The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-13
PRESIDENT URGES
PROMPT ACTION
CONTINUED FROM PAGE H.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE IL
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sage of the water, and in the spring of
1895 the floods of the Colorado river, fol-
lowing the artificial cut, rapidly wldened
the deepened it until the entire flow of
the river water turned westerly down the
relatively steep slope into the Imperial
valley and thence into what is known
as Salton sink, or Salton sea.
after the mischief became apparent
strenuous efforts were made by the Cali
fornia Development company to close the
break, but these were without success.
Finally the Southern Pacific, finding its
! tracks imperiled and traffic seriously in
terferred WITH advanced money to the
! California Development company, receiv-
! ing as security a majority of the shares
/ of the company, and thus took charge of
the situation.
by means of the facilities available to
the Southern Pacific company, the break
in the west bank of the Colorado river
was closed on November 4, 1906. A month
later. however, sudden rise undermined
the poorly constructed levees Immediate
ly south of the former break, and the
water again resumed its course into the
Saton sea-
Alarming Results.
THE results have been highly alarming
as it appears that if the water is not
checked 1t will cut a very deep channel
which, progressing up stream in series
of cataracts will result In conditions such
| that the water cannot be diverted by
| gravity into the canals already built in
the Perial valley. If the berak is not
closed before the coming spring flood of
! 1907, it appears highly probable that ali
of the property values created in the
| valley will be wiped out, including farms
and towns, as well as the revenues de-
| nv 10
Ultimately the channel will be deepened
in the main stream itself up to and be-
+, yond the town of Yuma, destroying the
| homes and farms there, the great railroad
bridge and the government works at La
! Guna dam, above Yuma.
1.-The actual amount of tangible wealth
or securities possessed by the settlers to-
day on which money can be raised is be-
| levcd to be very small. Nearly all IN
/ dvidual property has been expended in
| securing water rights from the California
| Development company, or from the other
organizations handling the water supply
and controlled by this company 1t Is
evident that the people have slender re-
sources to fall back on and in view of
! the threatened calamity are practically
| helpless. The California Development
company is also unable to meet the ext
| gency Nevertheless the people in their
! desperation were reported as trying to
|
property in order to give to the California
Development company a million dollars
| to assist in repairing the break
1.-The complications which have arisen
| from the transfer of the property and the
| involved transactions of the Gala De-
velopment company with it's numerous
subsidiary companies are such that the
/ United States would not be justified in
having any dealings with this company
until the compiled lions are removed and
! the government has a full understanding
of every phase of the situation.
Call Upon Government.
at has been stated that the California
! Development company has not the fnan-
/ cial strength to repair the break and to
restore the bank of the Colorado river to
! such permanent conditions that a similar
/ occurrence cannot happen. 1t Is further
understood that the Southern Pacific
company having expended S2,OOO,OOO or
more for the protection of its interests
declines to furnish more money to the
| California Development company to save
| the Imperial valley beyound controlling
! the present break in the river bank. The
owners of the property in the Imperial
valley, both farmers and townspeople, to-
| gether with the Southern Pacific company
and the California Development company
! have now seen fit to call upon the gov
eminent for q contribution to assist the
California Development company to the
extent of erecting works to insure pro-
| lection for the future.
| ''If the river is not put back and per-
manently maintained In its natural bed.
the progressive back cutting in the course
of one or two years will extend up stream
! ia Yuma as before stated. and finally 70
| the La Guna dam now being built by the
| government, thus wiping out millions OF
dollars of property belonging to the gov
| eminent and to citizens.
'The great Yuma bridge will go our,
and approximately 100000 acres of land
as fertile as the Nile valley will be left
| In deserted condition. Much of the
| land would be worth from $500 to $3.50 per
acre to Individual owners II properly irri
| gated. or a total of from $350,000o00 to
| 800 100000.
| Prompt Action.
1.-THE point to be specially emphasized Is
| that prompt action must be taken If any,