The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-07-31
Canal Dynamited Is
Opinion of Farmer
Nelson Hayward, Who Lives Nearby
Heard ExplOsiOn-CanaI Officers
Think Otherwise.

That the break in the high line ca
nal Thursday morning was the result
of an explosion resulting from the
activity of some n trying to destroy
the canal at that point, is the opinion
expressed yesterday by Nelson Hay
ward, who lives a mile distant from
point where the canal bank was brok-
en- and who says that this opinion is
held by others in the vicinity. He
says that he and his family were at
breakfast at $50 a. m, when they
heard what they thought to be an ex-
plosion and discussed the matter at
the time, saying that they did not
know of anyone blasting in the neigh
bCrhood. Later on crossing the high
line canal below the break, Mr.. Hay
ward discovered that it was dry and
learned that the water was rushing
down the draw. He says that others
living in the vicinity heard what they
took to be an explosion.
The damage done, in the opinion of
Mr.. Hayward will be considerable.
Water swept u a ditch fifty feet
wide and in some places from six to
eight feet deep through the orchard of
the Twin Falls Cooperative Orchard
company and through the orchard of
w. S. Palmer, while it cut a wide
swatch through the wheat field of S..
c.. Kline. Many bearing trees were
damaged and the wheat field in the
path of the water apparently ruined.
AS reason for the belief which he
says is prevalent in the neighborhoOd
that the bank was blown out, Mr.. Hay
ward says that the water ran in such
way as to impinge on the south bank
on the opposite side of the canal and
not on the bank which broke. He
says, however, that Manager j.. c..
Porterfield does not believe that the
bank was blown out.
Mrs. G. r. Fugate, wife of the or
chard manager of Twin Falls Cooper
alive Orchards Co., stated today that
she did not believe that the bank had
been blown out, as they heard no ex-
plosion. They did hear water, just
as an employee of the Palmer ranch
came rushing up saying that the bank
had broken and asking that a mes
sage be sent to the canal company
headquarters, conveying that informa-
ton. They at once t%elephoned to
Twin Falls, and then went to where
the break occurred. The break was
then about thirty feet wide and rap
idly growing wider. Ultimately, a
breach seventy feet wide was made in
the canal. 1--WE live only a quarter of
a mile from the broken bank, and if
the trouble had been caused by a blast,
/ am sure that we could have heard
the explosion, as well as we heard the
water running out" she said.
Secretary w. o. Taylor of the ca
nal company said that he was con-
WINGED that the trouble was not caus-
ed by a blast and was probably the
result of the working of muskrats. He
understood that the bank did not all
go out in one piece but that there oc-
Cured a break which widened rapid
ly. He had no evidence that an e
plosion took place. In the absence OF
Sheriff Frank M. Kendall from the
city, Deputy Sheriffs w. G. Thompson
and John M. Beck were interviewed
They said hat they had had no re-
port made to them that the bank was
blown out. Mr.. Beck said that he was
familiar with general conditions in
that part of the country and that
muskrats had been frequently seen
there. Secretary w. F. Edwards, OF
the Twin Falls County Farm bureau
had made some inquiries and stated
that he was inclined to accept the
muskrat theory and to doubt the idea
that anyone had blasted the bank. 81
have not the slightest doubt that there
could be found some M who might be
willing to destroy the canal by a BIAS
under present war time conditions
but | doubt whether anyone actual,
did" said Mr.. Edwards.
Secretary Taylor said this after
noon that some water was running in
the canal and that he hoped to have il
able to carry a full head by Monday
afternoon.