The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-06-14
THE QUESTION OF ARID Land
Government Board to Study the
irrigation Problem.
The Heads of the Several Bureaus
Cooperate in Preparing Plans
for Redeeming Waste Land.
Public and Private En-
terprise.


been organized with tho following mem
bers: Mark w. Harrington, chief Of tho
weather buSol; Charles ". Irish. chief
of the office of irrigation inquiry; Mil
ton Whitney, chief os the division of
agricultural soils; B. e. Fernow, chief
of the forestry division; B. T. Gallo.
way, chief Of the division of vegetable
pathology; Charles D. Walcott, director
of tine United States geological survey
Daniel RI. Browning, commissioner of
Indian affairs; Henry Gannett, chief
Photographer of tho geological survey,
and f. Ii. Newell, chief of the division
Of photography, geological survey, sec
Rotary of the board. ALI these men are
experts in their particular fields, and
through them the results obtained by
the different investigators may be
brought together.
Mr.. Newell. the secretary of tho
board, who is thrown into closer com
munication with the arid districts and
knows more of the actual conditions
perhaps than some other members Of the
board, is convinced of the feasibility of
she plans which have been projected.
He does not, however, believe with some
OF the enthusiasts that the great work
proposed can be accomplished in n short
time. He has seen congress after con-
gress strike out the portions of tho ap-
preparation bill referring to it or else so
reduce tho amount of money rs to Grip
pie his working forco of Investigators in
the field and render any practical con-
struction impossible, with few excep-
tions, except by private enterprise and
resource.
"The possibilities of this arid re-
gion, said Mr.. Newell, "were first
brought to the attention of the public in
1878 by Major j. w. Powell's report
on the arid regions OF tho United States,
which was an outgrowth of the earlier
surveys. In 1887 the director Of the
geological survey was called upon by
congress to take up tho question Of irri-
CATION, and i'll 1855 he was authorized to
begin examinations relating to water
storage i'll natural and artificial reser-
Yoirs, the volume Of the streams at diff
3 ferent periods of the year and other ques-
lions relating to the subject. In tho
same year 100000 was appropriated
and the irrigation survey was created.
The next year, 1889, tho irrigation SIR
vey was extended, and an appropriation
OF $3.50, 600 was made. Unfortunately
III $50 appropriations were discontin-
ued. Notwithstanding these ups and
downs i'll the matter of resources the sys-
tematlc measurement of streams in the
arid region and the study of the wator
resources. begun under the irrigation
survey, have been carried on as inciden-
tai to the Topographic survey. But last
year, III August, an appropriation Of
$50, 900 was made for this purpose
THAT is the history of the study and
application of irrigation by the govern
ment- 1t may readily be seen that the
$40, 900 as allowed for my work now in
the measurement of streams will not go
very far, but am able with this TO keep
a force of men i'll the field who can give
me SONIC idea of the volume of water at
dlferept seasons Of the year flowing in
the important streams in the arid re-
gion. An appropriation of 800, 900
would be the least we could well get
along on. This would allow about SO. :
600 for each state, and we could make
much more rapid progress. The men en-
ployed on this work in my division are
stationed ON the larger streams. at the
most important points for irrigation
purposes. They are paid for two read
tngs of the current meter day, and the
reports are sent here. BY means of these
reports we can tell the actual volume of
water passing through any Of these
streams Mt any time of the year. In
many cases it is found that while these
streams in the spring are often raging
torrents, and for two or three months in
the year have considerable volume dur
ing great part of the time they are
dried up. Therefore, if this volume Of
water in the spring were DETECTED from
1ts ordinary course into reservoir, it
could be tapped end drawn ON at leisure
during the dry season.
The current meter which Mr.. Newell
spoke OF is n small brass affair not I'M
like the propeller of ship. At each rev.
ointion the screw touches a pin and
makes an electric contact. This is re-
corded on shore by means Of an electrical
device. The current meters are placed
ni the water az different depths, aud the
velocity Of the current at these points is
ascertained. Then, By computing the
area OF Cross section of the stream, the
volume OF water passing cen be ascer-
tanned with tol@able correctness The
geological survey alRo uses a car travel
ing ON cable, which swings in places