Arizona weekly citizen., 1893-08-19
A NEW ERA BEGAN.
Successful Development Of Under
Flow Of the Santa Cruz.
The Canoa Canal Develops into
the Biggest kind Of Success
Oceans OF Water.

The Caroa canal enterprise is sue
cess beyond expectations. With the
ditch projected not half made they
have water in abundance for irrigation
purposes on & big scale.
Over year ago Messrs. Mash &
Driscoll decided to reach for the great
underground flow of the Santa Cruz
Their site was peculiarly favorable, they
having a great area of level fertile land
below the flow of the water. By drift
ing into the higher land two or three
miles they were confident that water
could be developed in great quantities
A we'll on the proposed line of the canal
always had water, and the bottom of that
well was above the level Of the mesa to
be irrigated. That we'll has since been
dug completely out in the course of the
canal, and was cut up into post holes.
The season being one of fearful
degrth. and preceded by two others not
much better. the condition Of cattle was
getting where something must be done.
The projectors needed the canal for
their stock for growing great
tracts of alfalfa, on which TO tide the
stock over the three dry months of each
year. The growing of alfalfa will be
only one of several features of profit
now intended by Messrs Maish &
Driscoll, though the chief one.
THE CANAL ONE GREAT RESERVOIR.
The canal is now mile and quarter
long. The intention w8s to carry it
back two or three miles, where the
bottom would be 100 feet below the
surface. This however the great flow
OF water has made unnecessary; indeed
it won d probably be impossible. The
ditch goes back to where 1t is twenty
two feet deep and $50 feet wide on the
top from bank ID bank.
Through this a stream bubbles forth
that is Gmszing. The flow is fast cur
rent three by seven fee t, which pours
forth on square mile of land there
making it, what was for centuries little
more than desert, almost a swamp. The
flow will irrigate many thousands Of
acres.
4 few hundred yards up the canal a
dam of heavy masonry will cross the
ditch. This will impound the big flow,
that it may be held and drawn off to
good advantage. 1t will back the water
the depth of twenty feet for mile,
TO a width OF about 100 feet. Ozro
Haskins lett for the canal this week TO
begin the dam. The stone for the
work is now on the ground.
At present eighteen teams are work
ing at the last hundred yards of canal.
The earth removed is a loose gravel,
requiring only scraDer work. The
teams go in TO their bellies IN water.
One man, who is naked, loads them.
The eXcavating Is done under the
supervision of Mr.. Andrews, and goes
Ike clock work. When the work is
completed the flow will be immense.
The cost of the canal has been much
less TO Maish Il Dfiscoll than it would
have been ordinarily. They had their
own teams, kept largely on their own
feed. Teamsters were hired by the
month. For this reason the estimated
outlay is not over 5000. For awhile
there the company was kept down with
their expenditures. However, the re-
suit of their investment Is a flow OF
water worth at least 100000.
WHAT THEY WILL DO WITH IT.
The success of the present enterprise
is the inception of a nsw and great era
IN agriculture in the valley Of the Santa
Cruz. Il has long bsen known that the
valley had great underground channel
and now it has been practically demon
stratef. About simultaneously with it
comes report OF velopment of a SINH |
lar flow in the valley below town, by the |
Allison brothers. TIE HART ranch |
pumps and the city pumping plants are
in the Santa Cruz va ley. Throughout |
its length is river a hundred times the |
bulk of the surface flow, which Will |
soon be drawn on more extensively.
The CanO4 canal l. nine miles from |
where the Santa Cruz canal heads, on |
which work was year ago suspend q. !
The complete success OF the Canoe |
project will encourage capital to do |
likewise elsewhere in the valley.
The intention of Messrs. Mash & |
DrlscUll is 10 give first attention to rails |
ing alfalfa aud fatten:ng stock. In al |
d.tion they will sell water rights. And |
they viii start several small ranchers, |
with inn, emerts in some cases, furnish |
Ing water, to work the land on shares.
PREPARING LAND.
Large crews of men are now at work /
and fencing off 300 acres with |
wire. This viii be sown 10 alfalfa |
shortly. The acreage will be increased |
as fast hs land can be cleared.