The Arizona sentinel., 1890-03-15
A TIMELY LETTER.
DISCUSSION ENyRTEES.
something OF Interest 40 Erri.
gatEORists.

Nothing succeeds like success In
order to be a success, it can only be so,
when attended by properly laid plans,
and a careful and palnstaking execu-
ton of those plans il detail; as we'll as
IN general carrying out of those
plans When the great Erie canal
from Lake Erie to Albany n. Y. was
being projected and carried into ex-
ecution, every detail was carefully
looked after to make it permanent
work. The many years of that water
way as a success, and a means of the
annual transportation of vast amounts
of freight from the Lakes to the sea
board has been and is monument of
honor to those who looked after the
details o. that great work, but its
founders have since passed away. 1t
succeeded, and therefore was a success.
But il the work had been a temporized
affair at start, it would have always
been a temporary affair, and also in
the effect. The lessons Of the days,
which the ella river is trying to i'm
press upon men, for whose benefit it
exists, is that, first eminent right of
domain, that belongs to any water
course, particularly SO, the ella river
Flowing for ages through an arid re
gion the mountains from base to sum-
NIT are destitute of the Semblance of
vegetation. The valleys of the re
gions made up of the gradual decay of
rock once passed through molten fire,
yearly, and rapid decay of rich
vegetation in the ever growing,
and up the valleys, during COUNTLESS
cycles of times. 1t is no wonder that
the valley of the ella and its tributa-
ries from living, moving, active mass
Of earth, rich beyond comparison; dead
when dry, and living, when sufficiently
wet. Such a soil must have proper
guards to build bulwarks against wa
ter; it is evident that some other
Sgency must come to the rescue, than
the mere soil that is fine dust when
dry, and as ready to travel off with
water, as politician is to take fat
Office and serve the dear public. One
of the main difficulties in constructing
a canal through the ella valley, is il
crossing the low places where slough
or sink has been formed at some time
in the past. The difficulty is not really
in the crossing itself, but in not max
ing the filling secure against the wate
moving in the slough during a freshet
Had the crossings in the South Gilt
Canal been secure against the pressur
at the crossings of the sloughs, prac
tically, no damage from the late higl
water would have occurred to it.
When only as much bank is formed
across a sink, as is made to form 6
bank along the general surface, it i
evident the bank must 90, and tn
pent up waters pass through, and one
in the canal bed, have their own way
out. A crib of wood and brush ant
soil; or wood and stone and soil would
act as a proper carrier against waite
moving through the upper side of {
slough and stop its flow; and in it
backing up, if it rise to the surface o
the main land Ia thing Unusually would
simply spread the excess out upon tn
land. In other words; each slougI
that is crossed should have embank
ments of other than mere dirt. to pro
tect the canal. This is not in the con
tract of those who do the work gen
orally, perhaps hence no blame at
taches to them. 1t is the fault of th
details left out, in order to get started
quickly on the road to fortune, only tt
get left In some slough. Again, ano
ther fault is the insufficiency, of the
amount of earth forming the embank-
ment. When in some soils, one feet
to two feet will do for a slope of cana
banks, the soil OF the South ella valley
ought not 10 b. less than one in three
feet or more; especially i'll the absence
of coarse sand or ground to help sup.
port the banks. 1t is claimed that
the water of the ella is different from
any other, and more difficult to MAJ
age it. Thi, is not good reasoning,