The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-10-01
Another Big Irrigation Scheme.

Another Big Irrigation Scheme.
What promises to be the develop
ment of one of the largest public util-
tiles in the state was eliminated last
week by signing of the contract
awarded by the Hanford Irrigation
and Power Co. to the Allis-C Chalmers
Company, of Milwaukee, Wis, for the
building of huge hydro-electric plant
at Priest Rapids on the Columbia riv-
err. The Hanford Irrigation and Pow
er Co. is strictly home company,
organized by Seattle capitalists and
named in honor of Judge Hanford. Its
officers are former Gov. John H. Nc
Graw, president; James A. Kerr, vice
president; G. J. Smith, treasurer, and
Manly P. Haynes, secretary, and the
list of trustees contains the names OF
well-known business men, H. @. Hen
ry, Chas. e. Patten, T. J. German and
w. R. Todd.
The company has during the last
year been quietly acquiring lands on
the west and south banks of the Co.
lumbia river below Priest Rapids. All
land owned by the Northern Pacific
railroad was secured, the state
school lands in the district were or
dered up and most of them bought in
by the company. The Filey ranch at
the rapids was bought by the COM
pany, giving absolute control OF the
water power. In all the company will
own over $4,000 acres of what is con-
coded to be the richest undeveloped
land on the Pacific coast. This rich
body of land is on a low bench; 3d.
900 acres is under a level of 100 feet
from extreme low water of the river
The plan is to transmit power by
electricity to pumping stations on the
banks of the river and the contract
carries a guarantee to deliver 200
second feet of water, which will be
sufficient to irrigate $4,000 acres of
land. The works will be installed
during the low stage of water this
coming fall, and water will be turned
on the land by May LIST, 1907.
The enterprise carries with it a
plan to build an electric road connect
ing with the new Milwaukee road to
the north and the Northern Pacific
on the south. At present the district
is easily reached by boat running from
Kennewick to the foot of Priest Rap
ids. 1t will mean the upbuilding of
a new city, the name already decided
upon being "Hanford," which is sure
to become one Of the prominent flu
ture towns of central Washington.
The possible development of power
at Priest Rapids is almost without
limit 1t will be extended for COM
mercial uses to all parts of the Yak
ina valley, and can be used for irri-
cation for a hundred miles down the
Columbia river basin. This will be
the first large power irrigation plant
of the kind in this state, though they
have been in successful operation in
California for many years. every
available water power in that state
has long since been developed, the
chief use of the power being for
pumping for irrigation. In the state
of Texas all irrigation is by pumping,
power having superseded gravity
bitches, and is considered the most
perfect system.
Nowhere can conditions be found
more perfect than in the Priest Rapids
district with the convenient unlimit-
ed power, an immense body OF uh-
usually rich land under an easy lift,
large body of water, the highest flood
of which is in the irrigation season,
easy transportation by rail and boat to
the big markets both east and west.
There will be no lines of dead ditch
with the usual seepage and waste, no
water-right disputes, no fumes to be
rebuilt every eight years, no breaking
nj