HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON EXPENDITURES IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UNDER HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 103 TO INVESTIGATE THE EXPENDITURES IN EXPENDITURES IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT. COMMITTEE ON EXPENDITURES IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., Friday, December 15, 1911. The committee met at 11 o'clock, a. m., Hon. Harvey Helm (chairman) presiding. STATEMENT OF BRIG. GEN. JAMES B. ALESHIRE, QUARTERMASTER GENERAL, UNITED STATES ARMY. (Gen. Aleshire was duly sworn by the chairman.) The CHAIRMAN. General, we have heretofore had some hearings touching the water supply of Fort D. A. Russell, Cheyenne, Wyo. You have prepared a history or abstract of that proposition, from its inception up to the present date? Gen. ALESHIRE. Yes, sir; from the records of the Quartermaster's Office. The CHAIRMAN. This is a copy [handing paper to witness]? Gen. ALESHIRE (after examining the paper). Yes, sir; I think that is a copy of it. The CHAIRMAN. Will you kindly insert it in the record. Gen. ALESHIRE. Yes, sir. (The report referred to is as follows:) REPORT EMBODYING THE HISTORY OF THE FORT D. A. RUSSELL (WYO.) Water SYSTEM; AND SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR BY THE HON. HARVEY HELM, CHAIRMAN HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EXPENDITURES IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT, DATED JULY 27, 1911. (1) Fort D. A. Russell was established July 31, 1867, the buildings being entirely of wood. (2) The records of this office are not clear as to the water supply at the very beginning. The water used, however, was obtained from Crow Creek, a branch of the South Platte River, and was hauled to the post by a six-mule team and delivered to troops and laundresses into barrels near their respective quarters. The water was -pumped into a wooden tank by a small pump in the sawmill, located near Crow Creek, and from there drawn off into the water wagons as required. The cost of this pump and the short line of pipe the records of this office do not show. It also appears that there were wells behind the officers' quarters and barracks but that they were not used because they ran dry in the summer and the other plan of supply was at all times more convenient. (3) In 1872, 1873, and 1874 attempt was made to obtain an artesian water supply; $14,360 was expended in this attempt but no artesian water was found. The well was sunk to about 1,420 feet, so that the method of hauling water in wagons was continued until 1885. (4) On the 2d day of December, 1884, an agreement was entered into with the city of Cheyenne by the commanding officer, Fort D. A. Russell, for furnishing certain waters to Fort D. A. Russell in consideration of allowing their pipe line to pass across the reservation. The correspondence shows that this water was to be used for irrigation purposes, and in the same year (1884) $8,002.57 was expended in installing one |
