Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-06-21
pio RIVER IN UTAH plvERrED
FROM ONE VALLEY TO An.
OTHER.
sixrv THOUSAND ACRES
RECLAIMED 70 AGRICULTURE
Work Called For Solution Of Many
Engineering Problems - Werkmsn
Labor in Snow and Cold Two Years
70 cemplsts Prejset - Many Hard
ships Encountered. .


layed by telephone from Camp Quin ;
ton in the Wasatch mountains, Utah,
and flashed by wire today to the re-
clamation service here. It marked the
completion of the Strawberry tunnel.
one of the largest and most difficult
pieces Of engineering work the re-
clamation service ever has been called
upon to undertake.
With one exception this underground
waterway tunnel is the largest in the
world. Many hard engineering prob
lens had to be overcome in planning
It.; and great physical endurance was
required Of the men who carried out
the work.
Pisrces High Mountain.
The tunnel pierces the solid rock Of
|one Of the highest peaks Of the
Wasatch mountains at point where
those eternal hills are more than 10000
feet thru. It will move a good sized
stream, the Strawberry river, from one
drainage basin to another forty five
miles away. Only 1000 feet below tho
snow capped crest Of the mountains the,
tunnel has pierced It's rocky way.
/. To the south and east of Utah lake,
IN one of the most beautiful valleys in
1.-THE west, are so 900 acres Of exceeding
~ fertile land. now only partially pro-
ductive for lack of water. To trans
form this valley to a rural settlement.
dotted with thriving towns and villages
and barred with long rows Of fruit
trees. the government engineers have
overcome almost unheard of obstacles.
Saving Wasted Water.
Beyond the Wasatch range which
rims the valleys eastern border. Straw
berry river, for centuries bank full,
perhaps, has run uselessly by. Its wat
ers finally reaching the Gulf OF Cali
fornia thru the Colorado river. To d.
vert this water from the Colorado
drainage basin and turn 1t into the
Utah valley. the enormous strawberry
tunnel nearly four miles long. has been
bored thru the Wasatch mountains. Its
cross section measures more than sixty
square feet. 1t is walled and buttressed
with timber and lined with cement.
Before construction could begin.
thousands Of square miles OF valley
and rough mountain country were sur
veyed and mapped and tunnel and
canal lines marked out. A telephone
line tl1irty-eight miles long, extending
from Spanish Fork to both portals OF
the tunnel was constructed, and
wagon road from Diamond Switch. the
shipping point on the Denver & Rio
Grande railroad, to both portals thir-
ty-two miles long was made. Down In
the foothills a diversion dam was
thrown across Spanish Fork river ana
the waters turned into power canal
three and one half miles long. which
dropped them thru huge pipes on the
big turbines 100 feet below. Power
thus generated was transmitted cleo
trically to the tunnel site. where It
was used to turn the diamond drills
in the rock, light the camps and run
the heavy machinery. The surplus has
been sold to towns in the valley for
municipal and commercial purposes.
Workmsn Long Isolated.
The camps are located mile and a
half above sea level, and during sew
eral months each winter have practi-
caliy been isolated from the world. the
roads blocked by masses OF snow ana
Ice For more than two years the
work has gone on without ceasing.
three shifts Of men alternating during
lthe twenty-four hours Of the day ana
lnixht. Thousands Of gallons Of water.
poisonous gases, ard swelling ground
have made the work difficult and dan
serous. fhe men ned for their lives on
several occasions.
! In 1910 the work Of placing the con-
crete .iring was begun and since mas
been carried on simultaneously with
the excavation Of the heading This
required skillful handling OF the men
.od material to avoid delay in either
feature Of the work Notwithstanding
tho difficulties Of the undertaking. II
has been carried to completion without
Ahe' loss 81 a single life.
Greet Reservoir Built.
peyon6 the tunnel, in the shadow OF
1.-The granite peaks . great reservoir Is
iheine built. A retaining dam OF rock
kement and steel .e being built 30 deep
that a sin story building might be hid
/ dent behind 1t. Fed by melting SHOWS
-. watefs will rise behind this struct-
,,e covering $500 acres with 27S.0oo
aare feet Of water.
The valley to be irrigated ID especial
~ interesting because 1t is the scene
az the earliest irrigation by Anglo
saxons in the west. Settled by Brig
ham Young and his followers In 1891
lafter their march thru more than 1000
L A.. -