Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-22
REVELATION IN HYDRAULICS
Novel Irrigation Scheme Invented by an
Idaho Genius.
PRACTICAL UTILITY OF WATER BUBBLES
RcvOlutiOnizinE the A~ntiGuntcd Meth
DDS for Raising Water Above Its
LeveI-Enriching Hundreds
of Acres of Arid Lands.

BLISS, Idaho, Sept. 17.-(Special Core
spondence of The Bee,)-lrrigation, upon
which the people of this state depend so
largely, is likely to undergo a decided change
I'm the next few years, and all because a
modest genius has gone to work and put In
a plant on the Snake river that bids fair to
revolutionize the Anticipated methods Tor
raising water above its level.
Amid the weary wastes OF this young
state, to find a genius was as refreshing as
the experience was novel, and now, after
having seen the irrigation scheme which w
w. Prlestly has almost completed, l cannot
help but marvel at the simplicity OF his
plant. and, like hundreds of other people, ask
myself the question, "Why didn't l think
OF that idea instead of the young Kansan
who Is about to realize his day dreams?'
For In the very simplicity or the schem(
rests its strongest claim to recognition a.
the hands Of engineers and scientific peopl'
generally.
Twenty miles southwest from this place
which contains half a dozen houses and has
less the suggestion OF bliss than any poin'
/ have visited in Idaho, are the Thousand
Springs. a wonderfully picturesque spot, fol
the tourist in search of the unusual. Alont
a wall of rock. two miles in extent, hun
dreds of small springs gush forth from tbs
solid face OF the rock, and FLASHING. sending
up feather-like ponds of water. fall hundred;
{. feet, joining the Snake river far below, a
peace with the whole world. Viewed from
the bench lands or ridge far beyond, thes'
springs or streams look like great encrus
tatlons OF marble or snow fastened by thu
Great Builder to the sides OF the broad can
Won through which the Snake river tortu
ously winds on its way to join the Colum
bia.
RICH SOIL AWAITING MOISTURE.
Far above these springs, beyond the rim
rock. are thousands Of acres OF lava sol
needing only the touch of water to make then
rich beyond the dreams Of men, a soil limit
less In possibilities and inexhaustible. II
water these lands that now grow only sag
brush and grease weed is Priestly's de
termination and the Boston and Butte peopl
who are at his back are evidently impressed
with the ability OF their engineer, for $1,000
has already been expended in Harvesting tn
fcrces Of these springs, that they may b
made to do something more than help III
the bed Of the Snake river.
Tunnels have been run, into which tn
water from these numberless subterraneal
streams are led, and by their force, and III
other forces Of nature, will shortly b
utilized in irrigating some 1900 acres Q
land, extending at least two miles back from
the rim rock that darkly outlines the cours
OF the Snake,
Along the tide OF the wall rock and i'm
hiediately below the tunnels, into which tn
former waste water is now led, there ar
Immense steel pipes chained to the rocks an
leading down to a compressor which stand
on a level with the Snake river. its bottom
being sunk below the river bed and standin
upon solid rock. that the greatest anchorag
may be obtained TO resist the pressure U
the Immense volume Of water, once the pun
Is turned on.
The water from these springs, upon tn