Catoctin clarion., 1912-08-01
Big Engineering Feat.
Tunnel Nearly Four Miles Long
Bored Through To Supply
Water For Irrigation.

extensive account of the work being done
by the United States to irrigate the land
of the State of Utah. Paper came from
Mrs. Julia Osler Lytell, whose husband
has charge of the work. The following
is portion of the article:
From July 2 to 6 Spanish Fork
and the cities and towns under the
irrigation canals of the great project
will celebrate the op ming of Straw
berry irrigation tunnel. On the first
day of the celebration some promi-
ncnt official will touch an electric
button, which will discharge the last
shot of dynamite which will open the
tunnel from end to end.
"Thc tunnel is $4,000 feet long,
extending through the western rim
of Strawberry valley and under the
Wasatch mountains, 800 feet above
sea level. 1t is one of the most beau
tiful engineering fcats ever attempted
hy the United States reclamation ser
vice, and is second in importance and
length to the great Gunnison bore in
Colorado, which WAS dug six miles
through the solid rock of mountain.
Strawberry valley, the reservoir for
storing the water to be used in the
lower Utah valley, will be a veritable
inland sea. When the dams have
been shut off and the diversion canals
turn their waters back into the great
inclosure, 500 acres will be covered.
''The work has presented many in
teresting engineering feats, and these
have been so successfully overcome
that the work will be completed early
in October and water stored during
the winter to supply the crops with
moisture during the summer of 1913.
When completed, the work will have
cost approximately $3,5OO,O00. OF
the money expended much has been
used to build a powerhouse and roads.
THE headworks of the project are
from % to 40 miles from a railroad,
and roads up the steep mountain side
were necessary to haul provisions and
machinery into camp.
"The reservoir will store water in
sufficient quantity to supply 10000
acres with an annual average OF "a
feet of water on each acre.
THE dam across the Strawberry
river to hold back the waters will be
seventyfve feet above bedrock. 1t
crosses between two precipitous slopes
and at the top will be about 500 feet
in length.
"A feature of the work, and one of
which the men in charge are espec-
tally proud, is the fact that since the
project was stared not single life
was lost. Some were hurt. On 9TH
er construction work of similar char
acter, from 20 to 60 laborers have
lost their lives. Atpresent there are
upwards of $50 men and 100 teams
employed on the work A hospital
and doctors are provided at both the
east and west portals.
"The land TO be brought under the
ditch by this project has most prom
Using future. The climate in Utah
valley is everything that can be de-
sired in temperate zone. Flowing
is often begun in February and the
crops are well advanced when the
early rains arrive. There is hardly
any rain between the months of June
and September, but the June sun
starts the melting SHOWS in the hills
on their downward course through
the valley, and the one objection to
an abundance of sunshine is removed.
Senators Reed Smoot and George
Sutherland were interested in the
project for the States welfare, and
through their unceasing efforts and
the investigations of government en-
gineers, the reclamation service was
put on the project to complete it.
Engineer J. l.. Lytel, who had
made a reputation on the Gunnison
reclamation project and other public
works, was placed in charge. Since
that time the work has progressed
rapidly.
THE most trying of all conditions
encountered by Engineer Lytel and
his staff have been the weather con-
ditions. With the temperature rang
ing from zero to twenty five below
for several months in the year, and
roads impossible to travel because of
the deep SHOWS, outside work could
be done but about $50 days each
year.