Messrs. Stocker and Walker engaged the late E. Sherman Gould, M. Am. Soc. C. E., to prepare a plan for a storage dam in the Santa Catarina Cañon, and submitted plans for water distribution and sewers
in the city, slightly modifying the original plans of Messrs. Mackin and Dillon.
In the fall of 1905, the concession was acquired by Messrs. Mackenzie, Mann & Co., of Toronto, Canada, together with all plans, etc., presented by the original concessionaires. The new concessionaires stated that they would examine the whole situation again, for the purpose of presenting modified plans for works.
Mr. Schuyler, in the interest of the new owners, had paid one flying visit to Monterrey when Mr. Gray's projects were brought to his notice, and the writer had an opportunity to show him the tunnel which had been started. Mr. Schuyler left for Brazil and did not return until February, 1906, when he was accompanied by the Chief Engineer appointed by the concessionaires. Messrs. Schuyler and Binckley then prepared plans for the water distribution and sewer systems in the city and for a provisional water supply to be pumped at San Geronimo, some two miles up the river. The new plans for the city work followed closely the general disposition by Mr. Gray, the principal difference being that the main reservoirs for the permanent water supply were located to the south instead of to the west. This change was due to the results of an investigation, made during Mr. Schuyler's absence in Brazil, by Mr. F. S. Hyde, late Hydraulic Engineer of the Necaxa Water Power plant, who, accompanied by the writer, visited the whole water-shed of the Santa Catarina River in October, 1905, in search of suitable dam sites and prospects of power development. Mr. Hyde extended his studies to the Santiago Cañon, southeast of the city, recommending finally that the water be brought from that cañon, and that wells be dug in different points of the Santa Catarina River between San Geronimo and the entrance of the cañon, and tested by pumping, for the purpose of establishing levels and ascertaining the available amount of underflow, with a view of determining the location for an infiltration gallery high enough up the river to permit of a gravity delivery and under good pressure in the city.
In view of Mr. Hyde's report, and as the result of a visit to the Santiago Cañon, Mr. Schuyler decided to locate the reservoirs south of the town, intending to bring in water from the southeast, from springs in the Santiago Cañon, and also by infiltration from Santa Catarina, his and Mr. Binckley's scheme of water supply being for the same pressure throughout the city.
To supply water during construction, and partly meet the demands of the city, Mr. Binckley, on his arrival, decided to establish a provisional pumping station at the well in the river nearest to town, started by direction of Mr. Hyde at San Geronimo. This well was situated within the bed of inundation of high floods, on a low bank, at the foot of a conglomerate bluff some 20 ft. high, limiting a flat which was above the reach of any flood. It was on the same side of the river
as the city, and there was plenty of good ground on the flat above for the establishment of a reservoir.
A slightly shorter pipe line was secured by crossing the river, building the reservoir (a substantial concrete-lined and vaulted-over structure) on the opposite bank, laying out the pipe line to follow that bank nearly to the city, and finally crossing back again; but the result has been that since the flood of August, 1909, in which the river crossings were destroyed, the reservoir remains isolated on the other side of the river from town, though intended to form part of the permanent works and act as a compensating reservoir for equalizing the pressure of the high-pressure system. Fortunately, the pumping station, the larger pumps, and the boilers, had been moved up the bank (after a rapid rise in the river on August 10th, 1909) to the new wells established by Mr. Conway on the line of the proposed prolongation of the infiltration gallery. The reservoir, however, is left to stand alone on the other side of the river, and its usefulness will not be restored until a new line is laid across the river, re-establishing its connection with the new pump line and the new and permanent pipe line to be laid along the north bank from the pumping station to the city. This will free Monterrey from the constant menace of a water famine. At present its two main water supplies may be cut off by unexpected floods like those of 1909 and 1910, as both supplies are carried across the river, and though only the cast-iron pipe connecting with the water supply from Estanzuela was carried away by the flood, the concrete conduit of the San Geronimo low-pressure supply was seriously threatened. Such risks are too great to be carried for any length of time; besides, a succession of dry years would cause such a reduction in the Estanzuela supply as to require an additional reserve in the way of pumping stations drawing on the under-flow of the river, such as already exists in San Geronimo.
Afterward, Messrs. Schuyler and Binckley submitted preliminary plans and profiles for the projected concrete gravity conduit from Estanzuela to the reservoir south of the city, and Mr. Binckley submitted excavation plans for two reservoirs, only one of which was built, and from designs by Mr. Conway.
Stephen E. Kieffer, M. Am. Soc. C. E., was intrusted by Mr. Binckley with the revision of the plans of the water distribution and sewers. The southern half was approved by the Government and executed according to his plans; the northern part was afterward revised by Mr. Conway and has been partly built.