Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-03-22
A NOTE OF WARNING.

most earnest consideration, the pros.
pect being that failure to thus con.
slider It will entail incalculable Injury
to property as well A. great restitution
II not peril TO the residents OF u large
district OF this city. We refer to the doe
ument that relates to the present man
ipulation Of the canals Ia the southern
and southwestern parts OF the city,
whose purpose Is not only to carry OIL
the water that descends In such volume
from the mountains In the early spring,
but also to drain OIL from the lower
levels Of that district the excess Of pre-.
cipitation beyond what the land will
absorb.
The subject Is one that may he con.
sidered apart from any political or
other aspect save that OF the general
welfare, and In that spirit It ought to
be approached. II Is perhaps no
discredit 10 some Of the present
officials that they, by reason OF being
comparatively new CONFER, should fail to
grasp the danger as II presents itself 10
those who have had more opportunities
TO observe II and who have had eK-
perlence In meeting II. Certainly no
such discredit will attach unless 1t
shall be urged tina. ignorance OF the
situation ~ an excuse for blindly
refusing 10 listen to well.meant advice.
To come at once to the koruel Of the
matter: IL has been proven many u
time and oft that the waters Of the
mountain streams coming down from
the canyons directly east OF us-tha!
is, Parley'sand Emigration, the former
more particularly be conduct.
cd due west to the river through
any channel that has yet been pre-
pared. From Its Intersection with
Tenth South street, tho city's southern
boundary at that point, the Jordan
puraues n devious anu mvandcring
course with scarcely my fall except
such rs can be gained by cutting oil
lis various bonds aud making direo
line for point much farther north
Many years OF experience had shown
that the attempt to pour the canyor
water into tho river at Tenth Soutl
must be abandoued-inund ationH
great destruction OF crops and improve
ments, nnd the threate ned submerginl
OF the lower wards having resulte,
every season. Besides, the point re
ferred to was an extremely dan gerou
ono when tho river was high, the bank
Offering but feeble resistance agnins
the sweeping Of raging torrent acros
the intervening pasture lands and RICH
up into the town. So n system OF mali
and supplementary canals was con
structed, broad and straight and deer
through which the spfing freshet
were conveyed northwesterly acros
country into the river; and rs long d
they were kept cleaned out and wor
properly controlled there was II
trouble.
But through some fancy or influonc
or dictation which we shall not mo-
Inquire into, 1t has been decide
to fly again In the face OF all TIL
past experience has demonstrate
Tho suggestions OF men who hay
watched those waters for nearly half
century have been rudcly Ignored; Il
cost and efficacy Of the old canals al
ridiculed, and the expense and exper
= ment OF new ones are to be incurret
Residents OF the locality see with di
; may that the channels which In year
past have bravely carried away tn
" menacing element are being filled u
and discarded; that n System previousl
and repeatedly proven TO be impracti
able Is again to be essayed; that theI
10 IL, In short, u seeming forgctfulness
, the elementary fact that water will m
, willingly run up hill. The peop
y note today that the water Ia Il
= river Ia az high as IL IL In the cana
aud they cannot but know that pc
81" haps tomorrow or next day, -certainl
, before the high water season ls over
!" instead OF the canyon streams bein
;, discharged into tho river, the riv'
will br discharslng It's waters into Il
: canals, backing up and lJoding ever
:, thing.
: The NEWS sounds note OF warnir
u while there is yet time TO remedy Il
70 evil. We do 1t In no csptious or crit
:, ciziug spirit, but in order that q
" municipality may save itself from dl
=. grace through incompetence ami fro
" expense through suits Tor damages.