The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-07

EXPENSIVE METHODS EMPLOYED
FOR IRRIGATION.
Water In n Precious Fluid I'm the
Southwest and WASTE Must BE
Prevented.
Of tn. Indianapolis Journal.


WASHINGTON, Sept 5.-Haf a century
ago the pioneers near the Great Salt Lake
led the mountain waters to irrigate their
parched fields through fumes built Of ma
tive lumber spanning ravines and crossing
places where eartnen canals were imprac-
ticable Since that time the construction
of wooden fumes in the Rocky mountain
States has steadily increased until the cost
of those In use at present would aggregate
many millions OF dollars.
The vast extent of the arid land Of the
west-fully one-third OF the area of the
whole country-includes some of the rich
est agricultural land on the globe. In the
West, where water for irrigation is worth
far more than the land, the latter being
valueless without the former, an econom-
zeal transmission of this water is a very
serious problem, especially where II has TO
travel long distance. In such cases evap-
grafton and seepage are important factors.
The network of bitches and canals which
thread the cultivated portions OF arid
America varies in size from the furrow of
the individual irrigator to the large canal
of the corporation. carrying, respectively,
fifty gallons and several hundred thousand
gallons a minute.
FURNISHING THE SUPPLY.
All sorts OF conduits are in use to trans
NIT this water. The cheapest and simplest
means is the open dirt ditch or canal
similar to the canals of the East used for
transportation purposes. But the prob
lens of operating and keeping supplied
with water the old Chesapeake Ohio
canal for instance, and the Kings river
canals of California entirely different
ones. Should the former be found to leak
or it's water be leaking through it's walls.
the matter would not be a serious one,
except perhaps as 1t might damage other
property. The water supply would be
abundant. On the other hand, should the
canals obtaining their supplies from Kings
river be found TO waste their water, or to
lose much OF 1t by evaporation the loss
would be a direct one and great, for 1t
would be irretrievable In some instances
such losses have been found to be excess
sive. amounting, where the water was
transported in open channels for long
distance, to more than one-half the orig
inal supply, and causing great hardship
to the farmers depending upon ii. To OBJ
viate this loss, where water is wealth, ex-
pensive pipes and fumes were constructed
Cement-lined bitches, wooden troughs or
fumes. stave pipes of redwood, steel pipes
and even iron-cast pipes. such as are laid
for sewers. used, this being the most
expensive but the most lasting type.
The redwood pipe is one of the best
fumes and most picturesque conduits of
the West. 1t can be laid down into can
yons and up hills like tape line, and 1t is
euperseding the old trestle and hume here
tofore used for carrying water across ra-
vines. In some cases these great pipes are
entirely buried, as the wood lasts longer If
several feet under ground. They are con-
structed from the sempervirens redwood
which is a slightly smaller cousin of the
"B<g Tree OF California. The use of wood
en- or iron pipes prevents practically all
evaporation. which in the hot Southwest is
excessive. In Hawaii. where the water
used for irrigation Is mostly pumped, iron
and steel pipes are used.
CEMENT-LINED bitches.
California companies are lining good
many of their bitches with cement 1t
seems especially fortunate that, whereas
imported cement is expensive on the Pacific
coast. an excellent native product is avail
able from the clay. limestone and calc-spar
of the San Bernardino mountains of south
ern California Cement can thus be manu-
featured and sold for about three-fourths
of the cost of the foreign article.
Water is carried by fiume in some in
stances for many miles. One of the most
interesting Instances is seen in the irriga-
ton Of the orange groves Of Corona. Cal.
The water for these groves Is pumped by
the Temescal Water Company into cement
fumes and pipes forty miles away, and DUR
ing its transit less than per cent. is lost.
Prescott describes wonderful conduits of
the Peruvian Incas; in one instance water
was brought out Of the mountain reservoirs
of the Andes to the coast lands by an aque-
duct over $50 miles in length. In New Mex
leo to-day can be seen canals cut through
the living rock and tunnels made through
mountains--an testimony to the value of
water for irrigation in all ages
GUY E MITCHELL.