Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-03-31
THE WATER PROBLEM.

from the mountains on tho easi eau be
deemed to have any significance at all,
II Ia that we are threatened with worry
serlous damage from this source unless
the strongest and most luiicious efforts
are made 10 avert II, and unless Pfovl.
dencs shall come 10 our aid with an
occasional cold snap Of a day OF two's
duration after tho warm weather.
with its snow.molting sunshine and
breezss-has really sot In. Fortunately
the chief Of the department that Will
have TO gfapplc with the sltua.
lion Il n man Of action ani Of
many years. experience In this par.
ticllar line u work. II viii not DO the
first fight he has hal with floods, and
the community generally will feel
confident that In any emergency with
which human ondcavor can cope, he
will not be- found wanting.
The spring crop Of theories as to the
best way Of meeting this ever. present
menace follows along as regularly ~
the seasons OF excessive snowfall. This
year II IL NJ oounteoua NJ ever before.
The genius who in 90 many words
would dispose Of the high water by
making II run uphill has not
yet made his advent Tor 1894, but
the logical result Of some OF tho plans
proposed would seem 10 look 10 nothing
lees than that heroic solution Of the
problem. The idea, tor Instance, OF
making ono huge canal westward on
Tenth South to tho river, In which 10
carry all this water. IL utterly imprac.
ticablo for several reasons. La the fret
place the street itself would have 10 be-
condemned TOT such purpose; and this
u proposition that would rightly DO
resisted because II would be sacrificing
property rights In ouo locality TO atone
for monumental blundor In
another. To say nothing q
tho rights Of land owners, who
would object to being thus injured aud
imporillut by stream that until lately
has had no business at all Ia their
Vicinity, there are tho rights belonging
TO the public street, and the right OF
way occupied by the car line running
cut toward Brighton. II all these In.
tercfts could be- satisfied there sllll
remains the insupeTRblo difficulty OF
the river ITSELF IL that were dry
channel, aud had no other purpose than
10 receive the waters Of Patlcy's aud
Emigration canyons ut the polnt whore
Tenth South street touches it, the plan
might work. But as II IL already
pretty well.fllled when II approaches
the city's southern limit, ami from
that point northward has a devious,
Glow course and low bag b., the Ill.
lemma would at once exist that while
ut some times the canal might to
empiying into the river, at other times
--And these the most criiCAl-tho river
might be- emptying into the canal.
Tenth South street aud tue Ian 10
nlongslde would ut such crisis
be flooded from Second West stree.
to the river; and whonit once happens
Ia II many times has happened, and
may again any sprlng-ihat both the
Jordan and tho canals are running
high at the same time, then look GU
for the submerging Of oil the lower
wards-tho place where now are tho
yards Of the RIO Gtande Western he's
before been Hooded with water high
enough to put out tue fires ia the
engines.
Ayear ago this paper pointed out the
oTime that was committed against the |
public welfare when the broad, |
direct canal leading northwest anu |
northward from Ninth South street had |
been filed up. That was far AMI away |
the beet and most sery lceaUlc canal We |
had ever bad. Years OF observation |
had pointed out its direction and util.
ny, and when It was constructed and
afterwards wldened and Strengthened,
A. iuihiled every expectation. But
boomers In land mad novices In water
deemed 70 uusIghyly and, because we
had a season or two OF drought, useless;
~ they went to work aud filed Il up.
A piece Of mors osrogious stupidity
was never perpelrated.
10 Is now necessary, however no,
to bv content with criticism, but 10
point out remedy; ana tnis,the NEWS
thinhs, can only he founI ia uuo Of
two ways. Tho nrst i8 ,hlt: u Tenth
South isto b. mado the grand wulcr.
way, tine Jorian must ho tapped high.
er UP und ~ waters an diverted
through The surplus canal directly to
the Lake, the present channel OF the
river wouli thus be- known no moro
90 the jordan, while lfuturplls canal
II deerenodtwo on lhrc, feet, would bg
come the real river. Tho second way
OF escape Ia that the canal above
reieTr'd to be- again opened ana used,
that the folly OF trying to carry
tho mountain streams la ono single
ditch DO discontinued, and that at