The Washington herald., 1909-04-25

Los Angeles, Cal, April 2s.-To carry a
tremendous volume OF water across des-
erts. through canyons and beneath noun
tslns; 20 build at the cost Of so, ,oo0 600 q
concrete conduit go miles long. and make
Il waterproof. freproof and earthquake
proof, so that. though the floods may
come and the forests be swept away BY
fire, and the mountains be removed 10 the
sea, still this artery viii carry life 10 the
heart Of a city by bringing TO it 80. COO 90
gallons Of water a day-this IS the vast
project undertaken by the city OF Los
Angeles.
Away IN the heart OF the high SieTras.
IN Inyo County. Cal. near the Nevada
Tne, there are vast snow sheds five miles
81 width, more than 100 miles long and
varying from five TO thirty feet IN depth.
From this never-failing source the tribu-
1arfes that flow into the Owens River
are fed. but the river itself. instead Of
bearing the precious draft or 10 a
thirsty land. empties into Owens Lake.
whose waters are so highly impregnated
with aIlaH that no life exists in them
Biologists assert that twenty-five cen
trries ago tbs Owens River flowed down
through the san Fernando Valley and
was q tributary 10 the Los Angeles River.
Mighty earthquakes and vast volcanic up
beavals are believed 10 have thrown I'D a
huge mountain dam and shut or the
Owens River in g SeQueSIered valley
hemmed in by mountain heights II IS
but poetic justice that. after the lapse OF
centuries. the hand Of man should thus
reunite the parent stream and its on
spring and demonstrate anew the strength
Of union in perpetual blessing 10 hun
dreds Of thousands Of persons
Water Hard 10 Get.
From the earliest times the Important
question 10 urban and rural communities
I'm Southern California has been water; as
cities and country districts grew in popu-
lation the question has been more water
and. in the case Of the larger centers OF
population. which have grown with al
most phenomenal rapidity. the burning
issue has now become much more water
a any cost. This keynote became the
slogan of the few far-Seeing men who
were IN search Of the fountain that was
10 insure perpetual youth 20 Les Angeles
Nowhere nearer than the Owens River
could any adequate supply be found. and
the representatives OF the municipality
seized upon these precious water-besring
lands with the avidity that probably
would have marked Ponce de Leon had
he found the fabled fountain OF youth.
The city water commissioners had clan
destineIy sought expert counsel from gov
ernment photographic experts as 10
whether there was sufficient water avail
able in the region Immediately tributary
70 the city 70 supply a community a 5Gl--
COO souls-the advice was clandestinely
sought not 70 undUly alarm the citizens
Hardly had the doIefUl report been sub
nitted. 70 the effect that the maximum
limit had been reached in the water bear
ing lands contiguous 10 the city and that
Il was only q question # a few years
when q much greater and more perEa-
nent source of water must be sought
when. ike the sight Of an oasis in des-
e-t land. the welcome and unexpected
revelation was made that former NIsyOr
Fred Eaton and SUpt- William Null
holland Of the Los Angeles water works.
rad gone the length and breadth OF
the Owens River Valley. and, without
rousing the faintest suspicion or their
purpose. and with only half 4 dozen OF
the 200 on persons who were vitality con-
cerned in what they were doing having
any inklinE Of their Intentions had OBJ
tanned options on lands covering forty
niles along either side Of the Owens
River in behalf Of the city Of Los Angeles
The options on these water bearing
lands were obtained by the Los Angeles
municipality not a moment too soon En-
giueers Of the United States government