Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-29
WILLIAM MULHoGLAND, SU-
PERINTENDENT LOS ANGE-
LES WATER Department

quired in construction work through
out the course of the conduit.
Nne-MiIe Tunnel
Below the first tunnel the lime tends
southwesterly along the foothills of the
Tehachapi range, rounding the south
ern extremity of the Sierras until 1t
reaches the precipitous eastern slopes
of the San Gabriel mountains, where 1t
turns sharply to the southeast, skirt
ing these wild and lonely foothills to
the vicinity of the headwaters of the
Santa Clara river. Here the line again
turns abruptly into the mountains and
arrives at the site of the chief work
of the entire undertaking. This is
nine-mile tunnel to be driven through
granite for the entire distance, and to
emerge in the vicinity of Vincent and
Acton. Just below, in the Soledad can
yon, an eight-foot inverted siphon will
be needed to bridge over depression.
On to the southwark through side
canyons, the course of the conduit
leads into the heart of the San Fer
nando range, through which the third
great tunnel, five miles long, pierces
to the head of the San Fernando val
ley at the western edge Of the San
Gabriel forest. Here a vast impound-
ing reservoir will be constructed,
whence the waters will be conveyed
to all the towns of the San Fernando
valley, in which Los Angeles with her
suburbs is located.
Superintendent Mulholland proposes
to use 5000 men upon the work, and to
push it forward with the utmost eX-
pedition, with the hope Of completing
it within four years. Forty miles OF
the conduit will be constructed along
side hills in a very abrupt and mac
af,~xr
conditions; but the remaining lao miles
of surface work lies over desert soil,
in which the conduit will be sunk
readily in the wake of the eXcavators.
The tunnel work will total seventeen
miles and will present the chief OBJ
stacles.
Prospectors Interested
Collaborating gravels and promising
lodges of quartz along the upper
course of the work have aroused some
interest among prospectors, and they
recall the days when the Chinese con-
structi0n crews of the Southern Pa
cific railroad quit work In body in
that country to take up placer claims.
But whatever the shovel and drill may
discover, 1t is certain that the value
of this splendid water supply will make
II appear inconSiderable bytcompari-
son. Here will be an assured and steady
flow for populous valley whose cultl-
waited lands sell at $1,000 an acre and
whose city property advances hourly
toward metropolitan values And back
of these already exploited lands are
2OOO acres of arid land now almost
valueess, which need but the magic
of Sierran waters to make them fertile
and productive.
In this winterless country, where the
soil is fertile and crops ripen through
out the year, there is no problem but
that Of water. These fertile valleys,
offering as they do so many attractions
to the small farmer and the developer
of special crops. are destined to be as
highly cultivated as the south of China
or the coasts OF Sicily and the time
is fast approaching when the owens
river will be to Los Angeles and the
san Fernando valley not luxury, but
a necessity. Los Angeles, the city of
tourists, cannot now spare water to
dush her streets or refresh the grass