The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-20
CITY EMPLOYEES IN
VALIANT BATTLE
From Fifty to Sixty Men Watch
ing Waters of the Noun
tain Streams.
cool, WEATHER lessons
PROSPECT OF DAMAGE
Supervisor Raleigh and Water
Commissioner Mathews Have
Men on the Job.

Fifty or sixty of the city's employees
are battling with the raging waters
pouring down from Red Butte, Emigra'
ton Parley's, City Creek aud Big and
Little Cottonwood canyons, to keep
them from breaking their bounds and
leluging adjoining property. Thirty of
these are from the street and irriga-
tion department, and to- these Street
Supervisor Jake Raleigh Monday added
in the neighborhood of twenty-five men
from the poll tax department.
Most of these men are stationed at
tho Ninth and Tenth South street can.
ais, alternately banking the breaks and
patrolling the streams watching for new
breaks The rest are scattered over
the territory threatened with overflow
from the delugc Of water rushing down
from the mountains, patrollng the
streams for breaks in their banks.
Supervisor Raleigh made two trips
over the territory threatened with
floods Monday. and Land and Water
Commissioner Frank NJ. Mathews was
also busy man. spending a large part
of the day nj the source of the Hoods
in the canyon.
Waters at Standstill.
After his last trip over the high
water territory late in the afternoon,
Supervisor Raleigh announced that the
waters had risen little, If any, during
the day, and that they were practically
AT 2 standstili This was due 10 the
cloudy weather. which kept the sun
from melting the snow in the mountains
aud the slight depression IN the atmoS
phore over the last day or so. This IS
holding the snow in the mountains, Su-
pcrvisor Raleigh says. and as long rs
This condition continues there Is no I'M
,uinent danger OF n damaging ovcrhow
The Jordan river from Twelfth South
10 Ninth North lacks several inches OF
being bank full, Supervisor Raleigh
reports, aud unless the water comes
down much heavier than II has within
tho last four or five days will not leave
lis banks for three or four days, but
the city has men patrollinr the stream
where the banks arc the lowest watch
ing for breaks.
Al Twelfth South the street depart
reut has built q dam across the river
which divcrtS several hundred gallons
of water daily from tho river into the
surplus canal. which carries 1t into inc
White lake and then into the Black
slouehs. This relieves the Jordan of an
immense volume of water it would
otherwise have to carry from Twelfth
South to Ninth or Tenth North streets
and reduces the danger of Its overflow
ing It's banks
Big Cottonwood Falling.
Big Cottonwood was reported falling
Monday morning. a measurement show
ing only 12I second feet of water IN
the reservoir. but late Monday after.
noon there were 13J second feet OF
water in the reservoir. il WIS reported,
showing little change over sunday.
Both Supervisor Raleigh and Land
and Water commissioner Mathews re-
ported late Monday night, however,
shat there was r slight fall IN the
waters generally. but the rains arc eX-
pectcd 10 help the flood along today
unless the weather turns suddenly cold.
Two bridges have gone out on ac-
count of tho high waters, but both are
county bridges Sunday the EmIgra-
tion CANYON bridge AT Twentieth East
street was swept out and Monday at
fcrnoop the Farley creek bridge at
Ninth East and Twelfth South streets,
lust outside the city limits, went out.
The city 50 far has suffered shgbt dam
ace on account Of the high wators.
The bridges Of the Oregon Short Line
and tho Denver a Rio Graudc Railway
companies over the Fourth South street
canal are causing some apprehension on
account Of their lowucss, and Supervisor
Raleigh sent "A communication TO the
council Monday night, requesting that
the railway companies he compelled to
raise tho bridges, TO give the water
more room 10 get by them. The matter
was referred 10 the street committee,
with power 10 act. II is likely that the
railway companies will be compelled 20
raise the structures TO give thc water
free passageway-