of only 1723 ft. per day. The cost of the 11-in. pipe is covered by 7
cents per ft. The pipe was laid by a single gang as fast as it was
received from the factory.

The reduction from 7 to 3-1/2 in. at Mile 230 (Plate V) is on account of
delivering water to the Santa Fé's new transcontinental low-grade line
which crosses the El Paso and Southwestern Railway at Vaughn, and has a
division point there. On its adjacent divisions, the Santa Fé had the
same trouble with local waters which compelled the El Paso and
Southwestern to find a better supply. The Bonito water is conducted to
and used at points 160 miles from its origin on Bonito Creek.




DISCUSSION


G.E.P. SMITH, ASSOC. M. AM. SOC. C.E. (by letter).--The author has done
great service to the West in demonstrating the practicability of
transporting small water supplies to great distances.

Close association with the desert is required to appreciate fully its
waterless condition. For most of the year there are no living waters on
the surface. As a rule, ground-waters are concentrated beneath very
limited areas of valley land. The great masses of valley fill in some
places are underdrained to great depths and in other places are so
compacted and cemented as to be impervious. Wells sometimes are driven
from 1,000 to 2,000 ft., without securing any supply at all. Moreover,
desert ground-waters are often exceedingly hard or alkaline, and,