The herald., 1896-12-17
.IRR|GATORS IN CONVENTION
CONTINUED from Page ~


the country.
Dix w. Smith, of Elmira, n. Y, an ir-
rigation writer of note, advocated the
establishment of a national irrigation
court on the same lines as the land court
that has proved so successful The ri
parian right idea should no longer be al
lowed to rule in the courts of the land,
but should be specifically disallowed.
Uniform legislation should be adopted
in every state having similar irrigation
conditions and an irrigation commits
sioner appointed to see that laws are eX-
ecuted and that justice is done to all.
The speaker considered the Wright act
an admirable measure. but one that
would need much amendment before its
best work would be accomplished.
Mr. Smith brought to the convention a
message from President Mckinley.
whom he had seen within a week. Ma
jor Mckinley said: You may say to the
irrigation congress that l send its mem
bers cordial greeting; that in their ef-
forts for the Improvement of the west
they have my best wishes, and that all
measures for the Improvement of the
arid west that may come before me
during my administration shall receive
my earnest and considerate attention -
Harriet w. Z. Strong of Whittier. CAL
read the following paper on the i'm
pounding of water:
When nature does the irrigating ani
man sits with folded hands waiting for
the rains of heaven to give the vivifyiny
impulse he is in the hands of the powers
without. When through an understand
ing of the laws of growth and. the
chemistry of plant life he watches the
moment when water is needed and APP
plies it, that man is the exponent of
higher civilization. He becomes master
of the forces of nature. and no longer the
servant of chance and change.
My system relates to a construction
for dams and reservoirs to be employed
in irrigation and for the purpose of i'm
pounding water in steep water courses
or valleys 1t consists of a series of
dams of peculiar construction placed
successfully in the channel or water
course and at such distances apart that
the water iE the lower basins acts as
brace or support for the dams above.
Tie distance between these dams Is
such that when the water has filled the
lower dam it will extend up to certain
height upon the lower face of the dam
above, and IN like manner that water
supports the dam above that and so on
for any number of dams. These dams
are provided with gates through which
the water may be discharged from one
to another BY this construction Each
upper dam may be made of less strength
than if it were to sustain the whole pres
sure OF the water. because the back pres
sure in the dam below acts as support
against the lower faces; the strength
needed is only sufficient to resist the
pressure due to the difference in the level
of the water above and below the dam.
| Reversed arches with the convex faces
| toward each other, the keystone stand
| ing about the center Of the dam, are
| for the partition dams Stone work is
preferable, and strength may be secured
| by filling in the spaces between walls
with earth or gravel. A set of two res
ervoirs should be employed; fill two with
debris While the sediment settles and
| hardens; fill two more above. draw Off
| the clarified water from the lower set
and fill again. After the basin has been
| filed by the hardened slickens, build
! the dams higher until an entire canyon
| is filled up with slickenS.
The advantages are that storm water
| may be utilized. more water can be
stored than in other systems, hillsides
! can be cultivated to higher levels. power
| is provided for generating electricity
greater safety results to life and prop
erty from the dams dividing the pres
sure, and lands will not be destroyed by
storm water In the Alps engineers ar,
| using similar dam constructions to holG
| water and prevent damage.
My plan is to stop the torrents fury
|
so that the excess of water will pass
over the tops Of the dams and, falling
| upon water will be harmless In this
! way the foundation is not undermined
| each dam has a water cushion and an
entire canyou can be filed with water
The lowest dam is of full strength, while
! the others have strength equal to the
pressure above the level of the surface
of the water below.
We must lead in this Italy of America
the east cannot be our leaders. Our riv
| ers must pause in their course and linge,
! for a time While their blessings may
touch our soil mingled with the touch ct
our southern sun.
We are burdened with large idle
| class; they cannot become citizens un-
til they become producers. We must
convert pasture lands into fruitful or-
, chards and the congested population of
| eastern cities must be provided for ou,
of the extent of the west.
But the west alone cannot apply thi.
| remedy, because the east has control oi
the legislative and financial cente.s
! Cooperation is demanded in this move
ment for the good of the race.
Eve was the first irrgator, and she
I had an i.lustrious prototype in thu
/ Egyptian queen, fIalasu. under whose
reign the impounding of water wa.
brought to perfection. No improva.
! lEentS nave been maGe III dam cons trua
tion for four thousand years The next
step was the use of artesian wells, and
the third step was the impounding Oi
water in canyons
/ THE beautiful says Goethe, lis high
er than the good; the beautiful include:
the good" VIII not these sun-lt lands
TEEN With both good and beauty if al
forces combine and all obstacles are re-
/ moved. and the great heart of nature
is our friend speaking through us fol
those who are voceless who are friend
less and to whom both mills and mint.
are closed?
Theordore S. Van Dyke of Los Ange-
les followed with a discussion of the
forest reserve question.
The main question now. said the speak
! er, is how to prevent forest fires. Nc
! present law is of any use for this pur-
pose. and none can be which allows the
/ defendant to plead cue care, or which
/ requires the prosecution to prove negli-
/ Gence. Such proof is impossible under
! almost all circumstances.
The party starting fire must be held
absolutely responsible. Under its police
powers the stale probably has a right
to say you shall not allow a fire to es-
cape. 1t has has right to forbid fires
at all, and to say you shall make no fire
which may escape. This will work nc
hardship to campers. There is absolute
ly no excuse for allowing fire to escape
In every case it is pure carelessness anG
IN many utter reckessness in selecting
the place for it, in making it too large
or in leaving ii uneXtinguished. Sheep
l. rel,