Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-07
A MARCH DAY.
How Spent in Semi -Tropic
California.
THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY.
The Excursion to the Big PacOima
Retaining Dam on
Yesterday.


special train of SIX cars pulled out
from the Southern Pacific depot in
this city which contained nearly 200
people bound for the San Fernando
valley, for Pacoima and Judge Wild
ney's big retaining dam, which is to
furnish water to irrigate 1000 acres
of land and for two towns.
Getting across the river little bit,
the grade Of the Glendale Railroad
was seen paralleling the Southern
Pacific Line past the Three-mile house
and tn n heading across the San Ra-
fael ranch toward the mouth of the
Verduga caiion. Glendale appears in
the distance, very promising town
Of a good deal Of present develop
ment.
The next town is Tropica, which is
situated Immediately on the Southern
Pacific line, and already has a very
good start in its growth towards
being city. Then comes Burbank,
few miles further on. This place
has handsome hotel, a fine brick
block, a great many handsome
houses, a population fast approximate
ing 500, and all the signs Of promise
for a great future. Across the river
is the Los Feliz homestead, with the
Ostrich farm near by, to
which the Dummy road is
now operated. Just at the river
crossing, below the Los Feliz farm
house there is bridge being built
on which this road will cross. The
roadbed is nearly all graded as
straight as bee flies, to Burbank. A
large gang of graders is busy finish
ing the roadbed.
Further up is Pacoima, spick and
span new town, with fountains of
water running to waste in all the
streets. A fine hotel is nearly complete,
and there are half dozen new houses,
really fine residences, all complete
and occupied, indicate that a town is
sure to grow up at this point.
Then comes San Fernando, where
the train stopped and all allighted.
Judge Widney and Mr.. r. p.
Waite accompanied the people
to this city, and at San
Fernando, Senator Maclay met
The train with fully a hundred teams.
Getting seats as they might, the ex-
cursion then started in long process
sion to reach the mouth of the caflon
by big detour which led over a
greater portion Of the Maclay ranch
living between the railroad and the
mountains. San Fernando is growing
at a great pace. New buildings stand
on the mesa in all directions.
Several artesian wells were passed,
and also lot of big reservoirs. These
furnish an abundance of water to all
the ranches and houses ON the plain.
The Maclay Theological College, a
large and substantial brick building
towers up grandly in the center Of all.
THE DAM.
In due course of time, after be-
ing carried for many miles over
the country, which is all a
foot deep in lush and sweet
grasses, in springing crops of
grain, and in bright wild flowers, the
mouth of the cafion was reached.
Here all the party dispersed in small
companies to inspect the work. This
has all been described at length in the
HERALD, but for the benefit of those
who may not have read that account,
it may be we'll to state that at
point in the caflon where
the banks approach to within
600 feet the dam is built. At
the shoulders of the hills bedrock
was laid bare. All the distance be
tween a trench ranging from forty
seven to fifty-three feet deep was dug,
and in this was laid wall. The footing
of this is imbedded in the rock some
eight inches all along. 1t is built on
solid masonry, the best cement and
granite boulders, two feet three
inches wide, and SO as to rise some
three or four feet above the sur
face of the ground. Above the
dam pipes are laid which
lead the water into two wells
each eight feet in diameter
These serve as reservoirs. Pipes dip
to depth of twenty feet into these,
through which the water flows out
and onto the land below, reaching
Pacoima, some ten miles away. A
large stream of water flows at all
seasons below this bed of gravel. The
space above the dam is 1000
feet wide. Back to a distance
of nearly twice that amount in feet,
and dfty feet deep, the interstices
between the the gravel will be filled
with water, This will filter through
the clean granite gravel, enter the
wells, pass through the pipes, and
thus be distributed to the plain below.
That the retaining dam is serving
the purpose for which it was intended
is proved by the fact that the gravel
below the dam is free OF
water, while that above is like
a perfectly saturated sponge. The
stream below the gravel has been
cut off and forced to the surface,
where it must enter the pipes. The
cost of this great work has reached
$35 900.
Judge Widney explained all this to
the assembly. He said Los Angeles
streams run bottom up, that is,
below many feet of gravel, be-
cause the soil had not been
washed into the sea. The detritus
from the mountains, rich in fertiliz
ing properties, is washed into the
cafIons and onto the plains. In the
East the soil has all been washed in
to the seas. The whole country there
is on bedrock as we'll as the rivers.
Here the water flows below fifty or
one hundred or more feet Of fine soil,
and can be forced to the surface
by such retaining dams as this,
or brought up by artesian
wells. This is a great advantage in
our favor.
The Judge spoke glowingly of the
past progress Of the county. He told
of man to whom he attempted to
sell the Laguna ranch for So an acre,
but it was thought too high price.
Then he tried to sell it to the same