The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-09-30
THE PARLEY'S CANAL.
The New Irrigating Ditch
Nearly Completed.
THE OBSTACLES MET WITH
Hints as to Its Future-Tbe Route
TakeR - Length of the
Course, Cost, Etc.

The all-absorbing topic among prop
erty owners during the present dry
season has been water. What sewerage
is TO the business part of town where
irrigation is not question, water is to
the outlying blocks where everything
depends upon keeping alive the trees,
lawns and vegetation in general. The
water question, which few years ago
was confined to the howl of the thirsty
dry benchers, has this season assumed
the dignity of a general cry from the
whole city. II is not till city has been
scourged with an epidemic that the
populace is aroused to the necessity o
sewerage; aud likewise it is not until
season of drought, with whitening
leaves and baked lawns and flower beds
that we are brought to the full realiza-
ton that en- untailing supply OF water
is something that city OF the SIZE and
Importance of Salt Lake cannot afford
60 do without. AS the yellow fever
has resulted in perfect sanitary regula-
lions for many q southern city, so we
think has the drought of the present
year secured for this city g supply of
water such as will put an end to COM
plant for many years to come.
There are many who scott at The idea
of Parley's Creek being of any
practical benefit to the city
when so much water IS needed.
But let those who take this stand
realize what City Creek does, and think
what it will mean to double that sup
ply. We do not pretend to say that the
new canal, now being built, will answer
the wants Of the city for many years,
but neither do we believe that the
Mayor end others at the head of this
project intend that the city should be
satisfied with this. The question this
summer was to get water tor this year
and not for the next fifty, and, while
the effort has failed to a certain extent
on account of unforeseen obstacles, IN
that it will not be completed in time to
afford all the relief that it might have
afforded, it was undoubtedly the
BEST THING THAT COULD BE DONE
under the circumstances. But while, al
is said above, the Parley's canal car
not be expected to be permanent re-
lief it is doubtless the first step toward
great supply of water that will fore
stall the needs for many years. The
canal is well up on the foot nills-high
enough to supply the east and NORTH
benches-and the head is in such q
position that it can be fed by othe
canals from Mill Creek or Cottonwood
and unless all signs fail, one of these
streams will soon be plunging Its water!
into the insignificant little Parley'
Greek canal.
THE NEW CANAL,
from which so much has been expected
was intended to be the subject of thi
article, and with view to getting a
the points of interest in this work,
reporter of The HERALD yesterda,
called upon Engineer Fox, Watermaste
WiIcken ana Others posted on the mat
ter.
The arrangement made by the cit,
authorities with the owners of tn
Parley's Creek water rights, by which
tnelatter were to be given water from tn
Salt Lake 81 Jordan Valley Canal in ex
change for the supply from the above
named creek, will De too we'll RENE
bered by readers of THE HERALD to neet
any more than passing mention now
The options given the city to purchas
for SIS 900 and $1,000 respectively, ar
still running, but Will doubtless be take
up by the city in short time.
WITH THESE RIGHTS SECURE,
the city started to work, leaving sue
matters as the right of way, bar
ground, to-, to be disposed of as the
were encountered. That any man woul
object to having the canal pass tbroug
his premises seems impossible, but sue
Engineer Fox says was the case, an
the trouble encountered over the RICH
of way has been one of the greatest,
not the greatest obstacle that the builC
ers have encountered. Having sue
ceeded, however, in getting within te
or twelve blocks of the outlet, it Is pro
babe thai the worst trouble is past an
that all will now be comparative smoot
sailing.
Another great drawback to the rapi
progrt IS Of the work, has been III
character of the ground, in whic
all seem to have been very much de
ceived. There was hardly q point O
the line nut wnere, after the top dill
to the depth of a plow-furrough ma
been ta.el eff there was struc
a hard gravel cement, which
only less QiIueuG 10 zig Inroug
than solid rOck itself. rtel on th
ridge Just below the cid Pepper placI
the Workmen encountered big ledg
of solid rock, and this again delaye
the completion. The canal now, how
ever. is completed to a point 1 ear til
intersection of Ninth and X Streets
which, by the way, are "streets" only o
paper, as they are far above the inha
bited portion of the North Bench. TIL,
leaves about twelve small blocks to ru
across the bench to the edge of Cit
Creek Canyon, and the rapidity wit
which the remaining work will be don
depends entirely upon whether or nc
any serious difficulty is encountered i
securing the right of way. The groun
will be softer than that already cor
over, as the route takes the canal acros
the gravel beds of the bench. 1t ism
likely that any trouble will be met he]
in the way OF seepage as there is a GOO