The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-13
0 WATER THE ARID LAND
What tho Eiffel Tower Has Done in
the Way Of Moisture for
Paris.
| Striking Suggestion to tho Salt
Lake Congress Nmbodylng
q Novel Idea.

ii ~ l
thirty Appointments by the Governor for
tho Irrigation Congress
at Salt a 4
PARIS. Sept. BIN . recent storm terrible DAM
kge to ths market gardens and vineyards in the
of this city was caused. At Stains =
&armor and laborar were killed by a thunderbolt.
kt CLAIMANT q peasant and his wife we're killed.
fcientists assort that the kiffel tower caus,s the
Electrical disturbances and the climate here has
kesn much worse since tho tower WAS built.
A gentlemen in Helena who has devoted
|t%onsiasrable time to the subject OF irriga-
E.ion has a suggestion to make to the irriga-
Mon congress. He says: 1T has been re-
Ep.stsdly mentioned that since the construc-
hion of the Eiffel tower ut Paris, in France.
H. very marked change in the climate OF the
E~country immediately contiguous has been
brought about. Rains occur at seasons OF
Gths year that formerly were wholly devoid
Hof showers. Electrical disturbances are
now Of such frequent occurrence ~ to give
strong color to the theory that the presence
Of that great work of mans skill and in
~gsnuity has produced-what was thought to
lie without the pale Of possibility-a change
of climate 40 permanent az 1t 10 remarkable.
Tae sttsntion Of the irrigation congress IL
invited to the proposition to change the
arid belt of the Rocky mountains from q
rainless country to one in which the rain
fall shall be as seasonable, a. frequent and
as copious a. it is in the middle or western
l.A.~ I - A6nro hn ArAoknd al nnintO tn
be selected by duly authorized agents Of
the agricultural department, = number OF
iron or steel towers of such construction
and height az the sxigency Of the case may
demand. Let these towers bs distributed
over the present arid belt in such manner
and at such points al in the judgment OF
our metsorologists may best subserve the
purpose. BY producing rain in season
costly reservoirs would be obviatsd, as we'll
rs the menace TO life and property which
they would constantly hold out.
Moreover, the country dependent upon
b. ut the mercy Of light or heavy snowfslls,
as the rain would descend at seasons when
it would be needed, and thus another ele-
rasnt of uncertainty would be eliminated
from human calculations, which at best
i. foil OF the seeming fateful and maleh-
cent.
1--WE arc ON the evs of the assembling Of
the irrigation congress which Is called to
assemble in the city of Saints on Tuesday
of next week for the purpose of devising
ways and means to reclaim for the aRri-
oulturist and stookman that portion Of the
psblie domain known al the arid belt the
Tpsidum of what was laid of upon our
school maps in years gone by AZ the Great
American Desert. vast in extent, but which
the carvers of states reduced until there Is
but a small modicum left of the once great
desert that can t~ittinely be classsd az such.
OF fifty years ago has been carved into
states, some Of which, like Kansas and Ne
bsasks, yield cereal and vegetable crops
equal to like crops produced by the other
western states, and that. too, with little or
no irrigation. But there is a region,
Of the Rocky mountains. whore the rainfall
is insufficient even in favorable seasons,
and generally too uncertain to render the
cultivation of the soil profitable. 1t 10 with
the view of rsclaiming this arid mo
tain belt of ~land-which otherwise contains
all the slementa of fsrtility-that surveys
have recently been made preliminary to the
location and construction OF reservoirs for
the storage of water that would, if left to
itself, float off seaward. Long and per-
sistent agitation Of this matter has caused
it to be taken cognizance of by the govern
gnent and the country at large, the outcome
of which il the irrigation congress, which
meets during the coming week.
1t behooves the people of Montana. Wyo-
ming and other states and territories lying
wholly or partly within the arid belt to
interest themselves in the 'proceedinRs' of
the congress, and see to it that the method
to be adopted, after the subject shall have
been fully, freely and fairly oanvassed by
the delegations, shall be the most practical
IA we'll As the most economical thas can be
--..- 1919 Al -1A
of irrigation that shall reclaim that vast
stretch of land lying along the eastern flank
of the Rocky mountains, which 10 at pres
emit little better than a desert waste, and
establish over it such conditions that shall
render it fruitful and productive (with
prsvids homes and employment
fo- hundreds Of thousands Of thrifty citi-
Ems end add many millions to the taxable
wealth of tho country. 1t il, therefore, OF
paramount importance that the approach
ing onares adopt whichever method OF
OF economy, safety and certainty. II rain
making by machinery shall Seem to possess
advantae 81 over any system of water at0r-
are, then such method should be adopted,
whether it ia that of Melbourne or any dis
eovsrer or inventor, for the very obvious
it5 OF crother Johnstown disaster, with its
appalling loss of life and property. But il,
in this age of invention, discovery and sx-
pertinent it shall be found that there ia an
other way-a tertium~ quid-that shall bs at
once more feasible, more efficient in opera
tiou. more certain in its results, and withsl
more economical a. we'll as devoid of the
elements Of danger which bsset the other
S, Ysoms mentioned, then such systems OF
methods will undoubtedly be adopted with
out a dissenting voice."
The list of thirty delegates to the Irriaa-
tion congress At Salt Lake heretofore made
out by Gov. Toole has been changed. When
the appointments wore first made each
county was given representation, but SONS
of the gentlemen have found it inoonvsnient
to attend the congress at this time. Gov.
Toole has made changes accordingly and
no doubt there will be a large delegation
from Montana. Notices of appointment
were sent out yesterday from the executive
oifica to tho following delegates: Martin
Maginnis, Samuel Word, L. ID. Weed, w.
A. Clark, Stephen DeWolfs. Lee Mantle,
Thomas Marshall, Frank Woody. Il. l.,
Greenough, w. M. Thornton. Frank Brown,
II. M. Whitehill, B. +. White, Thomaf
Dearyman. Thomas Joyes,. Will Kennedy,
A. G. Eotkin, Geo. j. Allen,O. II. Middleton,
Fl. j. Haskell. r. E. Collins, Ernest
C%rutcher. G. Nj. Webster, William Sutn-
erlin, O. r.. Goddard, II. O. Hickman, P. H.
Leslie, 3. Plats Carpenter. q. p. Chisholm
Henry Filing.