The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1905-02-10

aaA Potatoes Are Looked Fer.
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 n the shoshone project In Big
Horn county. Wyoming. says the Des-
eret News OF Salt Lake. This Is moth
ing less than n scheme. now fairly
launched and under way. for the re-
demption through irrigation Of 10000
acres OF hitherto desert lands spread
out 90 the northeast OF the Shoshone
river from the town OF Cody and for
merry known among the Indians Of
that section as the Shrinking Water"
because Of the rank suiphurous fumes
arising from various vents and crevices
In the earth adjoining the stream.
which f. also more or less impregnated
with the chemical
Sinking Water river has proved alto
gether too uneuphOaious for the mod
ern refined ear, and it has been chang
ed to Shoshone-
Some years ago Buffalo Bill Colonel
W. r. Cody senSed what might be
done In this section I'm the way Of irri-
cation and started out TO organize a big
irrigatIng company with 4 view 20 do
ing just what the government Is now
proposing 20 do. But IL was not long
before the immensely Of the undertak-
ing ImpelIed him 70 halt and enter into
negotiations with the government TO
take the job OF his hands. Finally.
about two years ago. Cody was induced
TO sign OF all his claims to the lands
Immediately under the scope OF the
project. and then the government took
hold The 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 a
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 LOO feet high CD feet
wide Mt the surface OF the stream and
leo feet wide at the top OF the dam
The dam Is to he 600 feet above the
water and % feet beneath. where IL
will be necessary TO penetrate TO reach
solid bedrock Through the operations
Of pRture this ninety feet has been
flIed I'm with powders and slabs from
the cliffs above. some OF them being
thirty feet thick This las been es-
tabiIshed 10y Captain g. \ Hammond
and Professor SweDdsen. drill experts
OF the geological survey. 80 Il will be
necessary TO eXcavate for that depth.
and In the meantime short tunnel
and canal will IT, run around the south
side Of the dam site. through which the
stream VIII run The size uf the cross
section of the dam has not get been de
terminel, but Will lee ample for any
pressure that may be brought To bear
by aIO feet Of water
The water viii lie set back some
eighteen or twenty miles. the forks
above Ising Widene,l from one to three
miles. and with such depth OF wafer
Captain Hammond sees NO reason why
prrtu sizeihlc steamers should not -
PLACED thereon. and this. combined with
the remarkable Scruery and glorious
climate. ought to MAKE. any scheme ~
hIl44 lLa-lt- "a Nl4l.lfiisE " alt-E4ltl Ft-~afIl
reasonable one The elevation ar the
dam = 5..lOp feet above the level II the
Sea. which = neither too high nor too
low for health purposes The country
n mixture ~ mountain and wide
valley lands. the latter at present CIV
cred with SaSebr1I>h and Srca>cwc-si
but OF such a character - viii war
rant expectations 20 Immense crops %
alfalfa. Er1iu and Potatoes when once
water = SVread over IL In fact Cap
tain HauUlun SAYS Tor 4 potato ,,,un-
Try this cannot - surpassed some ~
the tubcrs growing To the dimensions
OF respectable slTs~i pGmpklnS-that -
lOCaI enthusiasts make that claim In
menSe bets are also grown there
The country - a miItur,. ~ lime
stone and sandstone which has ben
tilJ',d AID II many PLACES thrown -
one siie Icy az eruption ~ s.lu-Isn
granite from fhe beSina!uSs Of Hrst
things u SV-nilCy This granite - very
hand and has pUshsNi Its way through
20 The toys - the VarlOJIS I<akS aid
VIII furnish the material Cor The dam
The TiyrC vii furnish i,sAtsst aCr,. <v--t
Der AEDun. AID eighty feet - from
the strraa b-sttosG keadS&tss VIII be
put in and a tunnel cut through Ike
SIDE hill 20 the main canal t-ryoId
WhIch Is 20 l-e HfIy uiles IOaS capable
Of dtSceArgiE< l.>sI second f,~t There
l. uaor~ water n the IocaI sources o..
supply than can - eor'r~iy utilized
and when the TrSrrTOi- - Oous full
part OF the year some Of the water Will
have % run % waste
Seven miles below the daa water
VII be tAkep from the canal end srop-