New-York tribune., 1907-01-13

distribution oc water were temporary in charac-
ter. being built Of wood and of the smallest pos
made a large amount OF land was brought under
cultivation. and at time was reported that
over 100000 acres were beinEl more or less irri-
gated.
The FIRST heading Of the can,u Of the California
Development Company was in the United states
Immediately north Of the Mei tan border. 1t was
found. however, after a time, bat the heading on
the United States side OF the inc did not give
grahe &c furnish sufficient f ow or wafer ana
after headings had been opene at other points
without successful results a cut IN the river
bank was made four miles slrther south in
shorter and sleeper course to ward the valley.
The making of this cut in b hllk composed OF
Hight alluvial soil, above a de preston such as
this. without controlling devlc es, was crlminal
negligence. This short cut on Mexican soil was
made in the fall of 1904, IL was gradually
eroded by the passage Of the water and In the
spring of 1905 the floods Of III Colorado River
deenened ii, until the entire flow of the river
was turned westerly down the relatively steep
slope into the Imperial Valley and thence into
what is known Salton Sink, or~Salton sea-
After the mischief became apparent strenuous
efforts were made by the California Develop
ment Company TO close the tsreak, nut iies, lhese
were without success. Finally the Southern
Pacific Company, finding its tracks imper1lleo
and traffic seriously interfered WITH aoVanceo
money 10 the California Development Company,
received as security a majority OF the shares or
the company, and thus look charge OF the Sit
uation,
Southern Pacific Company, the break In the
west bank of the Colorado River was closed on
November f. 1906. a month later however, d
sudden rise in the river undermined the poorly
constructed leyees immediately south or tne
former break. and the water again resumed lIs
course into the Salton Sea-
THE DANCER GREAT.
Ths. results have been highly alarming, as it
appears that IL the water is not checked 1t VIII
cut a very deep channel n hich progressing up
stream In a series Of cat;lracts, will result IN
conditions such that the water cannot he oil
verted by gravity into the canals already ouit
sn the Imperial Valley II the break is not
closed before the coming spring flood Of 1907. 1t
appears highly probable that all of the property
values created in this valley will he wiped out,
Including farms and towns. as Wen as the rev
enues derived by the Southern, Paclnc company
ultimately the channel will he deepened IN the
main stream itself I'D to and beyond the town
of Yuma. destroying the homes ana farms there
the great railroad bridge and the government
works at Laguna dam, above u una
It is difficult to estimate how many people
have settled in the valley, the figures Earylng o
from 5000 persons up TO as high as 1oooo 1t
IS also difficult 10 ascertain how nucn money
has been actually spent in real improvements
Town lots have been laid off, so at auctlon
aud several hundred buildings erected IN the
various small settlements scattere q throughout
the tract The greater part of th g public lana
has been taken up under the taoinesteao OF
desert entry laws. and sufficient " 7ork has peen
dome 10 secure title Some crops have been
raised and under favorable coradit ions 'le o"l
put in the near future would be large
The actual amount of tangible wealth or Sc
cr1r-ties possessed by the settlers TO-DAY upon
which money can be raised is be heVed 10 De
very small Nearly all individual property mas
feen expended in securing water rights from
the california Development Company or from
she other organizations handling he water sup
piv end controlled by this company IL Is evil
dent that the people have slender resources TO