The Colorado statesman., 1909-07-10
WATERS OF GUNNlSON RIVER
WILL FLOW SIX MILES UN-
DER MOUNTAINS.
TO IRRIGATE RICH LANDS
REcLAlMING ONE HUNDRED AND
FIFTY THOUSAND ACRES IN
UNcoMPAHGRE VALLEY.

Denver-A News special from
Montrose Tuesday night says: The
uunison tunnel, six miles long-the
longest single irrigation project ever
undertaken by the federal govern
ment, a project which will furnish wa
ter to 100000 acres of land richer than
the valley of the Nile-was completed
at 5:26 o'clock this afternoon, when
the last round of shots fired in the
east heading of the great bore per.
mitted workmen in the two shafts to
grasp each other by the hand
The project will also furnish power
for electricity, and will light the towns
of the Uncompahgre valley. The great
bore will carry 1900 second feet Of
water 1t is the biggest tunnel in the
world built for irrigation purposes.
That last round of shots means that
four and one-half years of labor are
crowned with success and the dreams
of the irrigationists are realized. The
tunnel opens for cultivation some of
the richest land in Colorado, and gives
promise of great population of pros
porous ranchers and orchardists in the
| Uncompahgre valley.
The Gunnison tunnel cost $4,000, 900
and was begun November "a, 1904 The
water that will make the Uncompah-
gre valley bloom viii be taken from
the Gunnison river through the noun
tain by means of the tunnel COM
pleted today to the valley on the other
side.
The work has been in charge of En-
gineer l. w. Mcconnell, who first had
complete charge of the tunnel and was
later made its supervising engineer.
1t was under his supervision that the
great bulk of the work was done
Supt. L. A. Mcconnell was in charge
of the shift of men in the east head
ing when the machine drills broke
through the rock at 6 o'clock this
morning, showing that the calculations
of the engineers who planned the bore
were exact A round of shots was fired
at o'clock, but it was defective and
failed to bring results. Another round
was prepared and at 5:26 the shots
carried down the debris and the Gun
nison tunnel was complete.
Measurements showed that the cal
culations of the engineers were made
to a fraction, and the two bores me
just as planned years ago.
The ceremonies at the breaking
through-the consummation of year!
of effort-were simple in the extreme
When the debris had been cleared
away about twenty-five visitors from
Montrose, including the leading bust
ness and professional men of the coun
ty, went through and were photo
graphed.
The news quickly spread to Mont
rose, where the fire bell was rung ant
the entire town turned out to celebrate
the long-looked-for event. All tn,
bells in the city that would work were
started ringing. Firecrackers were ex
ploded and sky-rockets were sent into
the air. 1t was the celebration of the
sth of July over again.
President Taft was to have beer
here for the opening of the tunnel, bu
owing to the fact that he had Congress.
on his hands, and that Mrs. Taft suf
tered a nervous breakdown, from
which she has not yet recovered, HI
could not be present. In the hope tina
the President can be here to attend
the formal celebration it has been Sc
for September 2Sth.