Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1878-04-18
The Santa Ana Irrigating Ditch.

We clip the following descrip.
tlor of the irrigatiug ditch, now
being built by the Santa Ana
Water Company, from the letter of
"Corydon,' published in the Ana
helm Gazette OF April 18th:
The ditch is 10 miles long aud 10
feet wide on the bottom through
out its entire length. The grade is
As inches to the mile and the water
will have y velocity Of 81 feet per
second. 1t is intended that the
ditch shall convey to the plains
below 5000 inches of water, miners
measurement, filling it to a depth
of 3 feet, which is within inches
of its full capacity. Wherever a
wash from the hills comes in con-
tact with the ditch, u culvert has
been substantially constructed,
either of stone or indestructible
redwood. Altogether there are s
wooden culverts, stone culverts, 7
bridges, 2 sand gates and water
gates. The ditch has been made as
straight as possible. and in several
instances has been blasted through
solid rock. Some fthis rock was
so tenacious that it required %
pounds of powder at one blast to
force it asunder. The tunnels are
splendid pieces of workmanship,
and eXtort praises from all who IN
spect them. The short tunnel is II
feet in length, and the long one 607,
Il 4, ~ Q0O fnnf Of tt1nnali all
gether. The tunnels are heavily
timbered overhead with redwood
lumber, the walls are lined with
Pinch plauking and the bottom
covered with flooring an inch in
thickness. Across the bottom
stretchers are placed every feet,
and every precaution taken to in
sure durability. The whole cost of
these tunnels amounts to $500.
Between these two tunnels, a wash
comes down the hills, from which
the ditch is protected by stone
culvert so feet in length. The lower
end of the larger tunnel opens out
near the old reservoir belonging to
the former ditch company. Here
there is n tract of land consisting
of 81 acres, which the Santa Ana
Company have purchased and in
tend to sell for the sites of manu-
factories. And, indeed,,I know of
no place in all Southern California
so well adapted for manufacturing
purposes as this. From the enl of
the tunnel to the plains below is a
fall OF sc feet, and 5000 inches
of water, let down by means
of "drops," will afford q splendid
water power, capable Of running
six good sized manufactures. Work
was commenced OH the ditch OH
the 10Th of last October, since
which time $50 white men and
Cinnamon, and from fifty to sixty
horses and mules have been con-
tinually employed. AT the present
time there are about seventy-iive
white laborers and fifty Cinnamon
working for the company and about
go horses are being used. When
completed, the entire ditch includ-
ing the tunnels, will cost some
thing over $4,000, and be capable
of irrigating 10000 acres of land.
The company building this ditch
is known as the Santa Ana Valley
Irrigation Company. 1t is incor-
rated, and its affairs regulated by
a Board of Directors elected by the
stock holders, who generally are
farmers through whose lands the
ditch passes, or whose lands the
water carried in the ditch will irri-
gate. As consequence of this no
'jobs' have been put up, or shoddy
contracts effected, but the work has
been carefully planned and honest
ly executed. The Board Of Direct
ors consists of A. b. Clark, the
president, j. w. Anderson, the
secretary James Huntington, DR.. f.
f. Greenleaf, w. a. McClay, and
Nathan Fletcher. The officers IN
charge of the construction of the
ditch are G. G. Miller, chief engin-
eer, and G.. o. Newman, superin-
tendent, whose names | have al
ready had occasion to mention, J.
Slime, head foreman and A. j. San
ders, chief Carpenter. The stock
of the company is divided into 20,-
600 shares, the par value of which
is S. per share. 1t was the inten-
ton, at first, to throw this stock
on the market, but this was found
to be unnecessary, as those parties
who were most deeply interested
in the success of the ditch could
easily take all the stock them
selves. Each share of stock enti-
ties its holder to the privilege of
irrigating one acre of land. 1t is
expected that this stock will pay
dividends in the future. The ditch
will be completed about the first Of
May, at which time a barbecue and
dinner will be given by the direct
ors TO the friends of this enterprise,