The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-12
IRRIGATION IN OLD PERU.
HOW WATER WAS BROUGHT FROM
IMMENSE DISTANCES.
Wonderful Feats of Engineering in
tha Ancient Land of the Incas.
The Battle with Nature.

! Washington, November 11.--Senor Ra-
mon Estacia, who is visitor to this coud-
( try from Peru, can talk very interestingly
about his home under the equator. the
1 land of the Incas and associated with Pr
| zarro and his Spanish conquistadores. Il
am In the United States said Senior Es-
tacia, ito study the results of your pilng-
ing civilization and to cote those AnHi-i-
can inventions which would help us in my
country. The discovery of America de-
stroyed Peru as it did Mexico. The Peru
of today Is a small part of the ancient en-
pire. At the time of the conquest the
Spaniards found the land in high state
OF cultivation. While naturally in large
part desert, owing to very scant or no
rainfall between the mountains and the
coast, the natives by the superior wisdom
and foresight of their Incas, had brought
water immense distances and rendered
arabic vast stretches of country. The an
Gent irrigation of Peru was very wonder
full
Water was conducted by means Of ca
mails and subterraneous aqueducts exc
cuted on grand scale. They We're built
gether without cement. The water supply
came from some elevated lake or natural
reservoir in the heart of the moun;ains
and fed at intervals by other basius which
lay on the route along the slopes of the
Sierras. Passages were cut through rock
tanl the Pcruvans had no iron toos) and
almost impossible mountains were turned |
rivers and morasses We're crossed and APP
parently impossible feats OF engineering |
NIL had t-t,,
Tor the irrigation of fields and gardens |
Some of these canals were very long: that |
of Condesuyu was between 400 AMI ECO |
miles in length.
BY latent ducts or sluces the l!fe-glv- !
Ing fluid was led to the tillable lands |
along the line of the canals Iii some III
stances the land was Hood I'd, wh 10 in |
othefs the water was made to run n fur |
rows between the rows of growing mai>o
tobacco and other crops. Each Occur ar:
OF land was allowed certain quantity OF |
water by the law of the empire Over
seers FOR the government had charge Of |
each district and saw that every MAJ re-
celved his proper amount and that he ca
nails were kept in repair.
mat the government understood the
Danger of floods and took steps to prevent
them is shown by some of the works s;iil
eXtant. Notable Is the still visible ,unnel
near Casamasca. While the waters " ;nis
lake were used for Irrigation, the heavy
rains and melting SHOWS OF the mounta.rs
would cause an overflow. To protect the
irrigation works and the settlements along
'he route, tunnel was eXcaylted I'm he .
mountains to give an outlet in au,lhar al
reeton TO the waters OF the laAc wien
ton.
AT the coming of the Spanlard the lou1
everywhere teemed with evidence of ao,i.
cultural wealth" said Senior Estacia. To-
nectiseiy' Today the greater ;at- of CHS
paranise mas reverted to its original arid
,vhui,ion. Here and there, where some
'lu -hiied and long forgotten tunnel
'eaAs u hllie moisture. the rank y.geta-
,,,rr ~ Vur tropics, In contrast With The
surrounding arid wastes. shows the uoyer
Of irrigation" 'A7 Po"er
inis gives rise TO the reflection that thu
~ spaniaras' Wherever their star of chiyaIrv
- rhpaclly Tor wealth led them. ',ave 20.
'royen and never created Their ec,oine
ias Always been curse to the ps mi, ,ha,,
Shivalric and renklessly blaye
Ivy yet considered the ciyili.aI,n ,od Ia
~ ~. vi inc new world as hut ter- | y
ion. '' 'or uestrnc-
bnt these native tribes. peon,e ,o,,o.n v
,t 's.benighted and heathen--had ha, 5,
ieo with nature. learned +ha Co. c,
e assess ana conquered under the mast ad, D
Mount ~, s.. They made use Of :,
herein w mhes and natural reservoirs. 4
In, In,..n were stored the waters of M y
ga suason and the melting SHOWS, 10 he Y
sea during tho dry season. W no u
,. ne nave today In California. rolorsdo !,
tisona' New Mexico. Utah ana ~ u
'or'hwestern States millions a. srrs. ~ =, B
mo, mo The productive capacity Of wbieS =, =. al
',o compute, which csn ana VIII ne Ct
'SioiIned eventually Gree, r'ft ~ "