Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-28

and eruptive deposits. Along the sur
face of these older formations are found
channels concentrating and leading
under ground 10 the ocean the accumu-
lated waters of the rainshed; the tunnel
taps these high up and by gravity de-
livers it on to the upper table lands.
The most noted of these developments
includes those in the Precipio cafion;
this property, of comparatively small
value, has been made quite a source OF
wealth by the intelligent and carefully
thought out scheme of the skilled ex-
pert.
A similar class of developments are
being carried out north of Pasadena, in
the San Gabriel cafion and at other
points. The cost of those tunnels runs
from SIS per lineal foot to 500 per lineal
foot, in accordance with the nature Of
the material and the trouble caused by
water. In dimensions they are usually
made eighteen square feet.
Third. OF the third and last class, viz:
storage, it is in its infancy, but prom
ises to obtain great prominence in the
immediate future. OF what has been
done and is being done the author
notes the Pacoima submerged dam in
the upper San Fernando valley.
The dam is sunk in the loose gravel to
a depth of fifty feet in the center and is,
the writer understands, about eighteen
inches or two feet thick throughout,
built of waterworn boulders laid in
cement. When closed at the center it
was expected the water would rise
fifty feet.
Next in order comes the Bear valley
reservoir back of San Bernardino. This
fine lake is formed by masonry dam
"a feet high, 3.17 feet on top, 8.42 feet
wide at depth of AZ feet, and 20 feet
wide at GA feet. 1t is curvelinear in
form. The radius of curvature is 800
teet and it is due to its resistance as an
arch that it stands, as it cannot resist
the pressure by its weight. This form
of construction is said to have been de-
cided on owing to the great difficulties
presented to the portage of materials.
In the San Jacinto mountains the
Lake Hemet company are at work max
ing a storage lake of three billion gal
Ions capacity, and in the southerly end
of San Diego county is the Sweetwater
reservoir of six billion gallons. The
dam is of masonry; total height 80 feet;
top width IL feet; base 46 feet. This
reservoir has until quite recently been
held down by litigation so that its ben
efcial effect on the country has been
laid dormant; but by arrangement the
matter is compromised, and the reser-
vor filled to its full capacity, and its
benign effect will soon be felt. The i'm
mense value of storage in this country
is best exemplifed by the success of the
Bear Valley Reservoir company, which
has brought under the plough the large
plains of Redlands, Alessandro and Per-
ris, and changed land whose nominal
value was about five dollars per acre to
the grade of citrus fruit land at prices
ranging from 500 to $500 per acre.
A project is now in process of execu-
ton to make storage reservoir on the
northerly side of the San Bernardino
range and conduct it by tunnel to the
southerly side for use along the foot
hills. This, if the rainfall on the north
erly side is copious enough. promises to
be very profitable project; it is con-
trolled by Cincinnati capital.
The Lake Elsinore Reservoir company,
recently formed, has raised the very gen.
eral question of why the project OF util-
izing this vast sheet of water for irriga-
ton was not thought of before? AS far
as the writer can ascertain the only an
swer to that question is that it was gen.
orally supposed to lie too low, whereas
it's elevation above the ocean is 1880
feet. This gives an elevation of several
hundred feet over our extreme foothills
and renders it certain that natures rar-
est gift to this highly gifted land will be
at last utilized. The small cost required
to release the food-gates of this water
mine is one of it's salient points.
The point has been raised as to
whether the formation Of storage lakes
on the upper reaches OF our streams will
not affect their perennial flow. This
point was raised many years ago in
Europe, and notably in the case OF the
river Arno in Italy. A carefully con-
Quoted series of observations extending
over many years has demonstrated that,
not alone is that not the case, but the
perennial flow has been increased by
the action of the increased precipitation
induced by these artificial lakes and the
plains irrigated by them. In TACT,
it seems as if the more We
use natures gift of water the
more prodigal she becomes; notable
instance of this is the water sources Of
the Alhambra Addition Water company,
III Cne heWeu CdIlOIl III 1901 Illo uOW VI
this stream was 40 miners inches, and
now it gives forth 124 miners inches as
return for the sagacity displayed in
its development; and it seems to offer
as promising field for further effort as
it did seven years ago.
So little has as yet been done in the
development of irrigation by mechan-
ical power that it may be said it's day is
yet to dawn; but already the flush is in
its east, for only today Richard Garvey,
ESQ.,, told the writer that he proposed
to execute at a. very early date
long cherished scheme of mis-
to raise the waters of the
San Gabriel river onto the beautiful
foothills of the Potrero Grande and
storing it there to run it from thence on
to his mesas. Thus another large ram
cho will become transformed into num-
Der of homes.
That pumping will be largely resorted
to in the future there is no doubt, and
cheap fuel in the shape of oil is now
pushing to the front.
The best regulator of the digestive organs,
also best appetizer known, is Angostura Bit
ters, the genuine of DR.. J. G. B. Siegert g. Sons
Z prI1pp