Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-17
TO MAKE THE DESERT BLOSSOM.
An Irrigation Dam which When Completed
VIII Hold 5000 600 900 GaIlons.

Will Hold S,OOO,OOO,OO0 Gallons.
Over 1000 feet above the sea and nearly
6 900 feet below the great peak Of San Jacinto.
in Riverside county, there has now reached the
height Of ITO feet what is probably the best
built dam in America. 1t is in a very narrow
gorge Of solid rock and built Of blocks of
granite from three TO five tons each. no small
stone being used. The spaces between these
are hlled with rich concrete. mixed by machin-
cry and rammed into place by steel roads This
makes what the Irrigation Age calls q mouolith
OF tne whole structure. with the advantage Of
having more hexibility than any other dam Of
equal strength could have. Its factor of safety
~ very heavy and its peculiar construction viii
make IL nearly eartbouake nroof as II ia
possible Tor dam TO be. With stone of such
SIZE !, could stand for long time a very heavy
;soN, put an ample waste way will be pro-
ooo 40 10 height OF $50 feet where il will hold
higher Z, gallons. At may be built still
n,sner II necessary. Though so high. IL ia
not very expensive on accopnt 81 ,ha
s"nse oelng very narrow for the first
IVY lee.: Inc watershed is over 100 souara
ni -. pi as good mountain watershed as there
Is IN TINS part OF the state II is ali bicb ,,an-s
tam. with steep slopes and an avoraas ;sr,
OF ABOUT forty-five inches in six roon,b. W.
the gate was shut few davs AGO ona .,leIl
filled II to depth Of ninety feet makir, = IN
some TWO miles long. The lowest summer Ao.
VIII
average will furnish a large amount Of snr;no
and early summer water after the lake i full
This water will be used upon what is called ~.
meza in the rich valley of San Jacinto In tbis
valley are many thousand acres OF the richest
land, and $50 artesIan wells are there noprin,
out over 1000 inches Of water. This wi, buiIS
up one of the most prosperous settlements in
the new county, with quite a town and alfalfa
fields and orchards on every hand On tho
west, and some twenty to forty feet above the
main valley where the artesiau belt is. lie some
80. 900 acres OF bench lnnd that. with water ia
the finest of fruit land, and upon which the ar
tesian water cannot be taken. Upon this the
water from Lake Hemett will be led by pips
and cement ditch and flume down the canon
with fall of z, 500 feet in few miles, which
will give power enough to run electric roads
and lighting plants. besides considerable for
manufacturing.
Upon this mesa or bench land the COMPANY
already owns some 5000 acres Of choice land
over which ii will distribute water, and il will
undoubtedly sell water TO the adjacent lands Il
the owners prefer TO keep them instead of SELL
ing them 10 the company. While considerable
has been done here in the past without any ir-
rigation, the use Of water far surpasses the
best results without it that the sale of all the
water they can reservoir is assured. This type
of dam was selected mainly on account of its
economy Of cement The hauling of cement
up a long mountain road was a serious item.
But this Is not its only advantage. 1t is much
stronger than ordinary rubble masonry. less
apt to crack under any sudden shock, and also
heavier for the same bulk of material. Where
a savage stream has to be fought and there is
| any question about tine sutficiency of the waste
way II Is the best type OF dam IL the cleavage
of the rock will permit the getting out of large
blocks. The overflow cannot tear them loose
nor can any ordinary pounding Of water at the
base jar it SO as to injufe the joints Of the
structure. Its economy over rubble masonry
viii depend upon the price Of cement at the
work and upon the cleavage OF the rock. il
being assumed that in the case OF ordinary
rubble work wire rope carriers would be used
| to deliver stone into place. With some rock
the waste Of stone, too small for this type o.
dam. yet large enough for common rubble
work plight be great enough TO overbalance
the difference in the amount Of cement used.
At all events, this form makes a most safe and
imposing piece Of work, that will endure a
long as the hills in which the dam is 30 firmly
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