Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-16
BY LEONARD rowI.ER.

AAthCANfhHND RON AAtNAN1
Especial Commissioner, The Omaha Bee.)
PROVO, Utah. Oct 15.-(speoal Cor
respondence.) 1.-The last steps for the final
reclamation Of 5000 acres OF fertile farm
lands, lying in Utah valley, have Just been
taken; the last examination made; the last
recommendation passed on to President
Tart Hundreds Of settlers are coming by
almost every train; fall blowing has begun,
and fields, vacant until q few months ago,
are being barred and crossed by hundreds
or thousands Of young fruit trees, being
planted now that they may be rooted and
growing when the United States govern
ment turns on tho water that ia to run
through the canals and laterals OF the
United States government Strawberry val
ley irrigation project.
Sixty thousands OF acres OF land until
now serni-arid and only partially produc-
tive are TO be made into orchards Of peach
and plum and pear and apple trees
Sixty thousand acres 20 be reclaimed
planted and created into one vast valley
tull OF pleasant homes, productive farm
steads, thriving towns and villages
To do this obstacles unheard Of have been
set aside
river, real river full OF water, has
been turned aside and made to Join an
other river
A hole, sixty feet square, lined with Co
ment walled and buttressed. strong as
human ingenuity and government money
can make IL, has been bored for four miles
through q mountain, almost OF solid rock.
reservoir with great retaining walls of
rock and cement and steel has been built
so deep that a four-story building might
be hidden behind Its wings OF solid granite
and cement
And In the mountains where the annual
snowfall is s72 inches deep this dam OF
tmpregnable strength constructed by the
hengineers OF the United States reclamation
service. will hold In storage enough water
% cover TO a depth OF two feet the entire
lSo,OO0 acres OF farm and orchard lands. The
area OF this reservoir is 5000 acres. II
will contain 12O00O-acre-feet OF water and
this means that the reservoir Is a lake
5000 acres in extent, twenty feet deep with
the water Of mountain streams and melted
snow; ready to feed the thirsty trees grow
ang In the orchards; 10 moisten the roots
Of the crops springing in the fields Of the
10000 acres In the valley below.
A wagon road thirty two miles long has
been built scientifically constructed, macad,
amized through the mountain defiles
clinging TO sheer cliffs and blasted from
solid rock so that the lifting OF the heavy
machinery 1900 feet, almost two miles. and
Its transportation TO needed points IN the
mountains might be accomplished with
comparative ease.
A telephone line, thirty-eight miles long
has been built TO facilitate communication
with sources OF supply.
A power transmission line, thirty-eiEht
miles long. has been built TO furnish cleo
tricity TO drive the drills and rock crushers
needed in the building Of the dam and tbs
boring OF the tunnel
A power plant. one Of the most modern
and perfect In America, manned by expert,
OF the first experience and intelligence
with the finest machinery and most mod
ern OF tools. has been created: a hydro
electric plant that harnesses the energy OF
a mountain stream; a duplex affair 81
that II one side gets out OF business tn,
other one begins and continues the work.
And all OF this under certain restriction.
Is TO be turned over to these settlers VIII,
are coming in here now taking up thes,
lands, planting their trees and building
their homes
This is but a part OF the sum OF human
accomplishment, little OF the realized
dream OF a handful OF men here In Utah
determined 10 make more room" for IN,
land hungry, more homes for the homeless
farmsteads where the deserts were.
This Is the answer sent out By a It'll,
company OF western men 10 the nation