Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-20

runoH. Professor BigelOw went to |
Phenix particularly to confer with |
Engineer Hill concerning the placing |
of what is termed an evaporation plant |
at or near Roosevelt for observations
and measurements Of the evaporation. I!
The subject of evaporation is a COM
paratiyely new line of work. That is.
it has been given less scientific atten-
ton than many other meteorological
matters, and conditions are so differ
ent in different regions that common
popular information on the subject is
of but small value in a scientific way.
1t is known in a general way that Ii
is much greater in the west than in
the east, where there is more cool
weather as well as heavier precipita-
ton; also it is known in general way
that in many places the amount of
water evaporated in IA given length of
time is two or three times as great as
the amount used for irrigation. For
instance. Lake Tahoe supplies the
Truckee-Carson project with water,
the project being In one of the driest
spots in the world, yet a years irri-
CATION from Lake Tahoe only utiliZes
about sixteen inches of water, while
the evaporation amounts to thirty
inches.
One of the most interesting projects
under the direction of Professor Bige-
low is that of the experiments at the
| Salton sea, which will be very compre-
hensive. temporary camp was main
| tanned there last summer for n couple
| OF months, but the real work of expert
menting has not yet been undertaken.
The weather bureau is not in the
| slightest concerned as to the fate Of
| the Salton sea other than the curiosity
common TO all. 1t does not care rap
| about it's effect on the climate there or
| in the southwest only in so far as
| knowledge of the results reveal Scien-
| tific facts concerning evaporation. 1t
| is only the scientific principles that the
bureau seeks to possess itself of. So
far as the climatic effect of the sea is
| concerned. the bureau has demonstrate
ed beyond doubt, says Professor
Bigelow. that it is practically nil The
influence of the rising vapor and the
cooling of the wind as it crosses the
sea can be noted for few hundred
feet only, as it has been by travellers
on the trains that skirt its edge, but
| 1000 feet inland from the shore there
is not the slightest evidence of any
effect
When the sea began to fill the gov
eminent date farm at Mecca seemed to
be in danger, and another was immedi-
ately established at Indio. Close OBJ.
servations were kept at Mecca. where
the water came to within half mile
Of the farm. There was not only the
fear that it might be submerged, but
the fear that the climate might be sc
changed as to interfere with the cul
ture of dates. which require very dry
air 1t was found that the year fol
lowing the filling of the Salton basin
was the driest one ever experienced
, ed. The opinion concerning the imma
, terial effect of the sea is based not or
, this alone. but on observations at In
dio. at Mammoth Tank and at Draw
ley, stations along the Southern Pacific
| at differing intervals of distance from
! the sea. Another little experiment was
, made the past season by Professor
Bigelow. He ran long parallel evapc
ration pans from the sea inland 70
1900 feet and found the evaporation
was faster nearer the sea than 1t wa
at the other end. The phenomena o
evaporation is subtle, and its laws ar
little understood. all of which make
the proposed experiments at Salton Sc
most desirable, as the opportunitie
offered are unusually inviting.
Concerning the. change of climat
Professor Bigelow says the peopl
e speak very thoughtlessly or withou
b stopping to inform themselves of cas-
\ ~ acquired facts. Though Salton Sc
( is quite large body of water, contain
ing about 440 square miles, the tota
of its liquid contents is small con
| pared to the annual precipitation owe
the area which many people contend
affected by the sea, mere drop in th
!, bucket as it were. compared to tn
. amount of water that falls annual
between Phenix and the Californi
. desert.
:, Speaking of the proposed exper
ments at Salton, Professor Bigelo'
said he did not care to go into grea
details Yet, but in general way b
outlined the plant. The permaner
. camp will be established where til
railroad crosses an arm of the sea.
: long pier will be built out into the sc
: for the reason that the experiment
:. are to be continued for five or 81
years, and as the sea is drying up
:, the rate of six feet year the obse
;. walton towers must be placed in VIII;
is now deep water. One tower will |
placed where the water is twenty fl,
feet deep, another at the depth of fort
- feet and another at the depth of fift
five feet. AS they will be perhal
. forty feet above the water line, vii
. evaporation bases placed every tt
feet, the taller one will necessarily
" a hundred feet above the bottom
:, the sea and all will have to be bui
heavily and set firmly to defy II
wind and waves, both of which a
sometimes very strong. Observation
will be taken every four hours bo
dav and night This Dlaut and tho o