Evening star., 1914-07-26

up the water before it reached the river
bed. This conserved the waste of long
distance percolation. The wells are con-
nected by a gravity conduit OF REIN
forced concrete nearly 5000 feet long
This was placed from ten to twelve feet
below the water plane of the valley.
Afterward other wells were sunRen
farther up the valley. until now there
are forty-nine included in the system
All are connected with lines of ditches
and are so arranged that the accumu-
lated water may be transferred from one
area to another as needed by the deNei-
opment of the crops.
These connected wells and the cross
cut Of the Santa Cruz form one Of the
greatest water gathering systems OF its
kind in the world. 1t is unique in con-
struction. The proper distribution of the
water. however. is as important as its
collection. The distributing system of
the Tucson plant includes large siphon
under the cross-cut. many lines OF con-
crete canal. miles Of earth and concrete
bitches, a large concrete dam and an
other Of timber. reinforced concrete
drops. in addition to head gates. division
boxes and other equipment common to
The wells range in depth from 50
to $50 feet according to the depth OF
the impervfous strata at the point where
each is sunk. Each well is lined with
perforated BdlNt1IllZSu SlcSi- lIC pSAAo's -
tions are three-sixteenths by one inch
In size. These perforations are specially
designed. making 35 per cent Of the sur
face of the lining open SO as to collect
the water from the ground into which
they are sunken. All of the water col
lected In the wells is strained and purified
by an Improved process. When 1t Is
pumped up into the irrigation bitches
1t is absolutely pure and free from the
alkaH common to water Of the locality
The pumping equipment consists of
eighteen vertical. centrifugal pumps.
Each has a
Thousand Gallons pumping ca
a Minute Pumped. thou.and p1p, '' gal
Ions of water a minute. Each pump is
located in a concrete pumphouse. Spe-
cial pains have been taken to secure
good ventilation in these pumphouses
for the comfort of the men operating
the pumps. The pumphouses are
built on the open desert fully ex-
posed to the rays of the sun. which
sometimes raises the temperature to
10 degrees in the summertime.
Although less spectacular in Its first
Impressions when compared with the
great reservoirs and dams. the tucson
Irrigation plant is in its way quite as
remarkable. It is far too extensive
for its full operation to be grasped by
the visitor In one visit. The irriga-
tion bitches stretch out for miles and
miles. as far as the eye can reach. Each
in turn is supplied with the water
needed to irrigate the desired area
Between the bitches rich. green fields
show thriving crops which within three
years have replaced the useless growth
of the desert
Cotton is designed to be the most
important crop of Tucson But ex-
periments indicate that the variety
of products which may be produced is
almost endless. A large acreage. given
over to strawberries this year, pro-
duced a crop of SURPRISING favor. This
added materially to the local frui. re-
sources which have been greatly
diminished since the Mexican difficult
ties. Five years ago Tucson depended
largely upon the Mexican truck farm
ing for her fruit and vegetables. Now
1t Is predicted that crops will shortly
be produced here sufficient for local