Omaha daily bee., 1891-03-28
COL. HINTON TELLS His PLAN.
How the Artesian Inquiry Will Be Carried
on Next Summer.
INTERESTS THE ENTIRE NORTHWEST 7
Hunting the Waters of the Missouri
Lost i'm the Earth and Bringing
it TO the surface for
Irrigation.

Colonel Richard j. Hinton of Washington
and Prof Robert Hay of Kansas we're guests
at the Paxton yesterday, where they were
found by a representative Of THE BEE.
In answer to questions concerning the
scope of the work in which they are engaged,
and tho extent of their preparation for the
summer campaign, Colonel Hinton said:
II am in charge of the special irrigation in
quiry now under way and came
here to confer with the field staff engaged
In the artesian Investigation The public will
recall that, under the demand of the Dakota
senator's at the first session of the last con-
gress, ana after discussion with Major
Powell Of the geological survey, congress
appropriated s20,0 for an inquiry into the
artesian basin with view to its use for irri-
CATION. Under that provision field work was
TO begin April 30 and be concluded July |,
1890. The work was accomplished
under the supervision Of Colonel Il. s.
Nettleton as chief engineer and Prof.
Robert Hay as chief geologist. Twas given
charge Of the matter at the Washington Of
flee and received the reports from the field
Quite large report was made, of which so
competent an authority as the Engineer
ing News said; 1T is the best report and
in fact, the only one made by this or any
other government on the subject
Toward the close of the session Of con-
gress ontinuation of the work was de-
cided upon and $4,000 appropriated
for the purpose The same adverse influences
which limited the time of the first inquiry
added another limit to the second and stipu.
lated that 1t should be finished by July |,
1891. The scope of the inquiry was consider
ably extended, however, and included an in
vestigation of the underfiow, or earth waters
held in the porous strata within convenient
distance of the surface. 1t also provided for
a general inquiry into the cultivation
Of the soil by irrigation. Messrs.
Nettleton and Hay were reappointed as
| field chiefs and / was again given charge OF
the work In the office, under the supervision
Of Mr. Willetts, assistant secretary Of agri-
| culture. In the closin e hours OF the session
| congress extended the time of the inquiry to
| January /, 1892, and also added an appropria
| tion of $40, 900 for the general irrigation IN
| quiry. This is available for the fiscal year
| beginning June |, and is the first of an
| annual appropriation for this purpose.
During my present trip 1 have visited
| Dakota and Nebraska first with viewto full
| filing engagements to address agricultural
| colleges, and next to confer with MesSrs.
| Nettleton and Hay as to future work. have
| held two days. session at Lincoln with
| these gentlemen and Profs. Hicks of the Ne
| 5ras ka university and Culver of the South
| Dakota university. We decided that the
| larger portion Of the time available for the
| inquiry could be most proftably expended In
| Nebraska, the Dakotas and eastern Mon
| tana During the winter the field force has
|
"In the north west-that is, In Nebraska
and states to the north ofit-there are sever
| al very interesting problems to be solved
| Without aiming at deliberate conclusion, the
| officers of the inquiry are led to believe that
| the principal work will be to discover and re-
| store the water lost by seepage-by the ab.
| sorptiOn of the rainfall by the soil. This
| branch Of the inquiry involves study OF hy-
biography less than one of topography. The
| mountains Divide the rainfall and the
l o~,I H.. Tn Nnhp lya Uot.Nf Tsplys
| will make special study of local features
In Dakota the first effort will be to locate the
western line of Dakota sandstone This
work will be principally by Prof. Culver.
| Examination will also be made to determine
| the eastern rim of this formation and thus To-
| cate the boundaries of the water plain
| There will also be an examination to deter
mine the character and value of the Red
river basin, of which Prof. Hay will have
kcharge Colonel Nettleton will make q
| survey of the James river and Devils lake
similar to those made in the valleys Of the
| North Platte and Arkansas rivers for the
purpose of finding the water level from
| which the artesian flow is derived. Nettle-
| ton, with Hay, will also have special charge
of the drainage region in North Dakota trib-
| utary TO the Turtle mountains, of which
| DEVILS lake is the central outlet. Colonel
| Nettleton will also make a personal recon
noissance through North Dakota with view
| to ascertaining what system of surface irri,
| CATION is feasible In connection with
| the Missouri. Eastern Montana will come in
| for a considerable share of attention.
1T is believed that in the valleys of the
Yellowstone and Milk underground water
| and some artesian flow will be found. But
the larger portion of that region will proba-
| bly, be reclaimed by surface water and stor-
age reservoirs. The report on this subject
will be as full as time will permit.
"a special inquiry will also be made
at Great Falls Mont, with view
to ascertaining the correctness OF
statements concerning the disappear
ance of largo part of the flow Of
| the Missouri above the falls. The HAYDEN
| expedition measured the flow and found il
more above than below the falls. The Da-
kota sandstone crops up In great abundance
| there. If these statements are confirmed II
will have great effect in deciding the extent
and permanence Of the artesian basin Of
Dakota, because If the western line follows
the foothills, then the precipitation is alb
sorbed by the porous stratum and supplies
the Dakota basin.
''How enormous this basin OF earth waters
may be can be graphically Illustrated by g
statement of this character: Lieutenant
Morey, a good authority, estimates the entire
precipitation of the whole Mississippi basin
at go bic miles per annum. The outflow
at the gulf is 107 cubic miles. Tho evapora
tion does not exceed 80 per cent. OF
estimated that the Missouri rivel
above Omaha receives 800 cubic miles. But
l5 per cent as far as the river Is concerned
flows out at its junction with the Mississippi
1t is mod crate to say that 55 per cent Is los
in the earth. Our aim is to locate these
earth waters.
'.Colonel Nettleton will mako plans for al
least two experiment stations, at Aberdeen
aud Huron, S. ID. The department
has been offered free wells anC
lands for the purpose, and cti
zens will pay for the construction
The department will merely furnish it's OK
perlence and skill The idea is to make
model irrigated farm. We have been asked
TO make similar arrangements in Nebraska
We should be delighted to experiment with
the under1ow in some OF your streams.
81 will give it as my personal opinion
which must not be mistaken for an officia
utterance, that we shall ultimately demon
strate that the average farmer on the grea
plains will find water enough OF
every 100 acre tract to irrigate iron
twenty five to forty acres and thus secur
himself against loss by drouth or hot winds
He will find water easily accessible right be
meath his feet and capable of distribution b,
simple means. Then will come the day O
small and prosperous farms II this hope i
not realized we shall at least accomplish re
suits that will be vastly beneficial. We ar
trying to bridge over the gap between tn
surface water and the LANDS that cannot b
irrigated by that system"
Professor Hay said the work done durn,
the winter In western Nebraska and X ansa
| and eastern Colorado, by the engineers an,