Semi-weekly herald., 1913-04-24
A REMARK ABLE ENGINEERING G
TASK.

Scientific American.
The Strawberry valley irrigation
project being carried out by the Uni
ted States reclamation service is in
many respects one of the most re-
markable pieces of engineering in the
world. Building four-mile tunnel
through a range of mountains and
picking river from one valley and
making it flow through this tunnel
into another valley is an undertaking
even greater than diverting the waters
of the mighty river Chagres in the
construction of the Panama canal.
But that is precisely what has been
done.
The Mormons went into Utah valley
in the early fifties and laid out their
farms along the stream that flowed
down the mountains into Utah lake.
For time their small bitches suf-
feed for their agricultural needs and
they prospered AS the population
grew the bitches were enlarged and
extended, until every available drop of
water was required to meet the de-
mands of the irrigators. In years of
scanty precipitation there was short
age in the canals, crop yields were di-
minished and the late corners fire.
auently lost all. Under these con-
ditions no further development of the
valley was possible, yet there were
thousands of acres of land Just q
fertile as any in the valley, which
without water were useless. Beyond
the Wasatch range Of mountains
which rims the valleys eastern bor-
der, Strawberry river for centuries
has run uselessly by, its water flow
ing into the Colorado river. The rug
ged range of snow-capped mountains
imposed seemingly impasssable bar
rier, and to divert the flow of the
river into the thirsty valley was the
gigantic problem solved by the con-
struction of the tunnel, huge bore
nine by ten and a half feet and ap-
preaching four miles in length. This
tunnel has just been completed, and
when the sparkling waters rush
through it down the sleeping valley a
literal transformation in the physical
geography of the state of Utah Will
have heen ACCOMPLISHED.
With one exception this under
ground waterway tunnel is the larg-
est in the world. Many hard engi-
neering problems had to be overcome
in planning it, and great physical en-
durance was required of the men who
carried out the work. The tunnel
pierces the solid rock of one Of the
highest peaks of the Wasatch range
and diverts the water from one drain
age basin to another forty-fve miles
away. The country where the work
is being done is of sort to add to
the difficulties. For five months
year the construction camp is cut of
from the rest of the world on account
of the heavy snowfall. However, not
withstanding all the difficulties, re-
markable record Of economical as well
as rapid construction was made on
the tunnel. In single year more
than 5000 feet were driven and lined
with cement. Before construction on
the project could begin thousands of
square miles of valley and rough
mountain country were surveyed and
mapped and the tunnel and canal lines
marked out. A telephone line some
forty miles long, extending from
Spanish Fork to both portals Of the
tunnel, was constructed, as was also
a wagon road of the same distance
Down in the foothills diversion dam
was thrown across Spanish Fork river
and the waters turned into a power
canal three and half miles long,
which dropped them through huge
pipes on the big turbines 100 feet
below. Power thus generated was
transmitted electrically to the tunnel
site, where it was used to turn the
diamond drills, light the camps and
run the heavy machinery. The camps
are located mile and a half above
the level Of the sea, and the work
is carried on day and night in thre,
shifts.
Beyond the tunnel, in the shadow ol
the granite peaks, great reservoir
is being constructed A retaining
dam II feet high and 400 feet il
length of rock, cement and steel il
being built for the impounding Of tn
waters Of Strawberry river and fo
the purpose Of discharging then
through the tunnel into canal system
leading to the arid lands Of the val
lax, Thu pauarvotr forv,,ad hx thia hit