The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-23

Two millions of money are to be
spent in Utah on the construction, in
Sewer county, of the largest natural
reservoir in the world, and a contigu-
Gus system of canals for the propaga-
ton of vast water power and the ir-
rigation of the largest area of barren
soil over which the ingenuity of man
has ever had full scope
Operations have even now been mi
tiated under the engineering direction
of Baron Theo Van Gestel. the man
who projected a railway across the
island of Java for the government of
Holland. Baron Van Gestel ranks as
one of the most scientific and daring
engineers in all Europe. His services
have always been employed on enter
prises of great magnitude, feature
that distinguished mis- undertaking for
Holland. In 1895 there appeared in the
pages of the Cosmopolitan Magazine
a most interesting account of the OBJ
stacleS encountered and mastered in
the construction of the Javanese rail
way It's author was Baron Van Ges-
tel, the man who has been selected by
an eastern syndicate to carry the i'm
mense Sewer venture to a successful
termination.
Most careful preparation has attend
ed the plans OF the syndicate the prin-
cipal personages of which are not
known. The work Of lobbying 80 bill
through the legislature which grants
enormous rights and privileges to this
syndicate has demanded the presence
of at least two representatives in Salt
Lake during most of the legislative
session. Morton 3. HirSh and Hon.
Thomas Kavanaugh of Philadelphia
have been on the ground nearly two
months, not departing for the east until
the action of the legislature with re-
gard to their scheme was assured. The
bill was passed, text of which ap-
peared in the daily proceedings as pub
lished by The Herald. Mr.. Hirsh left
for Philadelphia two weeks ago, while
Mr.. Kavanaugh remained until Satur-
day evening. Meanwhile Engineer Van
Gestel has been surveying on the Sc
vier river for five weeks. This prelim-
mary work will last for the same
length of time before a spadeful of
earth is moved.
TWO YEARS FOR THE WORK.
Two years will be required for the
completion of a DAM canals and hy-
draulic plant, which aggregated will
constitute the water power plant and
irrigation supply
BY the erection of dam of mas
siye masonry. of dimensions l 400 feet
in length and 20 feet high, an upper
valley of the Sewer river will be en-
tirely closed, so as to furnish an ex-
panse of water A miles square and of
an average depth of so feet The Sc
vier river now courses through the low
est depression of this valley, leading
it through a canyon at the north end
across which the dam must be built.
Convenient TO this point and still
within the canyon. hydraulic plant of
3 ZOO horsepower is to go. 1t will supply
power for Tintic and other mining
camps. The canals. both of which will
be about Is feet in width by ten feet
in depth, are 60 and 40 miles long Their
headgates are placed in the dam and
the water carried down each side of
the canyon to points where one turns
by an easy grade around the foot of a
spur and takes a course almost di-
rectly south with slight variations
This canal extends for go miles across !
what IS known as the Sewer desert, !
having an area of $4,000 square miles !
The other canal proceeds north over 40 |
miles of distributing territory. Several
thousand workmen viii be constantly /
employed on the work during the next !
two years, and the promoters say that |
over lUUoOO square miles OF the Sewer /
desert acreage will be taken up for |
colonization purposes before the reser-
voir is finished. The plan will be bount- |
fully advertised throughout the east
ern states and special inducements will |
be offered home-seelSers in the way of |
cheap territory for honest leads and low |
railway transportation, arrangements |
having already been made with vari- |
Gus railways for low rates. 1t is the |
idea of the promoters to have many
Of those who engage in construction
work become settlers on the lands COW
cred by the reservoir. These are the
main details of the great venture which
seems to promise much for Utah
The Oregon Short Line has become
interested to the extent of furnishing
Engineer Van Gestel and his party of
"A assistants, with two coaches. which
viii run to the nearest railway point
md constitute the headquarters of the
party.