The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-05-28
GREAT ENelNEERuoG.
Hon. A. X. Greene, U. s. Land inspector,
tells the Register Readers Some
thing about Mountain Irri-
CATION
WARM SPRINGS, Mon, May Is, 1897.

ton OF irrigation bitches. To one
who thinks an irrigation ditch is
merely a furrow to turn branch on a
field, this may sound extravaganza,
but such work is but the simplest and
crudcst form of irrigation. Even that
requires some knowledge of levels and
the habits of water. A railroad
gradient may vary to suit the circum-
stances and conform somewhat to the
undulatiOns of the surface, but an irri-
eating ditch must have an arbitrary
descent or it is a failure. This slope
is one of the nice points to determine.
Upon it depends the capacity of the
ditch, it's size, the resistance to be
overcome at curves and angles and
the amount of land to be reclaimed.
Another thing, if the slope is too
small it will clog and overflow and if
1t is too great the erosion will destroy
it. Then again, the elevation of the
head is one of the most expensive
features and an unnecessary slope is
sacrifice of just so much outlay.
Some of the bitches in this most
mountainous of all mountain regions,
require an infinite amount of engineer
ing before stone or foot of earth
is removed. The surveyor, once
possessed of knowledge of the num-
Der of acres to be reclaimed, the char
acter of the soil and the highest
knobs to be watered, climby up on the
crumbling sides of the canyon from
which the water supply is to be drawn
and begins his preliminary work.
The setting of an instrument ON the
shelving, rocky side of gorge where
one has to dig fOothOld among the
powders before he can stand, is no
easy task. The inception of the ditch
must be at some protected angle in the
canyon where there is natural fall of
a foot or SO, in order that when the
freshets come it may not be washed
out. Then begins a succession of
curves ana angles and erratic dOdg-
ings in and out among and around the
irregular scanned and precipitious
sides of the canyon. Clutches ale
frequent and to cross these, fumes, or
in the more expensive undertakings, |
iron pipes have to be hung on dizzy
trestles and the capacity, course and |
descent must be carefully calculated |
before the dimensions are sent to the
foundry or iron mill. Vertical strata
of rock are found Obtruding directly
in the route and these must be tun-
Delled and not unfrequently cemented.
When the ditch finally reaches the
mouth of the canyon it may be hun
dreds of feet above the bed of the
parent stream. The general courses
of the two now diverge at about right
angles. The stream goes straight
forward tOjOin the larger stream in
the middle of the valley while the
ditch skirts along the side, below the
foothills, in general course PARALLEL
to the direction of the valley between
the mountain ranges. These foothills
are indented by innumerable ravines,
swales, and coves, some of which re-
quire an elOngatiOn of the lire by
mile or more to compass.
AS the descent of the valley is great
er than of the ditch, the latter seems
to be summing up hill as its course con-
tinues and the illusion Is almost inn
possible to overcome. Sometimes q
ridge or "hOg- back" extends directly
across the valley, leaving only a gap ,
where the stream has made it's escape.
This necessistates an ''ox-bow" bend
In the course of the ditch and if there {
is railroad in the valley as there
usually is in the larger valleys of
Montana, the grade runs up to the
and by cut of a few feet
reaches the opposite slope and the
valley again. This cut sewers the
ditch but the difficulty is
overcome by siphon and the water
passes ooAOiJ OAuOI IuO lTdCk, returns
to its level and goes on its way, to be I
passed back again, perhaps by
6ume overhead and SO resumes its
general course. If the land to be
reclaimed on the sides of the ridge is
inconsiderable, this expense is avoided
and the ditch simply pferces it by a
cut or tunnell.
AS the line of the ditch is the boun-
Try between fertility and sterility-
between "sweet fields arrayed in
living green" in the foreground and
a wilderness of gray domes extending
10 illimitable snOw-cIad peaks i'm
the effect is strikingIv
and beautiful.
And the credit for these results of
which come in the fragrance
1f blooming fields, the cheer of lowing
herds and the unnumbered blessings
Of vine-embOwered homes, is due to |
he sturdy men who by an endowment