The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1894-04-12
New Era Of Progress for the Little City
by the Falls Of The Yakima.
CONGRATULATIONS ARB EXTENDED
The Great Pumps Are Now at work
Reciaiming over Four Thousa nd
Acres OF Arid Land-A succinct
Description OF the Plant.

number Of enterprsing gentlemen, and
which is to change large section OF that
dessolate and ubproductive country into
an oasis Of beauty, and agricultural and
horticultural wealth. No richer land is
TO be found anywhere when once the
sterile acres feel the vivifying influences
OF water and this is what has been
accomplished. The land is too high to
be reclaimed by any gravity system OF
irrigation, so efficient engineering skill
was called into play and with the aid OF
headgates, fumes, immense turbin wheels
and two mammoth duplex pumps the
water is raised 100 feet and carried
through canals over the erstwhile desert
land. This is why the people of Prosser
are filed with hope for the future and JOY
in the present, and WILL on Monday next,
celebrate the greatest event in the history
of the town and supporting country. In
the language Of the american:
"Prosser Falls has shed it's baby clothes
and now steps into the ring tull-fedged
fighter for cultivation and development.
Three thousand acres of splendid fruit,
hop and vegetable soil is now being shorn
of its sage brush mantle and tickled by
the pillow. The jack rabbits and coyotes
have been notified TO leave, closely pur-
sued by men, women and children, with
plows, rakes, harrows, household goods,
lumber and all implements of civilization
and cultivation. A new day has dawned
for Prosser Falls and tributary acres.
Water power and irrigation hand in hand
fill the land with glsdness. A brave and
noble enterprise is now having its finish
ing touches put on, and another spoke
put in the wheel Of Yakima county, which
is the Ferris wheel Of Washington"
The officers OF the company which has
accomplished this great work are: ]. q.
Van Marter, president; G. B. Hayes, vice
president; w. B. Dudley, secretary and
treasurer; Fred II. Reed, manager. The
engineer in charge OF the construction
and who drafted the plans is Frank Bart
lett, and Frank McCurtie is superintend-
ent of buildings. For the benefit OF the
public the following description Of the
plant and work is given by the engineer:
A pumping plant has lately been put in
at this place to irrigate 1000 acres, and
arrangements have been made to furnish
water power for the different factories
] ooop u, Iva araotad North of Dxoesax EaIta
across the river lay $1,000 acres covered
by the Sunnyside canal. and above the
Sunnyside canal 100000 acres which
will be watered by the High Line OF the
same canal. The larger part OF this land
will be tributary to Prosser. South OF
Prosser lays the great Horse Heaven
wheat and cattle country. Prosser is the
nearest railroad station and is the natural
Quitting point for this country. On the
north side of the falls water is taken out
for the Leadbetter canal to irrigate land
on the lower Yakima and Columbia
rivers.
The Prosser Falls Irrigation company
controls the south side OF the river. The
land on this side OF the river is too high
to be covered by any gravity system, and
though it IS as productive as any in the
state, it would. without water, be worth
less. The power OF the falls lie utilized Ia
raise water 100 feet high to cover this
land The water power here is the best
on the Yakima river. The fall is twenty
feet in half mile, and during the dry
season in October, 1893, the river dis.
charged 1902 second feet, equivalent to
$3.50 horse power.
The headgates are placed in the rock
on the south side Of the river. The head
gate frame is made OF l6x16 timber, is 22
feet high and SO feet wide, and has six
openings for gates, each four feet wide in
the clear. In front of the headgate frame
is rack frame made OF l2xl2 timbers on
which rest the racks which viii keeI
floating timber and ice out of the wheels
These racks consist of fiat iron bars four.
teen feet long which are placed an inch
apart in the clear. A wing dam has been
built from the headgates ont into the
river to direct the current towards the
fiume.
The headgaies supply two fumes, each
ten fee: deep and twelve feet vide in the
clear, and the water will be six feet deep
in the fumes when the river is lowest.
One OF these fumes will supply water to
the factories, the other furnishes water for
the irrigation canal, and the power to
raise that water 100 feet, also water to
supply the town. From the headgate to
the power house is $50 feet Part OF this
fall is lost during high water, and the
machinery has been designed for a l2-foot
fall. The fume connecting the headgate
and power house is made OF Pinch
tongued grooved planks with bents every
two feet, made OF 6xl0 timber. The water
from the fume enters forebay 10 feet
wide, II feet deep and IS feet long, and
from the forebay enters three pen-stocks,
from which it Is discharged through the
turbines.
The turbines are 4S.inch special Victors
and develop l35 horsepower each, under
II feet head. Each turbine drives a du-
pick power pump, 25-inch cylinder, "a
inch stroke. Each pump has a capacity
of 1000 gallons per minute. This is the
discharge at an sO-foot per minute piston
speed, and the pumps can, when neces-
sary, be run at lO0-foot piston speed. Two
pumps and two turbines are now in sue.
eessful operation, and when the third
pump . in, the plant will have daily
capacity Of II, 2So. 900 gallons.