The Ordway new era., 1913-05-16

many respects the most won
derful, waterworks system in
w the world will be completed
and placed in operation in the
course of this month by the City OF
Los Angeles, Cal. The Aqueduct.
with its system of five storage reser-
voirs, Is 235 miles in length, and n
designed to carry q daily supply OF
258.000.000 gallons from the Sierra
Nevada mountains southwark across
the great Mojave desert, under the
Sierra Madre range and into the San
Fernando valley. twenty-five miles
northwest Of the city. From here the
water needed for domestic consump-
ton will be carried In a six-foot steel
pipe into the city's present distribu-
ton mains. The system comprises the
longest aqueduct in the world.
The project was inaugurated in
1905. and since 1908 an army of 5000
men have been steadily employed
night and day in its construction. On
the desolate and sun-scorched desert
the summer Temperatures have
ranged as high as 100 degrees F. In
fact, one of the great problems has
been to provide the men and animals
with food and wafer and proper ac-
commodations to withstand the clima-
tic conditions.
OF Various Forms
The Los Angeles AQueduct. as 1t IL
called, II Of various forms and de-
signs. The first twenty-five miles Is
unltned open canal. the following
thirty-eight miles is an open ditch, and
the remainder is In covered concrete
conduit, tunnels. and concrete and
Fiveted steel siphons. the latter being
used to carry the water across deep
canyons, or valleys. More than ffty-
three miles Of the aqueduct is COM
posed of tunnels driven through solid
granite, the longest being the Eliza
beth tunnel, under the Sierra Madre
mountains. with length of five miles.
The system Of four storage reservoirs
billion gallons. which, at the rate of
the city's present daily consumption.
would be sufficient to supply the muni-
cipality for three years.
Much of the work has been done
from i've to thirty-f1ve miles from any
railroad. Preliminary to the construc-
ton of the aqueduct 1t was neces-
sary to build 800 miles of roads and
trails, four water systems with 100
miles Of mains, three hydro-electric
power plants. telephone system $50
miles long. standard gauge steam
railroad 12O miles into the Mojave
desert, and a cement mill costing
$875,0O With the exception Of one
small contract for nine miles OF con-
duits and tunnels, the entire work
has been done by the city.
The system is gravity one through
out, the intake being at an elevation
of 3,812 feet above sea-level, and the
elevation of Los Angeles being on an
average only 276 feet. The cost Of
the work has been $20.o00,00o. exclu-
sive of any power development. By
impounding the flow of the aQueduct
at Its outlet during The rainy season
1t will be possible to deliver more
than 300. 100000 gallons daily during
the dry season-Aprtl Is to October Is
in which no rain falls. This is
much more than sufficient to meet the
daily requirements of the City of
London. AS the City Of Los Angeles
has a present population of only 4OO.-
600, and requires but 50.000.00O gallons
daily, the surplus aqueduct flow for
long period of years will be devoted
to the irrigation of $4,000 acres of
orange and lemon lands adjacent to
the city.
Chief Features.
One of the chief features of the
enterprise is in the generation of
hydro-electric energy. There is fall
Of 1900 feet In the aQueduct forty
seven miles from the city, with the
possibility of developing 120,000,000
horsepower. OF this amount. 37.5o0
horsepower are now being developed
at a cost of $3,36O.O0o. The power
houses will be ready for operation
within several months after the aque-
duct is placed in operation. and their
output will be devoted to lighting the
city's streets and boulevards. The
designer and constructor of this great
work, which in point of magnitude
ranks as the third largest hydraulic
work under way in the western hemis-
phere. il the City's Water Engineer.
Mr.. William Hulholland.
The accompanying picture gives