The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-10-22

tempted in the republic OF MEXICO
In 1889 project was formulated Tor
carrying ditch across the desert TO the
head of the Tlahualilo cuenca and con-
Verting the whole area into huge ma
cienda. Mr., Juan Llamedo, Spanish
capitalist of Mexico City, undertook the
enterprise, in which he was aided py
the federal government of Mexico. "A
preliminary survey showed that the
lowest level OF the basin to be irrigated
was about one hundred feet below the
point on the river Nazas, which 1t was
proposed to dam; that the main canal
would require development OF thirty
nine miles, and that the slope OF the
lands within the basin was such that
about one hundred and seventy-tye
square miles out of the two hundred
and ten composing the basin could be
advantageously irrigated. Since then,
by the aid of modern engineering and
American machinery, one hundred ana
seVenty-five square miles have been
placed under cultivation. This required
money and men and high degree OF
engineering capability. The plan of IT.
rigation was intrusted by Mr.. Llamedo
to Mr. Jose Farjas, Spanish engineer.
An estate of twenty thousand acres ly-
ing on the river Nazas and controlling
| the water supply was purchased and
| rip-rap was thrown across the river at
| point where it is about fifteen hum
dred feet wide at the flood. This con-
stituted a DAM and from the dam the
! line of the main canal was traced to the
entrance of the Tlahualilo basin, thirty
| nine miles. The canal was made seven
| ty-tWo feet wide at the base, six and
one-half feet deep, with grade of from
eighteen inches to three feet to the
| mile, except as to one particular section.
This canal terminated in a distributing
| tank to the entrance of the irrigable
area, from whence it bifurcated, one
arm clasping the western side Of the
basin and the other the eastern, and
| both having the same average grade.
One of them was fifteen miles in length,
thirty feet wide at the bottom, and with
depth of five feet, While the other sub
canal was thirteen miles in length, with
a width of thirty-six feet at the bottom
and depth of six feet
Transverse bitches, at right angles to
| the side branches, were then laid out
and all the land thus laid open to irri-
| cation was set out in blocks of uniform
size, each containing a Mexican sitio, a
conventional area measuring a Spanish
! league on each side and measuring
nearly forty-five hundred acres. The
| total ditching called for under the plan
| included the main canal of thirty-nine
| miles, the first and second branch ca
nails, respectively, of fifteen and thir-
teen miles; twenty-nine miles of trans
verse canals, fifty miles of parallel
ditchesS and four hundred miles of dis
| tributing bitches. The total excavation
called for was about 100000 cubic
yards for the main canal, and for all
the other canals and bitches on the first
section about 100000 cubic yards. The
first section involved ninety square
miles From two to three thousand
4 poems were employed on the work, and
a little over year was occupied in dig
ging the main canal For twenty five
miles of the distance all the water re-
CURED for the laborers, as well as the
animals, as well as all of the supplies,
4 had to be taken on mule back over the
wild waste. Most Of the excavation
was done in Mexican ''tepetate," which
is an indurated clay, soft stone that
forms consistent and permanent bank
for bitches. The "tepetate" prevails in
all portions of the country, hence the
immense bitches were dug at compare
R lively small cost in preference to the
tubing or piping of water. About TWEEN
1 ty-five miles from the river the ground
dropped off rapidly in the direction the
canal was taken, and the grade was in
creased for precaution sake to eight
feet to the mile About half way down
its length the canal cut the line of the
Mexican central rallroad ana bridge
was necessary Inc intake Oh the Ca
MAJ on the river was pullt OF masonry
! WITH MASSIVE walls Inc gates are ten
IN NUMBER each SIX rect Wlde ana their
framework OF IRON. me dlstrlbutlng
TANK at the eno OF tne tnlrty-nlnth
1hlle Is hkeWlse substantial. Wnen thls
latter point was feacheo work was
pushed upon the TWO suo-caHais, ana as
last DIS they We're coinpleted tne trans
verse callals' pardllels ana distributing
dltches were opened up between tnem
Inc most approved asrlcuitural lmple-
menus ana utensils nad peen imported
III advance rom lhe ohlted states,
upon the completion OF the dltches,
each OIL the sllios was placea undef the
Inahasehlent OF an ADMINISTRATOR, and
the general administration was located
on the n1cleiioa OIL Harasoza' some
eisht hiiies uoWh the pasln from the
dlstrloutlns tahk, ana nearly IN the
ceFter pelHS prepared Tor cultivation.