The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-01-01
CONSIDERABLE SWAMP ENcouN-
TERED BY NEW CANAL.
WAITING FOR A MACHINE
Section West Of City Where Ordinary
Excavating Methods Are
Not Practicable.

4 bNVS 61aSSSVQ0bSs
! UT may strike some people as re-
| markable that in a region where irri-
1 cation is absolutely necessary as a
| prerequisite to the successful cultiva-
/ ton of crops, land should be found
SO low and swampy as to constitute
an obstacle to the construction OF a
canal intended for irrigating purposes; ;
yet the Billings Land and Irrigation
company finds itself confronted in that
i, manner. West Of the city are several
stretches, aggregating in all about two
miles, where the ditch will have to
pass through what may be almost
called a regular quagmire 1t is i'm
possible to use horses or scrapers
there and the excavating will have
to be done by means of dredge. For
this reason that portion of the canal
has not yet been contracted for, as
none of those who are anxious to
/ bid on the job has such machine.
1t is said, however, that several par
ties are seriously contemplating the
purchase of dredge and that before
long one of them will be prepared to
submit a proposal.
Result Of CareIessness.
One of the swampy places is about
four miles west of Billings and the
other some distance further, close to
the Northern Pacific track, where it
has undoubtedly been viewed by many.
The ground in those spots is thorough
ly saturated and water stands on the
the many years of irrigation of that
part of the valley and also by the
negligence and carelessness of irri-
gators in former years, before there
was demand for all the water carried
by the present ditch. Many then
found themselves possessed of more
| water than they could find use for
! and permitted the surplus to flow onto
, land not under cultivation. In time
this so filled the ground that further
absorption became impossible and the
water remained, the evaporation being
insufficient to carry it off and because
of the surrounding topography no out
let was afforded. The same causes
| conspired to saturate other land, now
j under cultivation, and it became neces-
der the Big ditch to adopt measures
for draining their holdings. Some OF
, these are among those who are con-
sidering the advisability of buying a
dredge, as the ordinary little surface
drainage bitches they have dug no lon
ger carry off all the water with which
they find themselves encountered.
While actual contracts have not
been entered into for the construction
of that part of the canal referred to,
it may be said that they have as gooa
as been let, as there is no doubt of
the purchase of at least one dredge,
and possibly more.
Much Work Doing.
~ On other sections work is progress
ing rapidly and dirt is being thrown
at fast pace. Two crews are work
ing on the tunnel by which the water
is to be carried through the point OF
the hill back of the old penitentiary
site. One is engaged at the west end
and the other at the east. At present
they are clearing the way for the
tunnel, making approaches, as much
rock has to be removed before the
tunnel itself can be begun. The rock
now removing consists of huge blocks
that have become dislodged from the
face of the bluff and much blasting
has to be done, as is attested by the
sound of explosions to be heard at
intervals during the day, especially
when the wind comes from the north
east, when the reports are distinctly
audible.
Already half mile of the ditch has
been completed, only the topping
remaining to be done. The finished
portion is within short distance of
the city and the contractors who have
shown SO much speed in its compile
ton are Keele & Lynch. S. H. Smith,
who has contract for the initial
two miles from the source, and F. L.