Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-31
Southern Pacific Engineers
Refuse Information.
The Water Said to Be Still
Steadily Rising.
The Main Features of DR.. Wozen-
crafts Plan of Reclaim alton.
No News About the Flood to be Given
Out Except at San Francisco-The
Latest tInformation-Dr. Wo-
zencrafts Plan.

The Southern Pacific officials decline
to give any information as to the food
on the Colorado desert.
Assistant Engineer Swayne returned
on Wednesday night from Salton, where
be had made more complete investi.
cation than on his former trip, and yes.
terday afternoon he and Engineer Haw-
good were consulting together. A writer
for an eastern paper called on them to
get the latest information, but was told
that they were under orders not to give
ou: any more news. That application
for information would have to be made
to Assistant General Manager Curtis, at
San Francisco. No information at all
was derived from the engineers.
It was learned from other sources
however, that the water is still rising
though slowly. Several competent en-
gineers of this city think that the inflow
into the desert will be permanent, as
the Colorado will build dam across the
main channel at the place where the
furthest south break is in its banks. AT
this point it is natural to suppose that
there is an eddy into the main current
flowing out of the channel to the
west. The Colorado carries more soil in
its current than the Mississippi, and
enormous quantities of mud and sand
would naturally be constantly deposited
in the comparatively still water in the
eddy caused by the break.
Juan Morongo, hereditary chief of the
Cahuilla Indians, was in the city yester-
day and stated that the water was stead
lily but slowly rising. He said there was
no recollection among the Indians of
any similar food before nor any tradi-
ton.
The following article from the Orange
Belt, of Alessandro, regarding DR..
Wozencraft's plans will be found of
interest:
In 1858 DIR. O. M. Wozencraft, of San
Bernardino, undertook a grand enter
prise to turn the waters of the Colorado
river into and upon the lands lying to
the south of what is now becoming
known as Salton sea, for the purpose of
irrigating and reclaiming some 100000
acres of good land, or land that would
be good with plenty of water. Some of
this land was located below the sea level
and some of it was above tide water,
and the point where the water was to be
diverted from the Colorado river was
about 12O feet above sea level.
In 1859 DIR. Wozencraft secured a
cession of California's interest in these
lands, and instruction to the senators
and representatives from that state in
congress to support a grant of the title
of the United States.
Under instructions from the California
authorities. the surveyors of that section
of the state made survey and report
upon the project. Some points from
this paper will give correct idea of the
region now inundated in manner as
yet not definitely ascertained. The in
teresting element of the case is the fact
that sixteen hundred square miles may
become covered with water. If this re-
sults, it is insisted by all who know the
country that great changes must take
place in the surrounding arid region.
Following are extracts from the sur
veyor's report, made in 1850:
In compliance with your instructions
1 have made a reconnaissance and sur.
vey OF the Colorado desert, with view
of determining the practicability and
probable expense of introducing water
on the said desert from the Colorado
river, and the area of land which may
be thus irrigated.
The reconnaissance and survey en-
braced that portion of the desert lying
south of the range of mountains extend
ing from the San Bernardino mountains
to the Colorado river.
After having made a careful recon-
noissance of the country, was forcibly
impressed with the practicability of
taking water from the Colorado river
over a portion of it, inasmuch as there
is the unmistakable evidence of water
having flowed from the river in through
innumerable channels and finally con-
centrating into one of some magnitude,
by which the water is conducted far up
into the basin; water having passed
through this channel (from the Color
ado river) soon after our acquisition of
the country, it was called New river and
Old river.
The practicability being thus settled
10y the laws of nature, | sought to deter
mine on suitable point to tap the river,
and was fortunate in finding location
which possessed so many advantages
that was at no loss in making the Sc
lection. 1t was that point of rock ada
cent to Pilot Knob, and Immediately be-
low our boundary line with Mexico. The
secondary and recent alluvial formations
of the banks of the Colorado will not ad-
NIT of tapping the river without risk of
its channel and destruction of
the works necessary in regulating the
volume of water to be taken out. Hence
the necessity of taking advantage OF a
p0int Of primary and durable formation,
and so situated as to insure juncture
with the river at all times.
This point possesses all of these
requisites. There is ledge of rock ex-
tending into the river some fifty-five
feet, projecting out from an elevated
point of rock against which the river inn
pinQes, and in all probability will ever
to do so. This point being de-
termined on, it was made the base OF
survey, and proceeded to run line Of
levels down and adjacent to our boun-
darv line with Mexico, the result of
which showed mean fall, with an equi-
table gradient of four feet to the mile
through the entire extent OF country
proposed to be irrigated.
There is an elevated plain putting out
from the river at the point OF junction,
which continues on in southwesterly
direction for some forty miles. Itwould
be desirable to carry the level on and
over it. but inasmuch as there are heavy
sand drifts on it projecting out to the
edge Of this branch, 1t would be dlfflcult,
II not impossible, to carry water through
~ tlxv xUo vuiJ1 he comDelled to