 
 shows, that while the slope of the clay bed is not entirely uni¬ 
 form, it is generally parallel with the surface slope of the valley, 
 whose average inclination is about 30 feet per mile. 
 
 The total cross-sectional area of the gravel beds below the 
 permanent water line, on the section selected for laying the drain¬ 
 age pipes, is 66,600 square feet, which gives an average depth of 
 saturated gravel of nearly 14 feet; on the line of development, 
 however, the depth is from 18 to 20 feet from the water line. 
 The development immediately proposed will drain a width of 
 2,400 feet of the valley, leaving 1,600 feet on the west side, not 
 directly tapped, of sufficient depth to be desirable for future 
 drainage, although the pipe to be immediately laid will drain a 
 portion of this also. The area of saturated gravel immediately 
 over the 2,400 feet of pipe will be 32,000 square feet. As the voids 
 
— 7 — 
 
 in the gravel compose about three-tenths of the mass, the water 
 filling these voids must be a very considerable volume, if it were 
 possible to determine its mean velocity. Lying as it does on such 
 a steep slope, it is impossible to imagine, that the water is standing 
 still, but it must have a constant movement down the slope pre¬ 
 cisely as though the gravel did not exist, although, of course, enor¬ 
 mously retarded by the friction of the gravel. This movement 
 is proven by the results of the small development work already 
 done, by which you have succeeded in drawing out about 500,000 
 gallons daily from a pipe 200 feet long, laid 3J to 6 feet below the 
 surface. The rate of flow, and consequently the volume of water, 
 which you may expect to develop from your works, which 
 is the vital point in the whole question, cannot be definitely 
 measured, estimated or foretold There must be an element 
 of chance in this part of the scheme. All that I can say in 
 the matter is, that the probabilities seem to point to, a 
 flow of ten to twelve million gallons daily as the result 
 of your first work, and about twenty millions as the maxi¬ 
 mum obtainable from the complete sub-drainage of the valley. 
 I arrive at these conclusions from a consideration of all the con¬ 
 ditions that combine to produce the results—the great area of 
 water shed, the rain fall, the extent of the gravel beds of the 
 stream and its tributaries and the fact, that the surface stream is 
 practically dry a considerable part of the year, for some distance 
 above and all the way below your head works, except where springs 
 appear and are drawn off by irrigation. It is my experience with 
 Californian streams, that they invariably sink and disappear in 
 their beds, wherever large gravel and sand deposits occur, except 
 in flood time, and the development of the under-flow is regularly 
 and widely practiced by shallow cuts and tunnels, with gratifying 
 results. 
 
 The area of water shed of the Fountain and its tributaries 
 above Wigwam is 807 square miles, including Pike’s Peak, Chey¬ 
 enne Mountain, Cameron’s Cone and the Rampart Range, where 
 the precipitation of snow and rain is heavy, besides the elevated 
 plateau, known as the Great Divide. This water shed area is 
 about double that of Cherry Creek, which has no mountain drain- 
 oge and depends solely upon the Divide for its supply, and yet 
 the Denver Water Company is expending some two million dollars 
 in developing the sub-flow of the stream, which they hope will 
 reach 50,000,000 gallons daily. 
 
— 8 — 
 
 However, the area of drainage is not so important as the 
 area and volume of the gravel beds that carry the sub-flow, ex¬ 
 cept that every little stream from the mountains constantly con¬ 
 tributes its quota toward maintaining the saturation of the 
 gravel beds in the dryest time of the year, and the sum of them 
 all is evidently to be encountered by a cross cut of the valley at 
 Wigwam. 
 
 A conservative estimate of the extent of the saturated gravel 
 strata above Wigwam would be a length of twenty-five miles, a 
 width of 2,000 feet, and a depth of twelve feet. Considering this 
 as a reservoir filled once a year, for example, the volume of water 
 it would contain would be about 7,000,000,000 gallons; sufficient 
 to yield 20,000,000 gallons daily. Of course it would be impossi¬ 
 ble to drain it entirely, and on the other hand during the five or 
 six months when the surface stream was flowing, the amount that 
 had been drained would be refilled and the daily draft steadily 
 restored by percolation from the stream. 
 
