The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-20
TO WATER ARID LANDS.
win Be Carried Distance Of Three
Hundred and Fifty Miles.

It is expected that the next few
years will witness the development of
the most remarka BILE system of water
carrying in Western Australia that has
ever been seen, says the Washington
Post The plan is to repeat, again and
again, the successful engineering work
that is now supplying the great gold
mining region of Coolgardie, far out in
the desert of the interior, with plenty
of water brought from the coast noun
tains, 325 miles away.
This Western Australia desert con-
tains perhaps the largest waterless re-
gions in the world. When David W.
Carnegie made his second journey
across it, several years ago he trav-
eled 500 miles, without finding any
thing that suggested a permanent
source of water.
For many days he saw nothing but
pricklv spinifex covering the sand
ridges, which were forty to fifty feet
in height and extended east and west
parallel with one another He wrote
that he crossed over eighty of these
sand ridges in eight hours travel
But under these repellant sands lie
the great gold resources Of Western
Australia that are now supplying more
of the metal every year than all the
rest Of the commonwealth When the
rush OF miners to this great thirst re-
gion began. the eager search and the
frantic strife for water was sometimes
tragical.
The government sought for under
ground sources of supply, but most Of
this water was found to be so impreg-
mated with salts that It was unit for
use. Engineers finally devised a plan
of water delivery from the western
coast mountains. about twenty miles
to the south of Perth, which involved
the largest pumping scheme that has
vet been carried into operation in any
part Of the world.
The works were completed only two
years ago, and they are attracting all
lation that is paving Sl4,0O0,0OO for
them is still quite small.
The amount of rainfall in the basin
Of the Helena river, which flows
through the Canning hills south Of
Perth, Is about thirty inches a year It
was found that by impounding this
river a supply of over 100000 gallons
Il day would be available for transpOr-
tation into the interior.
The problem was TO transport this
water a distance of $50 miles, for IT
was proposed to extend the aQueduct
to the kalgoorlie digging east of Cool
gardie. and this has been done. Nun
daring, the place where the Helena
river was damned is only about 800
feet above the sea, but the surface of
the desert to which the water was to
/ be carried Is about 1850 feet above
sea level, so the water was not only to
be transported as far as from New
York City to Lake Erie. but to be
4 lifted during the process about 1900
feet.
The water which COLLECTS hack of the
dam In the Helena river forms a fine
I lake seven miles In length. The big de-
livery pipe that carries the water is
not buried IN the soil, but lies on the
1 surface or in open trenches. for there
is no danger Of freezing.
There are eight pumping stations, a
I little over forty miles apart. and thus
the water is kept moving up the long
/ but very gentle incline. It finally
/ reaches a reservoir many miles west Of
Coolgardls and from this point gravi-
tation takes it to the 5000 inaabi-