The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1910-01-06
The Great SiphOn
Under Colorado
River

tions, so that the steadily growing pro-
cess of construction can be mentally
visualized from the initial steps thBt
are presented to view.
Under the personal supervision OF
Francis L. Sellew, project engineer of
the Yuma project of the U. S. reclama-
ton service, the eliminating shaft of
the siphonsis being gradually sunk on
the Arizona. side of the Colorado, the
location beng on the reclamation SER
vice reservation, between the custom
house and the Southern Pacific rail-
read bridge On the California side of
the river ground is now being cleared
for sinking the shaft at the beginning
of the siphon into which the water will
sink from the end of the main canal
flowing from Laguna dam fourteen
miles through the Yuma Indian reser-
vation, pass below the river through
the immense concrete tube to be laid
hereunder, and bubble forth on the
Arizona side from the mouth of the
completing shaft, to connect with the
canals traversing Yuma valley.
The term siphon to the ordinary
understanding conveys the idea of
water conveyed by atmospheric press
ure, to neutralize the influence of grav-
ity. The siphon under the Colorado
does not comply with this interpreta-
ton. instead, it does comply with the
law of gravity. The term siphon was
applied to it by the original plannin5
engineers for want of a better term.
In reality, it is a circular conveying
tube, laid in crescent shape, with a fall
of two feet from the California to the
Arizona side. Water invariably seek
ing its natural level, in the absence of
q stronger natural or artificial restrain
ing force, this two-fOot fall exerts suffi-
cient impetus on the gravity principle
to cause the flow under the river thro'
the tube to rise in the finishing shaft
to the level Of the water where it falls
into the shaft on the opposite side and
pour into the canals leading to the
valley.
The work of construction on the Cal
ifornia side will be entirely subsidiary
/ TO the work on the Arizona side. In
all probability, unless some unforeseen
contingency should cause change of
plans no work will be done there ex-
cept the sinking OF the reeeffing shaft.
The length of the siphon, tube will
be approximately 1000 feet from shaft
to shaft. Seven hundred feet of this
will he under the water of the Colorado
river, sunk below the river bed to a
depth of least 100 feet. The depth OF
the water over the siphon will var!
from 6 to so feet, with a probable av-
erage of 25 feet.
On the California side force of from
90 to 60 men working in two shifts day
and night--engineers, concrete work
ers, carpenters and excavators, are now
at work on the construction Of the dis
bursting shaft, from which the water
will flow TO the valley canals and from
the bottom of which the tube under
the river will be thrust toward the
California side. The general cOnstruc-
ton OF the sipAon is under the superin-
tendency, by appointment of Mr.. Sell
lew, of Richard p. Marable.
The di>burSing shaft is being con-
structed bottom-frst and gradually low
cred as the excavation beneath pro-
crosses. The circular concrete wall
of the shaft is five feet thick at the
bottom, beveled at the lower edge and
protected in lowering by a retaining
steel plate. The thickness will be
gradually decreased, two feet being
the surface extent. AS the bottom
goes gown the shaft grows above by
succeeding pourings, in a form large
enough to cast four feet depth at 4
time. When the final depth is attain.
ed aud the mouth of the shaft Is com.
pleted the bottom of The shaft will be
laid with concrete. The wal of the
shaft adjacent to the river will then he
pierced and the construction of TIA;
tunnel under the river began and grad
ually pushed forward, the excavation
and concrete-pouring proceeding foot
by foot c)njointly. AS previously stat
ed, the work of constructing the tube
will be done altogether from The Ari
zona side.
The concrete is poured from Ran
somA mixer above the mouth Of the
shaft \into sluices diverting it where
desired The cement used comes from
lola, KaQsas. The excavation is in ;
formation of indurated (eXtremel,
hardened \sand, and this is possiol,
to be the onSy kind of ground encoun
tered, either &n the river bank or unde
stream. The preliminary boTings beal
out this calcul&tion. This indurated
nmmmEwever, isl Sc hard that it wi!
huumsscAssary to resort t.
Thus far far pick lick