Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-04
CHAFFEEBACK
BOOSTING FOR
BIGAQUEDUC7
BRINGS PRACTICAL KN0WL-
EDGE OF CONDUIT
FINDS POWER PLANTS WE'LL
UNDER WAY
Not Likely That Silver Lake COM
pany's Compromise Offer to
City for Rights viii
Win

Win
Mayor Harper, General Chaffee, Chief
Engineer Mulholland and Major Nor
ton returned last night from their trip
along the aqueduct route, redeemed by
| the weeks exposure in the big Stod-
dard Dayton automobile in their jaunt
across mountains and deserts to the
snow-clad Sierras and greatly i'm
pressed by the extent and progress of
the $23,000,000 project.
! Barring two successive axle breaks,
the officials had no serious trouble en-
route and made remarkably fast time
for an exploring party.
The city officials who went north last
April went to the head waters. How
ever the present travellers turned back
at Charles butte, where the Owens
river intake will stand. This is near
the Hickey ranch, many miles south of
the Long valley reservoir, which is be-
yond the city of Bishop.
Oppose Koebig Offer
Though General Chaffee himself will
not divulge his intentions in advance,
the other members of the party are
convinced that he will oppose paying
$4,000 to the Koebig interests, who
| WdllI 10 sell lhclI kOAiNCl ieihS AeSAAtS CAt
compromise basis. This syndicate,
financed by DR.. Angerman, of
wealthy German family of brewers,
claims to have gone to great expense
to develop water, irrigation, power and
other rights on the aqueduct line.
perhaps the most interesting feature
of the trip was the decision by General
Chaffee that small hospitals must be
esta blished at each temporary camp,
said Mayor Harper.
He thinks four beds should be kept
at each camp for the sick and injured
physicians should be provided who can
go from camp to camp on motorcycles
and later a general hospital can be es-
tabIished when hundreds are employed
to which patients can be removed tor
treatment.
General Chaffee is an old-World
campaigner and it was pleasure 10
see him take in the situation at each
stopping place, talk with the men,
mount and ride desert horses as though
he was a cowboy and plainsman, and
then to hear him reel off stories OF
western life.
Chaffee a Mountaineer
Talk about the government caring
for IT'S retired soldiers " as one coun-
Gilman said why, General Chaffee
climbed hills and trails until he wore
all of us out. | never saw anything
like it,
"He went miles up and down hills in
Jawbone canyon, and did the same
stunt in Cottonwood Creek canyon
continued the mayor.
The defects in the aqueduct depart
ments automobile resulted from weld
ine axles. The spread of the Wheels Is
6ffv-six inches. In order to tread
| the desert roads or fit into the roads
made by wagon wheels, the rubber tires
must be Of the same width as desert
wagons to get along easily and avoid
boulders, hence the aXles were Wldene1
for the trip three inches by welding.
1t was at these jointures that the
breaks occurred.
Axles Break Twice
The first break took place five miles
before Mojave was reached. The party
trudged the distance through sand and
rough roads. Fortunately, through the
thoughtfulness of General Chaffee, who
insisted that a canteen filled with water
must be part of the equipment, the four
men did not suffer much.
The chauffeur managed to drag MS
car to Mojave, where the break was
again welded by a blacksmith.
Mayor Harper then insisted that the
Moiaye machinist should accompany
the party for a day at least, Which
proved a lucky thought, as soon after
ward the other axle broke. The ma
chinist and chauffeur We're able TO
make temporary repairs through their
combined skill.
Making Cheap Power
The visitors found that the construc-
| tion work at Cottonwood creek was
| we'll advanced. Pipes have been ldlI
I'M to the head waters in the gorge, ana
Of mt IA
aoueducts. as General Chaffee called
| them-were installed to furnish rush
| ing river to drop on the penstock, re-
yolye the gigantic wheel and make cur
rents for the electric construction ma
| chinery.
The same was true of Division creek.
This mower now running to waste will
| save the city thousands of dollars daily
to operate dredgers and other machln-
ery during the constructive period. It
! viii be strung along on wires as fast
| as the bitches grow.
There will also be a complete system
of telephones in the next few weeks
connecting all camps as far as 1nde-
pendence.
Will CT Red Tape
Asked if the city was encountering
any trouble, the mayor said:
"Only one thing: because of the red
| tape connected win the duultlnS ue
partment many bills are unpaid, thouSh
! the city has the money. General Char-
fee will adjust this at once.
"Some butchers won't sell meat be-
cause of the delay in getting payments
one teamster cashed his warrant at a
discount and the man who helped hlm
out Is still waiting for his money. This
must be changed"
one of the interesting incidents 9t
the trip was on the return to Mojave
Early in the morning, While the toul
were at hotel a trainload of soldiers
en- route to Manila passed through and
the cars were stopped for some time.
General Chaffee hastily put on his
clothes and went out to meet the Off
Gers. one of whom CHANGED to be Major
Tilson of Georgia, who had fought with
him in China. Their meeting was cor
dial indeed
Noting the red faces of General Chat
fee and Mayor Harper the major said
in his broad, southern accent:
General, you appear to have been
outdoahs a great deal lately"
The departing soldiers cheered the
hero of Pekin later.
POLYTECHNIC HIGH SCHOOL
PUPILS HOSTS AT DANCE