The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1917-11-15
IRRIGATION HELPS IN
FEEDING THE NATION
Prof. F. H. Newell Tells of
Reclamation Projects in
the West.
unMEC EOQ MANY
HOMES FOR MANY
Millions of Acres of One
Time Desert Land Are
Producing Crops.

was shown last night in the University
Auditorium by the illustrated lecture
of Prof Frederick Haynes Newell,
head of the department of civil en-
gineering in the University of Illinois
and former director of the United
States Reclamation Service. Professor
Newell spent twenty-six years in the
service of the government as an en-
gineer.
Professor Newell said that the
people had a right to know what had
been done with the s100,000.000 that
had been appropriated for the Recla-
nation Service. The work was initiat-
ed by John Wesley Powell, who saw
the possibilities for feeding the world
which these great western areas con-
tanned. Professor Newell was appoint
ed by Mr.. Powell to go west and to
begin the study of the problem.
1.-THE problem which confronts every
engineers is to find the water and
bring it to the place of greatest use
fulness,'' said the speaker.
Not only this difficulty but also
public indifference hindered the work
of the early engineers. Congression-
al action was tardy. Finally, during
the administration of President
Roosevelt. a bill setting aside the
proceeds from the sale of public lands
for the reclamation service, was in
troduced by Francis G. Newlands and
passed by Congress.
Pictures of GOrges.
Professor Newell illustrated his
description of the difficulties which the
engineers had to overcome by pic
lures of the Rocky Mountain gorges
across which dams were built to turn
the water from its narrow course and
make it available for use on the plains
below.
Pictures of the great sagebrush
plains, which, since the arrival of ir-
rigation, have been changed into pro-
ductive fields, were shown. These
one-time barren wastes are now pro-
ducing, in many instances. ten to
eleven cuttings of alfalfa year.
1.-The enormous size of this area
said the sepaker, 'is little compre-
hended by most people" He explained
that California would hold Belgium,
France and Portugal. The greater
part of the European continent could
be included in this arid portion of the
United States.
The work of Professor Newell was
concerned with the building of big
dams. In the mountainous regions,
the work of locating the site for the
dam was done with the aid of pack
horses. The speaker said that his
party spent six months endeavoring to
find a site for the Roosevelt Dam in
Arizona This dam will put to use
lake, twenty-five miles long, which was
formed by obstructing the passages OF
small mountain stream. Through
this dam thousands of acres of arid
land will be released for cultivation.
A Great Engineering Feat.
The great work of the reclamation
service was further shown by illustra-
tions of the Arrowrock Dam in Idaho.
This concrete dam is $50 feet high
from bedrock. 1t is one of the great
est engineering feats in the world.
The dam is on the Boise River. Ac-
cording to Professor Newell, the dam
derives its name from an Indian
custom There is a peculiar rock
formation at this point. The Indians
believe that if they discharge their
arrows into this rock they will have
good luck in the hunt.
Another important piece of reclama-
tion work was the construction of a
dam at Elephant Butte. along the Rio
Grands, in Arizona. Because of the
uncertain rainfall, the system of In
dian irrigation which diverted the
water from the stream, through the
use of rude wooden obstructions, pro-
duced poor results. Since the in
stallation of the new dam, the water
taken from the river has been clear;
before that time it was almost mud.
Professor Newell said that the work
of preparing these dams was diff
cult. The work is divided into three
shifts and goes on continuously. At first
the problem of securing labor was the
main difficulty. White labor was
scarce. Now the Indians have been
taught to work, and make good
laborers when they are properly
treated and given wages of the white
man.
Must Be ResOurceful.
"The engineer must be a man OF
resource" said Professor Newell. "He
has to contend with every shade of
difficulty and must have a remedy
for each"
According to the speaker. the work
of the drainage engineer must go hand
in hand with that of the irrigation
man. Many large western areas have
been rendered unsuitable for culti-
walton because of the alkali salts
which have been brought to the sur
face by excessive irrigation. This
alkali will destroy all crops on the
land and reduce reclaimed areas to
deserts again. unless proper drainage
is installed