Bisbee daily review., 1905-04-22
fPhoenix Repnhlicanl

(Phoenix Republican,
 The most disastrous incident for this valley that has occurred as a re suit of the river floods was in progress yesterday. when the Arizona canal dam. across the Salt river. began sloughing away several timbers at a time. There was over seven feet of water going over the dam in the morn ing, and early in the forenoon it was noticed that the water had made hole in the structure near its center. The breach kept widening toward the south end, near which is the headgate to the canal, and at the last authentic report the hole in the dam was over 200 feet wide. That was about , o'clock in the afternoon. What may have happened to it since then is all conjecture. though it is natural to suppose that the break is constantly growing. and it will not be surprising if the whole dam is destroyed. The figures above are only a guess. of course, for there was torrent of water flowing. and all that could be known was what could De seen rom the bank of the stream, some hun dred of feet away During the day the water fell but little, but there was sJiil q big stream running last night, and at Tempe it seemed as high as ever.
 The importance of this misfortune is not alone in the property joss to the canal company, which is tremen- dous, but it very seriously affects al most all the north side ranchers, for the reason that it may mean an entire lack of irrigation water for their crops later on. when the dry season comes and the rain stops. And it could not occur at a more critical time, for the crops now are all growing, and if there is a shortage it will be during the sea son when they are maturing.
 The irrigators themselves. fully un- derstand the situation, as do many others. but there are many readers who do not hence brief description of the dam is pertinent. It is 900 feet long and eight or ten feet high, with an apron below. and in the river bed above. The structure is .efa wood, be- ing plank on framework of piles and bolted timbers. The purpose of the dam is entirely for the diversion of water into the Arizona canal, winch feeds all the other north side canals. There is no storage basin of any ap- preciable size, the little basin formed when the dam was first built fifteen years or more ago, having filled with silt Immediately afterward. There is therefore no foundation for the fear entertained by many yesterday that the breaking of the dam meant an ey- oessive flow below. There is no ad- ditional water in the river, and the fact of the hole in the dam in no de gree increases the flow below The only fear is that when the water does go down the headgate will be left nigh and dry. And in that event there would be no irrigating water unless some, temporary dam could be made to serve the purpose during the period of repair.
 What repairs will be necessary can not now be foretold. even if no more Of the dam should be swept away for the reason that no one can tell what sort of channel has been made in the place where the break occurred. It may be e>forty feet deep, for all any body can tell now. And the expense Of repairing the dam. if 1t is rebuilt as before. can be guessed al by one person almost as well as another. un- til the extent of the damages is known. Tn considering the matter, though, it should be borne in mind that all the lumber has to be hauled twenty-eight miles in wagons, and the dam was mostly lumber e,i,i titi,i5ers. ;Sot alone the expense, but the ume neces- sary for the repairs, will be embar- rassing both to the canal company and the users of the water ,.
 Just how and why the dam gave way is also guess work, but some who should be in a position to know have ventured the opinion that the water first worked its way under the struct- ure at the point where the old timbers were joined with the new work a num- Der of years ago. and at which time S40.000 was spent in repairs. But though the misfortune is a great one it cannot be said but that the old dam has dcne Ngood service for a wooden construction, and has with stood many years of alternating drouth and high water pressure. This year it has been under a constant pressure of from six inches to seven feet of water since January 10.