Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-19
CUNNISON TUNNEL IS READY
President Taft to Open the Big 1rri.
cation Project.
SIX MILES OF MAMMOTH TUBE
Has AXE -Four and n Half Years of
Work and % 100000, but IL Ex-
pected 60 Restore 1907
300 Acres.

A dozen OF more years ago the traveller
through Colorado who took the narrow
gauge train at Salida for the wonderful
climb over Marshall Pass and through the
Black canyon was sure to have his atten-
ton called to a great red brick hotel.
which seemed strangely out of place in a
half-asleep town Of a thousand or so.
The hotel was typical Of a day that is
gone in Colorado. Every brick In IL was
hauled over the mountain by wagon at a
time when there seemed no end to the
mineral wealth of the state and when for
tunes were made and spent in a year or
= month.
Now Colorado has discovered that there
are other ways OF getting rich than by
mining and that agriculture is one Of
them. The western part OF the state has
for many years had sections famous for
their fruit. In fact the Rocky Ford can
taloupe is a native of the state. But the
great problem has been water.
That problem the government is solving,
and one OF the many duties that will fall
on President Taft on his western trip Will
be to open the great Gunnison tunnel, the
first project undertaken by the United
States reclamation service.
This six miles Of cement lined tube has
cost Uncle Sam more than S,OO0,OO, but II
doesn't follow that he will not get all or
most Of It back directly and a great many
more millions Indirectly. The tunnel is TO
water 10000 acres. and perpetual water
rights are to be sold only to actual settlers
who have ten years in which to pay, with
out interest. Multiply 15O, 900 by S35 and the
problem Of financing the tunnel is solved.
This region where II Is predicted $4,000
Rpersons will soon make their homes Is the
Uncompahgre valley, through which runs
the disappointing river from which 1t gets
its name. The river at one time furnished
enough water for irrigation purposes, but
gradually It died out. Settlers who had
built up prosperous farms moved away and
young orchards were abandoned Finally
there were 1000 acres under cultivation
and perhaps four times that much land ly-
ing idle-just as good land, but useless
without water. p
Ten miles away through picturesque
scenery, delightful to the visitor, but useless
10 the farmer, ran the Gunnison river.
mountain fed and rock lined with a never
failing supply Of water. There was the
problem to Join the wasted water OF the
Gunnison to the wasted land of the I'm
compahgre valley.
The state tried 1t first and spent some
$4,000 drawing up plans to show the prac-
ticability OF the $1,000 foot cut through
granite and sandstone. 1t was twenty
years ago that Colodado began It's work
and now the federal government has fin
ished II after four and a half years OF
actual digging.
The two gangs working In the bore met
on July 6 of this year at a point In the
tunnel lO.s12 feet from the Gunnison river
end. with that the hardest work is over
and now all is in readiness for the presi-
dent to start the flow of water.
The tunnel is the most remarkable feat
ure of this great enterprise. II runs west
from tho Gunnison river for S0,6Oo feet.
1t is lined throughout with cement and
measures inside 11x1S feet. From Its west
ern end runs the main canal, which is
thirty feet wide at the bottom and eighty
three at the top. With an average depth
of ten feet Of water this means about l,S@
cubic feet a second.
Irrigation is the chief. but not the only
use OF the tunnel and canals. After leav
ing the bore there Is a drop of S2 feet
and this will be used for a power plan
which It is confidently predicted will ligh
with electricity all the farmhouses whicl
are expected soon to spring up.
One thing the government is determines
on. and that is that only real settler
shall come into this newly watered ter
ritory. As a matter OF tact there is nov
no land open for free settlement, but tn
control of the water rights gives the fed
eral authorities the whip hand in regulat
ing the district,
The statement of conditions obtaining !
the valley has recently been Issued:
OF the 10000 acres included in the Tn
compahgre Valley reclamation projec
nearly 100, 900 acres is land which has lon
belonged to private parties. The othe
5000 acres lies for the most part abov
the lines of the canals Quilt from the ur
compahgre river many years ago and
more or less rough, remote and inaccess
BILE.
The greater part OF the government Ian
was filed upon as homesteads as soon a
It was certain that the canal would l
built. The balance has been withdraw
from settlement. None OF this governmeI
land is now open for settlement. None
Il will be offered for settlement until hig
line lateraIs are built to water It.
The greatest opportunities In the Uncon
pahgre valley are and will be in the wa
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