El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-10
PERSIAN bitches
Wells Sunk At the Foothills And
the Water Carried BY Subterrd-
mean Aqueducts To the Land To
Be irriudted.

mean AqueduCtS To the Land 10
Be Irrigated.
Special Correspondence of the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-The great
subterranean rivers of the west which
slowly wend their silent way, hundreds
of feet beneath the earth's surf ace,
have their couuterparts on the other
side of the globe. The Caspian Sea is
fed by many subterranean streams.
These streams, like those of our own
arid region, take their sources in the
mountains which are covered with per-
petual snow. The water from this
melting snow percolates downward to q
deep-lying, impenetrable stratum,
where it begins its underground passage
to the ses. Nearly the whole of Persia
is naturally desert. There is scsnt
rainfall and the rivers are so few that
irrigation from this source is very linn
tied and serves only q small portion OF
the country. Centuries ago the Per-
SLAMS stumbled upon the idea of tapping
the underground streams or springs at
the bases of the mountains, and the
transition of the Persian desert into
land of great fertility is due to this
constant source of water supply. But
the water has been obtained only
through the most interchangeable labor.
A we'll is sunk in the foothills toa
depth anywhere from 100 to 300 feet.
When this taps the vein OF water, an
other shaft is SUM- couple of hundred
a Uh Ia
10 reality a gentle descent of the table
land from the mountains. A canal or
subterraneau aqueduct is then excavat-
ed between the two shafts. AT a simi-
lar distance farther down another
shaft is sunk and likewise connected
with the second: and so the canal or
connesugh as it is called, is carried for
miles. AS the connesugh is given just
fall enough to allow of free flow of
water it gradually approaches the sur
face until, when it draws near the land
to be irrigated, the stream comes forth
a pesrling bubbling brook, dancing In
the brilliant sunshine as it rushes on
its mission to redeem the sterile
waste places of Nature. For
miles it goes through what was at one
time q desert, but which under the
magic influence of the elixir of life, be-
comes a garden of the gods. 1t feeds
fountains around which in lsnguorous
Incidence repose the dark-eyed beau
ties of the harem: it furnishes the
baths, those luxuries of the Orient; it
waters wonderful gardens, where in
dazzling profusion, bloom throughout
the year, the rose, chryssnthemum,
narcissus, tuberose, dahlia, white lily
and aster. besides fantastic shrubs and
rare exotics, heavy with rich perfumes.
Here grow to perfection the apple, |
peach, pear, nectarines, pomegranite,
flbert, melon and grape, and many
tropical fruits in such abun
dance as to bewilder the traveller.
Where the soil admits of percolstioa
the land is flooded in small squares
from lateral bitches. On such land,
barley, wheat and other cereals are
grown to great perfection. Again,
irrigation is accomplished by a net
work of bitches and burrows. The |
mills which grind the grain are run by |
the current of the great irrigation |
The cities of Persia secure the water |
necessary for domestic use from these
bitches. Thecapital, Teherau, has no
less than twenty large artificial streams
flowing through it, constituted in the
manner described from the under
ground currents.
The land lying adjacent to these
canals is entitled TO the use of the
water, the amount being regulated by
sw. Each district is under an over
seer whose duty it Is to see to the
proper application of the water and
hat there is no waste.
Wealthy private individuals have
also constructed bitches for their own
use, furnishing the water to their ten
iuts: but land contiguous to their ca
asls Is entitled to certain water rig hts
even if not belonging TO the owners of
,he bitches. Title to the use of water
8 inherent in the land and each Sec
ion of land lie certain of it's water sup
,ly.
When the immense amount of labor
involved in sinking shafts and connect
ng them by underground tunnels is
Considered together with the fact that
'nly the most primitive methods are !
'et in vogue, the Anglo-Saxon can but I
marvel at the patience and
Industry displayed in the &C. ,
of such gigantic but i
Necessary tasks. Some sections of
Persia esnaciallu fhnse alnnu the ma