The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-05-26
Governments Vast Project in
Big Horn Country.
COST WILL BE 81, 100000
How One Hundred and Sixty Thousand
Acres Of Desert Lands Are to Be
Redeemed for Agricultural
Purposes.

One Of the greatest Of the irrigation
projects now being undertaken by the
government in the arid regions Of the
far west is what IS known in official
circles as the Shoshone project, in Big
Horn county. Wyoming, says the Des-
eret News of salt Lake. This is moth,
ing less than a scheme. now fairly
launched and under way, for the re-
demption through irrigation of 10000
acres of hitherto desert lands spread
out to the northeast of the Shoshone
river from the town Of Cody and for
merly known among the Indians OF
that section as the "Stinking Water"
because Of the rank sulphurous fumes
arising from various vents and creyices
in the earth adjoining the stream,
which is also more or less impregnated
with the chemical.
Sinking Water river has proved alto
gether too uneuphonions for the mod
ern refined ear, and It has been chang
ed to Shoshone.
Some years ago Buffalo Bill Colonel
wv. #. Cody sensed what might be
done in this section in the way Of irri-
CATION and started out to organize big
irrigating company with a view to do
Ing Just what the government is now
proposing to do But it was not long
before the immensely of the undertake
ing impelled him to halt and enter into
negotiations with tie government 10
tnke the job Off his hands Finally,
about two years ago, Cody was induced
to sign off all his claims to the lands
Immediately under the scope of the
project, and then the government took
hold. Tie scheme was placed under
the immediate direction Of Civil Engi-
neer j. Ahern of the reclamation bu-
reau of the geological survey for Wyo-
ming and the necessary Typographical
surveys made.
The site Of the proposed dam has
been located In the Box canyon, half q
mile below the junction Of the north
and south forks and six miles above
the town Of Cody. where the walls Of
the canyon are HOO feet high 60 feet
wide at the surface of the stream and
100 feet wide at the top of the dam.
The dam is To BE 200 feet above the
water and 90 feet beneath, where it
will be necessary TO penetrate to reach
solid bedrock Through the operations
Of nature this ninety feet has been
tllled Ia with powders and slabs from
the cliffs above, some of them being
thirty feet thick. This has been es.
tablished by Captain G. Al Hammond
and Professor Swendsen, drill experts
Of the geological survey. SO It viii be
necessary to excavate for that depth,
and in the meantime a short tunnel
and canal will be run around the south
side of the dam site. through which the
stream will run. The size Of the cross
section of the dam has not yet been de-
termined, but viii be ample for anT
pressure that may be brought TO beau
by 200 feet OF water.
The water viii be set back some
eighteen or twenty miles. the forks
above being widened FROM one to three
miles, and with such depth Of water
Captain Hammond sees no reason why
pretty sizeable steamers should not be
placed thereon, and this, combined With
the remarkable scenery and glorious
climate, ought to make any scheme To-
build here q summer watering resort Al
reasonable one. The elevation at the
dam is 500 feet above the level Of the
sea, which IL neither too high nor too
low for health purposes. The country
is a mixture of mountain and wide
valley lands. the latter at present COW
cred with sagehrush and greasewood-