The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1903-06-03

Owens, the well known irrigation engi-
neer, has been ovei the route of the pro-
posed ditch or canal, and the sur, eys
have been in for some time. A great
deal of local capital has been and will be
invested, although the majority of the
cash required will come from Boston
people.
1.-THE scheme is one of the most FEAST
BILE yet undertaken in the irrigation OF
the great sand desert that lies burning
beneath the Eastern Washington sun.
Under the magic touch of water the
country around Yakima and Wenatchee
already has blossomed from an arid
waste into one grand garden of fruit and
flowers. This new canal, running from
series of lakes embedded in the perpet-
ual SHOWS that crest the Cascade noun
tains, will pierce thousands and thous-
and of acres of hitherto useless land
and will mean fortunes to those who
are Gin on the deal" and to those who
are so fortunate as to purchase land along
the way.
Leaving the Yakima river at point
near Mabton, the canal will follow the
north bank of the river about forty feet
higher in elevation than the partly COM
pleted old Leadbetter ditch, and crosses
the Columbia river by means of steel
pipes at a point about twelve miles
above Pasco, and is conducted thence
over about so, 1000 acres of land around
Pasco.
"Work on this gigantic project will
start, according to Engineer Owens,
within the next thirty days. The first
day of May, 1904, water will be thrown
upon the eighty thousand acres of land.
BY a full year, the ditch will be practi-
cally completed, and by year and a
half, the founders OF the canal will have
spent three millions of dollars, and
thousand upon thousands of acres of
land will have been reclaimed from the
gods that gave it and transformed into a
bower of flower fringed industry.
'Mr. James A. Moore, Mr.. Owens
andiothers who are associated with them,
have the best proposition, perhaps, for,
aside from the canal proper, they have
secured the immense tracts of land
known as the Northern Pacific conces-
sion. This land will be directly pierced
by the big water ditch.
"When seen by The Times, Mr.. Owens
was very enthusiastic over the PROPOSE
ton. He was little surprised that the
story had leaked ont and said it would
be mighty good thing if its publica-
ton could be suppressed few days, as
they would like to have little more
time in getting out their righ-of-way.
However, he not only admitted its truth,
but plainly inferred that the proposition
would be the most gigantic one of its
kind ever planned in this part of the
country.
THE water will be emptied on to the
land by gravity only. This will of
course, do away with the cost OF erect
ing immense pumping plants, etc.
While it could not be definitely ascer-
tanned, it is understood that great re-
servoirs are to be built high up on the
mountains and the waters from various
lakes stored therein and held for use
during the late summer and fall months
1t will then be sent hurting down the
mountain sides, over the Columbia river
and then on to its final destination.
"The incorporators of the company
are: James \. Moore, II. X. Owens and
Frank Dabney, assistant treasurer OF
the Seattle Electric Company"