Arizona republican., 1893-08-19
A GREAT WORK.
The Big Wolfley Irriga-
ton System.
A Talk With General
Manager Mcmillan.
An Absolute Certainty of Water
at All Seasons of the Year.
Why the Country to Be Served WIN
Become One OF the Most Pros
porous Districts in the Valley.

General Manager Mcmillan, Of the
Wolney canal, was in town yesterday
and furnished a REPUBLICAN, reporter
with information concerning what lie
believed TO be the chief irrigation enter
prise in the territory.
1t possesses at least two desiderata,
which make it Of the highest value to
those whose lands are served by il, abb
solute security and absolute certainty
OF receiving water at all seasons of the
year.
The dam is without an equal in the
southwest, either in point OF size or
mechanical construction. 1t is con-
structed on the segment OF circle be-
tween two mountains 2,l00 feet apart.
There is a spill GOO feet in length next
TO the iron headgates on the south side,
embedded in solid masonry, in which
malapai stone is employed. Next to
the spill on the other side il stretch OF
OF stone embankment 800 feetln length,
which rises three feet above the crest
OF the spill. Next to this is stretch
900 feet OF embankment, which rises
ten feet higher. This I'm bankment,
constructed entirely oil stone, is twenty
five feet thick at the top and is as solid
as the mountain which TANKS il. Soon
after the embankment was finished
the water found g way under and &C.
casIoned considerable alarm, but the
stone settled upon bedrock, or at least,
hard pan, which is quite impervious.
At the time Mr.. Mcmillan took charge
of the canal the water was running be-
tween the stones in such volume that
ii threatened TO interfere with the ca
pacity OF the dam and there seemed to
be no remedy for this unfortunate de-
feet. He ordered vast quantities OF
stone OF smaller size to be thrown
against the upper side; on top OF this a
layer OF hay was spread which was COW
cred by layer OF earth.
At the time of the next lreshet this
matter was forced into the crevices or
interstices of the original embankment
which is now az tight as a drumhead
and all possibility Of leakage ia forever
removed. By this dam n reservoir six
miles in length, one in width and OF an
average depth OF % feet is formed.
This immense volume Of water adds TO
the security OF the dam If indeed any
further security were needed.
Floods come in the form OF crest Of
raging water. Six miles away from the
breast OF the dam this crest must en-
counter this immense lake OF placid
water which first checks and finally
diseipates it's impetuosity long before It
reaches the spill.
Without the headgates already de.
scribed the canal is protected against
structed OF huge iron bars so that moth
ing heavier than silt may pass into it.
The canal which is rs feet wide on
the bottom, capable Of carrying eight
feet of water or a volume OF 10000
miners inches, is dug along the side Of
the mountain. in many places the outer
bank Of the canal being constructed OF
rock and dirt excagated from the bed
OF the canal, At distance OF 1000
feet below the headgate is wasteway
taken out OF the bottom OF the canal
and by means of which silt may be al
lowed to escape without interfering
with the flow OF water in the canal.
This is a superficial description of the
mechanical features OF the great work
which unless one care to make trip to
the work can be best understood by a
study of dozen or more OF photo
graphic views taken by Mr.. F. A. Hart
well week ago and completed yester-
day. They present all the interesting
features of the reservoir faithfully and
Ira III ~ -
merit as studies Of high class Of me-
chanical engineering.
The main canal is thirty-eight miles
long, and will cover $4,000 acres OF
land. 1t has been broken in four
places by the recent floods, but these
breaks have been repaired. They were
due to the new character of the work,
but now having become settled, they
have been thoroughly tested and and
Mr.. Mcmillan, than whose opinion none
is more accurate, believes that with the
facilities at hand for providing against
It, a recurrence of these accidents is
impossible. The company Is now ready
for service, and many land owners
under the canal, are almost ready TO re-
ceiye water. Mr.. Mcmillan says that
within two weeks, irrigation will be-
gin.
A considerable area OF the land under
this system has been already taken, as
the advantage Of property contiguous
was quickly recognized. There is no
doubt that there is no richer land on
earth than those $4,000 acres. Nature
and man have Joined to make that
region a paradise. The soil is peculiar
ly adapted to growing citrus fruits,
which ripen from three to six weeks
earlier than the same varieties do in
the most favored district OF California.
The land is also conveniently situated
as to the railroad.
After the soil OF course, water is the
prime requirement, and that has been
madecertain. During the dry season OF
the year, the contents Of the big reser.
voir, are guarantee against q scarcity.
Through the longest dry spell ever
known in the valley, body OF water
six miles in length, one in width and
twenty feet in depth, is sufficient to
abundantly irrigate every foot Of soil