The morning call., 1893-12-14
GREAT LAND SALE
A Half Million Acres
Disposed Of.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC DEAL.
Over Five Million Dollars i'm the
Enterprise.
AN IMMENSE IRRIGATINd DITCH.
There Is Only One Other i'm the
World Which Surpasses 1t
in Size.
AN IMMENSE IRRIdATINd DITCH.

1ected IN the history of California was
practically closed up Yesterday. 1t in
wolves the sale of 5OO.0 acres of land In
the lower part of the State by the South
ern Pacific r ulway Company to the Colo
rado River Irrigation Company. All that
now remains to be done prior to the
formal transfer of the property to the new
purchaser is the signature of President c.
p. Huntington to the papers, which are
now on their way to New York.
The price secured for the land was
S2.500,00 and this amount, taken in con-
nection with that which will be expended
In the construction of the proposed system
of irrigation, will bring the sum total up
to over So, 200, 900.
Attorney General Hart, who has repre-
sented the purchaser in the transaction,
said last night that the irrigation scheme
was by far the greatest thing of the kind
in America.
''When completed" said he, 'the canal
will be within ten feet as wide as the
largest similar piece of construction in the
world, the GaDges canal in India, which
is the widest, deepest and carries the most
water. The one 10 con interpolation will be
just as deep, and by making it ten feet
wider it would be capabIe of irrigating
100000 acres additional to that which il
is designed to supply. Under the present
plans its capacity will be equal 10 supply
ing 100000 acres of land with water, or
900 more than are included in the sale
just closed.
''The cost of this immense undertaking is
estimated at 81, 10000. and q glance at
the names Of the gentlemen who are iden-
titled with the undertaking will he suffi-
cient to satisfy the most skeptical as to
the legitimacy of the undertaking and the
certainty of its completion. c. II. Dow,
the president of the company, is president /
of the Commercial National Bank Of Dem
yer; T. 2. Ernest and Frank Church, I'VE
of the directors, are respectively president
and vice-presdent of the American Ma
rional Bank of Denver. and all the other
officers re gentlemen of wealth and stand
ing"
The Colorado River, from which the
necessary supply of water is expected TO
be obtained, is the drainage channel OF an
immense area lying in several States. II
Is navlgable during high water for nearly
$50 miles from the Gulf of California. Al
q p0Dt known as PothOles, nine miles
above Yuma, the river leaves the last can
yon confines and emerges into the plains.
1t is at this point that it is expected to
start the canal. to rul- thence on the west
side OF the liver In generally north
westerly objection for thirteen miles TO FL
Rio, which is a point near tl.a river and is
west of Yuma. The city of Yuma is on
the east side Of the river and In the State
OF Arizona. Ii is an important point on The
Southern Pacific Railroad, and it is here that
the railroad crosses the Colorado River.
The canal enterprise is on the west side of
the river and in California. From Ell Rio
the main canal will run west by south
about forty miles. A survey has been
IL made On plan of carrying a canal from
the aforementioned point IN direction at
m a no
northerly TO Flowing Wells, about
ninety-six miles from the place of
beginning, and thence on to Indi0,
which IS station on the Southern
Pacific Road. Indio is situated on the
northwesterly extremity Of the Colorado
desert, and would be about 146 miles by
the canal route from its head at Potholes.
Such canal course would bring under its
level great tract of land in the Colorado
desert on the east side within that basin
within which lies the Saton Sink, now
well known as the drainage receptacle of
that region. 1t is also within the surveyed
plans to carry the canal In another branch
from point where right angle turn is
made. running southerly and westerly.
and gradually detecting northerly around
the west side of this natural basin, which
has its lowest level in the Salton SINK.
This branch will bring under water a
large area of the desert which lies on the
The lands of the Colorado desert that
will be earliest reclaimed are situated in
the Stale of California, San Diego County,
and amount to 100000 acres.
A part of the land irrigable from the
system lies in Lower California, Mexiro
The canal will pass into Mexico at Pilot
Knob. and continue on in Mexico until it
enters California again by the Dortherly
bend on the west side Of the basin
spoken Of
The part of the canal which will be the
largest in its carrying capacity will he
that which extends from Poth oles to Ell
Rio; the main canal will also extend from
El Rio 10 where the canal branches at
right angles.
The canal from its head down to Ei Rio
will be about $50 feet wide on top and 116
teet wide on the bottom, with a depth of
water of 10 feet, and will carry at least
$500 cubic feet of water in a second. and
from FL Rio TO the forks will carry 1000
cubic feet of water a second.
The head Of the canal is located in solid
rock. There is to be no dam. This great
source OF expense in many other enter
prlses Is, IN this case, avoided, and The
great danger which some irrigation enter
prises have to encounter of loss of DAM
ETC., in case Of sudden floods is thus OF to
be feared.
"As to the practicability of this pro-
posed reclaiming of desert lands, it has
been demonstrated beyond doubt" said a
gentleman connected with the land de-
partmeDt of the Southern Pacific road.
There is quite large Tract of land near
lndio, where this canal is to start, which
has been irrigated and made wonderfully
productive. 1t has been found possible to
raise two crops upon it in one season, and
that is the great poinG in view among land
buyers who desire to cultivate their prop
erty."
Attorney General Hart states that where
the canal viii first be tapped Tor irrgatng
purposes the land to be watered lies 1O6
feet above the sea level. and that there is
gradual descent until point $50 feet
below The sea level is reached.
When the building of the canal is started
1t will give employment to large number
OF men and should aid in solving the prob
lem Of providing work for the idle.