Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-27
HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING.

CATION Works. and made some COM
ments upon it. But we then had no
idea that the work when completed
would prove SO important and thorough
a textbook on the science of hydraulic
engineering as it turns out to be. We
yesterday received a copy of the COM
plete book, which is divided into two
volumes, and find that it is work of
extraordinary value, and embraces all
the exact knowledge we now have upon
the vast subject of which it treats. The
author is Mr.. p. J. Flynn, the deputy
city engineer of Los Angeles, who will
at once take his place as the compiler
of book which is the most complete
work on irrigation canals ever published
in any country at any time, and which
brings the whole subject matter down
to date.
We are assured by an engineer of
eminence that in no one branch of en-
gineering science has there been such
paucity of literature as in the matter of
irrigation knowledge, and therefore this
work, which covers the whole field, and
which gives illustrations Of all the great
irrigating canals in the world, comes at
very opportune time. Mr.. Flynn was
for many years connected with the en-
gineering corps of India, and was, before
he came to the United States, the execu-
tive engineer of the public works de-
partment of Punjaub. Hence he has
brought to his task an experience which
he's been Of great value TO him in pre-
pairing for the profession work that
will be accepted hereafter as standard
text book in all matters relating to hy-
drauic engineering.
Col. Charles L. Stevenson, president
OF the Utah Polytechnic society and
secretary of the American Association OF
Irrigation Engineers, has made care
full review of the work, and we cannot
better convey to our readers an idea of
its intrinsic merits than by copious
quotation from his estimate of the book.
He says:
While Mr.. Flynn has given complete
compendium of that which has been
heretofore known to the world, he has
also given us 30 much original matter OF
immediate value, that we insensibly
wonder at the enormous amount of time
and patience such a work must have
,entailed. Nor can we fail to appreciate
the amount of erudition evinced, as well
as the care shown in the manner of pre-
senting his matter, in sequence so
natural, that it is like a continuous
story.
One of the first things that appeals to
our judgment is it's general appearance.
Printed IN large, full type. on fine book
paper, with broad margins and carefully
paragraphed, it becomes one of those
books of reference that we all take a
pleasure in consulting, because we can
almost Immediately find the article and
information sought.
The illus srations, which add 80 largely
to the value of a scientific work, are
fully on par with the Typography.
Their great number, many of them full
page, shows how painstaking has been
this illustrative work, and thereby the
great engineering feats of irrigation of
the world are graphically presented to
us. While we thus have depicted these
works of engineering skill in their en-
dear to the engineers heart, detailed
plans and sections Of the most important
parts of these works, and full descrip-
tions and calculations which led up to
the proportions adopted by the different
skilled constructors thereof.
Starting off IN medias res in article / !.
Vol. /, he divides his canal work into
two great classes-those of irrigation
alone and those of irrigation and naviga-
ton. combined. With this seem
ingly abrupt beginning, we find.
however, on reading ahead, that
our author has nevertheless given
that same careful study to the
arrangement of his subjects, in sequence.
as he has to the subjects themselves.
Thus, by almost imperceptible stages.
we follow him through "System of Irri-
gation," and American Indian Irriga-
ton Canals Compared" to all sorts and
kinds of constructions, dams, reservoirs,
tunnels. water power pumping, et hoe
genus Onne, with seemingly every
known engineering method of procedure,
the relations of rainfall and forestry, ir-
rigation tables unequalled both as to
hydraulic and statistical matter by any
publication, believe, in the world.
Mr.. Flynn's long residence in India
and his connection with some of the
greatest modern irrigation works has
naturally led him to give us copious ex-
amples of East India engineering, but
equally SO has he given us other foreign
models and precedents, while the show
ing of American works is far greater
than ever given before in any one puoli-
cation. One noticeable feature all
through the book is that while compil-
ing from the best authors he has reli-
giously given US the names of the work
and the author from whom he has ac-
quired his information, so that those
wishing to go more into detail on any
one subject will know the sources from
which to procure it.
We feel justly proud that work of
SO great value is the production OF a
resident of Los Angeles. 1t will have
place in every library in America and
Europe, and no engineer. will be without
it. Whilst it will bring fame to its
author, it will be matter of great salts
faction to the people of Southern Cali
foInia, where stupendous advances have
been made in irrigation, to know that one
OF their number has furnished book of
reference which will be consulted
wherever hydraulic engineering is de-
veloping the industrial and productive
l. -