The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-25
End of Remarkable Piece
of Reclamation
WORK
(Ry the Associated FIe>s1


Washington, Jun 22.-Holed
through today"
This was the laconic message relay
ed by telephone from Camp Quinton
in the Wasatch mountains, Utah, and
flashed by wire today to the Recla-
nation Service here. 1t marked the
corlpletion Of the Strawberry tun-
mel, one of the largest and most diff
cult pieces of engineering work the
Reclamation Service ever has been
called upon to undertake.
With one exception this under
ground waterway tunne is the larg-
est in the world. Many hard engi-
nee}ing problems had to be overcome
in planning it: and great physical en-
durance was required Of the men who
carried out the work.
Piercps Solid Rock.
The tunnel pierces the solid rock
Of one Of the highest peaks of the
Nasatch mountains at a point where
these eternal hills are more thar
10000 feet through. 1t vial move a
good-siZed stream, the strawberry
river, from one drainage basin to an
other forty-five miles AVA ". Only
2,cC0 feet below the snow capped
crest Of the mountains the tunnel has
pierced its rock way.
To the south and east Of Utah lake,
IN one Of the most beautiful valleys
IN the West, are 10000 acres of OK
ceedingly fertile land, now only par
tally productive for lack % water
To transform this valley to 4 rira1
settlement, dotted with thriving
towns and villages and barred with
Ions rows of fruit trees. the govern
n.ent engineers have overcome alinos1
unheard of obstacles.
Beyond the Wasatch range which
rims the valleys eastern border
Strawberry river, for centuries balR
full perhaps, has run uselessly by, It's
waters finally reaching the Gulf o.
California through the Colorado river
To divert this water from the colo.
raOo drainage basin and turn il into
the Utah valley, the enormous Straw
berry tunnel, nearly our miles long
has been bored through the Wasatc.
mountains. It's cross section meas
ures more thar sixty quare feet. Il
is walled and buttressed with timber
and lined with cement.
Much Surveying.
Before construction could begin
thousands of square mics Of vale,
and rough mountain country Wcr,
SUI y GU anu He ppeu, ana 1lGIel an
caral lines marked out. A tc'eDnOn,
lire 3S miles long, extending from
Spanish Fork to both portals tn,
tunnel was constructed, and a Wagon
road from Diamond Switch, the ship
ing point on the Denve & r.
Grande railroad, to both portals 3:
miles Ions was made. Down n III,
foothills a diversion dam was throws
across Spanish Fork river anl n,
n N.1t - ,rDa ;,tn - nx-Ir ~, 80 y =,
niles long, which dropped then
through huge pipes on the big tur
bines 10 feet below. Power thu
generated was transmitted electrical,
to the tunnel site where it was uses
to turn the diamond drills in the rock
l@ft n camps and run the heav,
machinery. The surplus has been sole
to towns in the valley for municipal
and commercial purposes.
he camps are located a mile an,
a half above sea level. and durin,
several months each winter hay,
Practically been isolated from tn
world, the roads blocked hy masse
O snow and ice. For more tina
two Years the work has gone on with
OIL ceasin2. three shifts Of men al
telnatng during the tventy-fou
hours Of h day and night. Thous
dEGS Of gallons Of water. poison0u
gases. and swelling ground hay
made the work difficult and danger
ors. The men fled for their lives O.
Sc eral occasions.
II 1910 the work Of placing tn
concrete lining was begun and sine
has been carried on Simultaneous
win the excavation of the headine
This required skillfu1 handling 6
nie:t and material to avoid delay j
either feature of the work. Notwith
standing the difficulties of the nm
delt. king il has been carried To com
pleti"n without the loss Of d singh
liic
IN Immense Reservoir
Beyond the tunnel. in the shade,
Of the granite peak u great reserve;
is being built. \ retaining Dam