 Experiments made by Mr. Henny at Wigwam, which were 
 confirmed by the observations of flow from development works 
 on Monument creek, led him to conclude, that on that slope water 
 found its way through the gravel at the rate of about seven feet 
 per hour. On this basis, the area of the voids in the saturated 
 gravel cross-section at Wigwam would carry about 24,000,000 
 gallons daily. I arrived at a similar result by another process. 
 Hence, as I have said, although there is a certain element of 
 chance and uncertainty, the probabilities point to a yield of 
 about the quantities named, if the development work is carried 
 out in a thorough manner. 
 
 The plan proposed by Mr. Henny for this development seems 
 to me to have been well digested. 
 
 Starting at a point down the stream, where the required grade 
 from the bottom of the collecting well approaches the surface, he 
 proposes to make an open cut about 5,600 feet in length, wide 
 enough to carry two lines of thirty inch wooden pipe, both of 
 which are to be laid at once to the collecting well, although but 
 one of them will be used immediately. These pipes will be cov¬ 
 ered as laid, and serve to drain off the water from the cross cut 
 above. The drainage pipes will be of cement, thirty and thirty- 
 six inches in diameter, laid with open joints to admit of the tree 
 assage of water. They will act precisely like ordinary drain 
 
Collect/atg Well. 
 
 Scale 8 Ft:. = 1 In. 
 
 Surface of Gro und 5/89 If Above SeoUei/el 
 
 
 Vertical Section . 
 
—11 — 
 
 tile, only on a larger scale. They will not follow straight lines 
 across the valley, but be laid on grades sufficient to freely dis¬ 
 charge their contents into the collecting well. Two lines of drain 
 pipe, each 400 feet long, will be projected up the valley, one on 
 the west side, the other near the lowest depression ot the clay 
 floor. The water will naturally seek the freest and easiest exit, 
 which will be afforded by the drains, and it is not anticipated 
 that any considerable quantity will pass the intercepting drain, 
 although a tight line of sheet piling and a puddle dam up as 
 high as the present water level will be put in after the drain pipe 
 is laid. 
 
 This cement pipe can best be made on the ground, as all the 
 materials except cement are abundant, and the manufacture of it 
 should be begun without delay. The amount required is 800 
 feet of thirty-six inch, and 3,600 feet of thirty inch. 
 
 THE MAIN CONDUIT. 
 
 The survey for the main pipe line from the head works to 
 the distributing reservoir located in North Pueblo Heights, skirts 
 along the low hills on the west side of the valley, by a very di¬ 
 rect line. The original survey located the reservoir seventy-five 
 feet higher and some 6,000 feet further from the city than its 
 present location, but at my suggestion this was changed, as it 
 was apparent that the elevation of the reservoir was greater than 
 was desirable, requiring the introduction of expensive pressure 
 valves for the safety of the plumbing in the city. The pressure 
 to be borne by the conduit was thereby greatly reduced, and 
 its cost somewhat lessened. 
 
 The following table shows head of pressure on the pipe, 
 as now located : 
 
 Length. 
 300 feet, 
 7,000 “ 
 23,090 “ 
 15,100 “ 
 8,950 “ 
 3,600 “ 
 6,100 “ 
 3,350 “ 
 1,900 “ 
 750 “ 
 
 Head of pressure. 
 
 0 . 
 
 0 to 10 feet. 
 
 10 to 20 “ 
 
 20 to 30 “ 
 
 30 to 40 “ 
 
 40 to 50 “ 
 
 50 to 60 “ 
 
 60 to 70 “ 
 
 70 to 80 “ 
 
 80 to 90 “ 
 
Wooden Pipe 
 
 laid by 
 
 the Denver Water Company! 
 
 in 1335. 
 
 Tte DenvEr Lith.Ca. 
 
— 14 — 
 
 I have recommended the use of 5,630 feet of 30 inch, and the 
 remainder, 70,140 feet, of 24 inch pipe to be made of California 
 red wood stayes, built continuously in the trench and banded with 
 round steel bands. This recommendation has been made for the 
 following reasons: 
 
 First —After thoroughly investigating the history of wooden 
 pipe as laid for seven years past in Colorado, and after examining 
 a number of lines in use, I have come to the conclusion, that if 
 the bands are properly coated and the pipe kept full of water it is 
 practically indestructible, and certainly has a longer life than 
 sheet iron or steel riveted pipe. 
 
