Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-03
WORK
TOLD IN DETAIL
COMMISSION SUBMITS THIRD
ANNUAL REPORT
RECORDS GREAT PROGRESS IN
ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION
Outline Given of Extensive OPERA
lions Planned for Next Year, and
Financial Conditions Stated
as Satisfactory

third annual report to the Doaru OF pun
lie works yesterday. The report is in
three volumes, of which but one is
complete so far. That one contains 165
closely typewriter pages, and the other
volumes will be as large.
In his preface to the report Chief En-
gineer William Mulholland says this
third report is the first to record sub
stantial progress in the actual construc-
ton Of the aqueduct. He says:
1T would be rare to find case in
the annals of important engineering
construction where the saying, Well
begun is half DONE would apply with
such force"
The report contains not only resume
Of the work of the past year, but an
outline of what it is expected to ac-
complish next year.
Boiled down, the report says:
During the coming year it is intended
that work shall be carried to compile
ton on Division creek power plant No.
2. The estimate of cost of same is
S57, $50. The penstock pipe for this plant
is now about one-half laid, and the
buildings are nearly completed. None
of the machinery has yet arrived, but 1t
| is expected that it will be set and the
plant be in shape for operation by
about the middle of January. 1t is de
signed that this plant shall furnish
power for dredge No. 2, the construc-
ton of which is now under contract.
Power plant No. has been in opera
ton since April last, furnishing power
to operate dredge No; l. Work on the
canal was begun with this dredge May
1, 1908, and has progressed in desul-
tory way up to the present time.
About 1000 feet of canal have been
excavated, the progress of the last two
months accounting for more than one
half of it, due to the fact that difficult
ties are being rapidly overcome.
| 1t was originally intended that this
PARTON Of the aqueduct should have q
capacity of 700 second feet. After the
work was begun it was found fully as
economical to dig this canal of larger
| section than originally intended, which
has the effect of lowering the nigh
water flow line in the canal and keep
ing the wetted section deeper down in
the saturated soil of the valley. This
change will result not only in a saving
of loss by seepage from the ditch, but
an actual accretion of water that, in all
probability, will amount to more than
twenty-five second feet in the first
twenty miles of canal. This added
quantity of water will, of course be
more available during the periods of
low flow than in the periods of high
water, which is a manifest advantage.
A larger portion of the stream flood
flow may be diverted by thus increas-
| ing the capacity of the main canal.
| Dredge No. / was started at station
1880. which is near the channel drain
ing Black Rock springs. The water
from these springs was used to float
the dredge and give water for the ex-
cavating operations. The work is pro-
crossing southerly from this point.
| Dredge No. will be started at about
station $50, which is Immediately south
of Citrus road, and will work southerly
from that point.
To Work Nights in Summer
It is intended to operate this dredge
both night and day during the summer
months This is somewhat imprac-
| teal during the winter on account of
I the cold produced by the spraying eff
feet of the cutting nozzle, making night
work arduous and disagreeable.
On Olancha division No. 8 work
should be begun at the earliest possible
date which will be about April l. on
the excavation of the conduit from the
upper end Of Haiwee reservoir, work.
ing northerly. The distance from this
point to the southerly end of the Ala
bama hills is fifteen miles. While a
great deal of this distance is through
easy excavation, there are few miles
of it crossing the boulder fans of
Olancha, Ortega, Walker, Ash and Cot
tonWood creeks, where the digging VIII
| be somewhat difficult. Progress on this
section can scarcely be expected to eX-
coed an average of seventy feet a day.
Construction work on the HaiWee
reservoir should begin during the COM
| ing spring. 1t is expected that the rail-
road will be completed to this point by
March l, at which time the equipment
for this work can be delivered. AS 1t is
| intended to build the dam by the n.y.
draulic process, the equipment will con-
sist of a power shovel of large capacity,
a two-stage centrifugal pump of about
300 inches capacity against a head of
$50 feet, and all the necessary piping
and sluice boxes. Water is now being
accumulated in depression just above
the dam site of this reservoir, the sup
ply being drawn from Haiwee creek.
Rose Valley division No. is about
fifteen miles long. AS most of it is
easy work, on which a progress of 100
feet a day may be expected. the COM
mencement of the work can be deferred
for at least year, mainly to econo-
mize in power, and await the release
of some of the power being used in
the Jawbone division.
Work VIII Be Costly
Grapevine division No. is a rough
and expensive division, containing
many tunnels in hard rock, and it is
deemed prudent to begin work on this
at the earliest possible date. The rail-
road is now completed to siding IL.
in front of Grapevine canyon, which
is about the center of the division, so
that transportation facilities are af-
forded for the commencement of the
work, Road and trail building has
been in progress on the rougher end
of the section in the vicinity of Little
lake for nearly year, and the driv-
ings of the tunnels can be begun be-
fore January /, 1909. 1t is intended to
establish at once camps at four points
in the division, namely, at Soda cam
yon, Five Mile canyon, Nine Mile can
yon and Grapevine canyon. The head
ings in the long tunnels can be opneed
by March !, in which case a reason
able expectation of progress will be
eight feet a day for each, or an ag-
gregate of eighty feet, which, for the
remaining nine months of the fiscal
wear. would be about $1,000 feet. AS
there are about 28,347 feet of tunnels In
the division, concreting in the shorter
ones should be in progress by the end
of the year.
For the open work on this division,
two high power shovels should be pur-
chased, one of which can be started
at the Indian Wells siphon, working
j al. Ia