Newhouse Tunnel Boilerhouse: Growth And Demise.

[Chris Walker]

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/4957/rv/singleitem

A third Boiler has been added to the left and coalbin extended.

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/67651/rec/21

And at some stage the 1st Stack has been decapitated, then removed.


Apparently there was trouble with keeping the Stacks at the same height.



http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/77714/rv/singleitem/rec/6

1908Sanborn note: now 2 stacks out of 3 boilers

http://libcudl.colorado.edu:8180/luna/servlet/UCBOULDERCB1~21~21


http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/38898/rv/singleitem

In the area before the Argo Mill was built there was a Woodyard served by a stub siding off the Newhouse passing siding, this being the second of 3 identical sidetrack arrangements inside Yard Limits before I.S. Town Business District proper.




http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/38917/rv/singleitem
Even this Stack was truncated.

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/36550/rv/singleitem/rec/4

[Chris Walker]

The results of a further look into this picture from the DPL,  the following are noted.
http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll21/id/4957/rv/singleitem
The coalbin siding appears to terminate in a pile of dirt.  Only one track is visible after that, that being of the Mainline to Denver here at this point.  As the Orebins have not yet been constructed(to the right) by the time of this photo, then it is plausible the siding was indeed extended afterwards.
 


OK What else do you see in that photo?

I see a Water Tank, one that is behind the Powerhouse.  


One that does not appear in the later views, any of them.  

Could this be the tank that was shifted/removed because of the obviously encroaching waste rock dump of the Newhouse tunnel?  Maybe that the "person" who described the shift/removal to Harry Brunk (or however Harry found this info) was mis-interpreted to be referring to the CC, C&S Railway Tank, not the Boilerhouse Water Tank?

I am certain that if that watertank was not moved then it indeed would be visible behind the (extended) building in this later view, one taken at a higher angle.


http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/77714/rv/singleitem/rec/6

[Derrell Poole]

You know there has been a certain amount of noise on this forum about staying on topic and the complexity of finding information on a subject. It sorta confounds me that this subject - Idaho Springs Mill Studies - is spread out all over the Discussion Forum in spite of that aforementioned noise. This should have been a series of Blog Articles, Chris, with discussions on the topic there. That would have made Keith very happy - and not made derrell look so irascible... (hint - derrell would be irascible anyway - its my hobby).  

[Rick Steele]

... and to add to the noise, There's this one from the USGS monograph on Gilpin, Boulder and Clear Creek County mining.

[Chris Walker]

Rick Delivers!

Finally a expansive picture showing very clearly that the Newhouse Tunnel, did indeed expend considerable amount of wasterock upon the Eastside, downstream of the Tunnel prior to the construction of the Argo Mill and not "uptown" further more lending credence to support my idea that the removal of the I.S. first W.T. was not due to Wastedump expansion but some other unknown reason.  Noted is the weathered coloration of the rock on the left of the tunnel compared to the fresh look on the right.  Quite obvious that they ceased dumping upstream.  Supported by demonstrating the dissappearance of the Boilerhouse W.T. at this time.

Derrell,  
I had dragged this Newhouse Tunnel out of the inter-related Idaho Springs W.T. discussion for that reason, that this would be a platform to show the changes for those wishing to model an earlier time period and not that of the latter Argo Mill, which I must say was done very well by Harry Brunk in the Gazette series.   That thread had become mired in indifference.  In various posts for quite a while I have alluded to clues in photographs that support but are waiting for the eventual fit of the missing piece.

As for the notion I have to prove my doubt of the written when those clues are in right front all the time beats me.

[Derrell Poole]

Chris, typically a blog article gets about 10 responses - even before the discussion forum. Therefore one might assess Blog Articles are more likely to stay on topic and that the collection of  information would be more organized if embodied into one or a series of such articles. Writing - being a writer - isn't a prerequisite either. More thorough discussion could be carried out on the DF but the pertinents of the subject would still be embodied in the Article(s). Your biggest issue then would be getting readers to go back and reference those article for the information they seek - but you are going to see that sort of neglect anyway. Which means it's their personal problem - not those of us who share the information in the first place. Besides. It keeps Roper off the streets on Saturday morning!

Hey, Keith pointed out a particular issue with organization and I'm pointing out that we who write CAN easily organize our information with the tools already at hand.

[Chris Walker]

Three earlier views of the Newhouse Tunnel.



from Idaho Springs Historical Soc.

 

from USGS.



http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/89931/rv/singleitem/rec/2

[Jeff Young]

Wow, that’s quite a change from how the site looked later….

[Chris Walker]

Yes Jeff, there was as far as I can make out, only one house falling victim to the encroaching wasterock dump.

[Chris Walker]

Another slightly later view after the addition of the second boiler and a good view of that Tank


from Idaho Springs Historical Soc.

[Chris Walker]

And a nice view of the Tramway used to put the Gilpin Tram out of work.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/hMEAAOSwNvxa7gti/s-l500.jpg

[Todd A Ferguson]

Chris, is it possible that the tank disappeared because of...
1 - water tank moved inside boiler house.
2 - water was being pumped from a cistern next to the creek.
3 - using Idaho Springs water supply...

Todd

[Chris Walker]

Todd,

I intended to come back to this and had hoped for more discussion on this subject, one that wasn't covered by Harry Brunk.  No supposition, fact nor comments were forthcoming so I let it lapse.... and life got in the way.

I can only offer the following:

The Watertank obviously disappeared from some views after the third smokestack came down.

DPL photo excerpt MCC-370


One would expect to see the Tank visible in that shot, even if the peaked roof had been removed, for whatever reason. The Steam plant is in operation on that day. Note: both stacks are at the same height.

Looking at the background details, such as the bank of Transformers yet to be installed, shows that view to be taken earlier than this next view, that does have a watertank visible.  It appears(to me at least), to have similar tub dimensions to the original tank shown in earlier views, is located in roughly the same position, and is of a height that I would have expected to see the decapitated tank visible in the earlier previous view.  The Steam plant is in operation on that day. Note: both stacks are now not at the same height.



DPL photo excerpt MCC-4879




I can only speculate on the reasons as to why.... one that comes to mind was the third Smokestack the culprit?  

As for your questions specifically, those answers lie in the Sanborn Fire Maps.

1900 Sanborn Idaho Springs.


and comparison with the next issue in 1908.
1908 Sanborn Idaho Springs.


The newer Powerhouse(Electric) has been built during the intervening years.
The Steam Plant is shown in reserve.
City Water is connected at least for firefighting purposes.

This photo shows the new Electric Powerplant building in the rear against the hillside.  
USGS 1917



Thanks for your interest in this subject. My apologies that I took so long to respond.