 Second —The interest on the difference in cost between wood 
 and cast iron pipe of the same capacity will replace the wood pipe 
 every ten years, which I think is but a fraction of the life of wood 
 pipe, and therefore it would'be a prodigal waste of money to put 
 the amount of capital necessary to lay cast iron mains into the 
 enterprise. 
 
 Third —The wood pipe is cleaner, does not become foul, does 
 not rust, does not fill with tubercles that diminish the capacity 
 year by year, has no yarn to rot and contaminate the water, will 
 not break by settlement, will not burst so readily under water 
 hammer, and so long as it lasts is in every respect cleaner and 
 more desirable. 
 
 It has been made to stand 180 feet head, without leaking, or 
 double the maximum pressure on your pipe. California redwood 
 is so much better adapted to that purpose than any other wood 
 available, that I recommend that material. 
 
 The capacity of the conduit, I estimate at 11,000,000 gallons 
 dailv. 
 
 THE DISTRIBUTING RESERVOIR, 
 has been located on blocks 50 and 71, North Pueblo Heights, 
 19,000 feet distant from the Arkansas river. The ground selected 
 is of sufficient area to construct two additional reservoirs of the 
 same capacity as the one estimated upon, which is to hold 7,000,- 
 000 gallons, although it would be advisable to secure high ground 
 in another part of the city for a second reservoir, when the first 
 one shall have become insufficient. The function of these res¬ 
 ervoirs is to equalize the flow of the main, to relieve the pressure 
 on the conduit, which direct connection with the distributing 
 mains would involve, and to hold a reserve supply with- 
 
— 16 — 
 
 in the city limits for emergencies. The rate of consumption 
 varies throughout the day. At night it may be but 10 per cent, 
 of the average, and during certain hours of the day it may be two 
 or three times the average. The reservoirs serve to preserve the 
 equilibrium, and cannot be too large within reasonable limits. 
 
 It is contemplated to excavate the reservoir with side slopes 
 of 1 to 1, building up the excavated earth into an embankment 3 
 feet higher than the high water line, and paving the slopes with 
 rock or slag, covered with asphaltum 1 inch thick. The depth of 
 water will be 20 feet. The whole reservoir will be covered with 
 a corrugated iron roof, resting on wooden girders, and supported 
 by creosoted wooden posts. This roof will effectually exclude the 
 light and prevent the growth of algea in the water. 
 
 The pipe to connect the reservoir with the city main on Tenth 
 Street will be 19,000 feet in length, and have a maximum pressure 
 of 113 lbs., static head, per square inch. The estimate has been 
 made for the use of heavy sheet riveted pipe for this line, to be 
 coated with the latest improved asphalt pipe dip. 
 
 I have been unable to learn the present consumption in 
 Pueblo, but I judge it to be little short of 4,500,000 gallons daily. 
 With a conduit having a capacity of 11,000,000 gallons leading 
 to the city, the generosity of the provision for future growth 
 cannot be questioned. I should not deem it wise, however, to 
 reduce the- capacity of the conduit below 11,000,000 gallons. 
 
 The only other sources of clear watter supply, which are at 
 all available for the city and which can be looked upon as possi¬ 
 ble future rivals, are the St. Charles river and Hardscrabble 
 creek on the south, and Beaver creek emptying into the Arkan¬ 
 sas some twenty-five miles west of Pueblo. They are all a great 
 distance away over a rough country, to the points in each of the 
 streams, where a satisfactory supply could be diverted, and if my 
 recollection of them serves me, they would all involve the neces¬ 
 sity of great storage reservoirs to impound the surplus flood flow 
 not appropriated for irrigation. It does not seem to me, that any 
 of these sources are to be feared as future rivals. On the con¬ 
 trary, it would appear, that the sole hope of a clear, pure gravity 
 water supply for Pueblo rests on the construction of your works. 
 
 Faithfully yours, 
 
 JAS. D. SCHUYLER, 
 
 Consulting Engineer. 
 
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