Imperial Valley press., 1920-06-14
COOLIDGE

ern Pacific, responding to the appeal
of President Roosevelt, who recog-
nized that a great railroad alone was
equipped to cope with the situation,
threw it's resources into the combat
to save the homes of $4,000 families
and the prospective homes of many
times that number.
A great dam of piles and brush mat
resses, 600 feet long by 100 feet wide,
Vas constructed amid incredible dif-
Icult.eS When amos, completed, 4
great fioaG cdmc down tbs G'ila
river, and on November %, 1905, the
dam collapsed and the work of months
was undone. The Colorado left its
cid bed ard leaped 75 miles to pour
itself in to the Imperial Valley and
Salton Sea. Again the Southern Pa
cific and the California Development
Company combined forces and con-
structed wonderful headgate of
concrete and steel built to carry
about twice the expected flow Of the
river. 1t was forced to carry three
times the expected volume, and it
failed, rose on the flood, broke in
two, and floated down the torrent.
The full power of two divisions of
the Southern Pacific, will all available
equipment and right CT way over all
except passenger trains. was drawn
upon to build dam of rock and
pcs.. el in the shortest possible time.
Trestles were built and men began
-, +kroo T0oT-o1lol 1IT-nc-
At the height OF this supreme effort
2S0 carloads per day were hurrying
into the desert from quarrles 40 miles
distant, and one carload was being
dumped every five minutes for long
periods of time. Success lay IN the
question of whether the railroad could
dump rock faster than the river could
carry it away. In November of that
year, the baffled Colorado backed Up
and resumed its old channel, only to
break out month later in a new spot.
Once more the call to arms was is
sued and the tremendous campaign
begun all over again in a new spot,
In February of the following year, the
battle was finally won ana the lmpe-
rial Valley saved to become the Won
der garden Of America.
Amcrg Tie men Identified with this
Randolph, now president of the
Southern Pacific lines in Mexico, then
in general charge of the river CAM
paign as president of the California
Development Company; Il. T. Corey,
chief engineer and general manager
Of the enterprises; r. II. Ingram, gen
eral superintendent, Southern District,
Southern Pacific Company; H. '.
Platt, superintendent Los Angeles Di-
vision; c. K. Clarke, superintendent
cf diversion work; c. r. Roe kWood.
engineer, E. Garlic, superintendent ct
steam shovels; and Thomas Hind, su-
perintendent Of Hanlon Junction.
Some idea Of the exigencies of the
situation and the amount of money II
cost may be gained by a few fac.s
/ At one time a. many as 100 meT
were in camp. There were 1900 horses;
! Ia steam shovels at work; and for the
/ first big dam alone, brush and willow
trees over an area of so acres were
stripped for mats, and woven with
80 miles of wire. Two whole carloads
of lutte sacks were filled witt
dirt and used in emergency levet
work. Rocks too large to handle with
derricks were blasted as they lay OF
the cars and then dumped The force
of the river was such that rocks
weighing five tons were swept 80 fee
down stream.
This, then, may be accepted as one
service the Southern Pacific rendered
Imperial. At the present time, t'
quote from the official booklet ISSUED
by the Imperial county board of super
d virorc'
! "Iuaeca T9lleg is a ret wovb OF
rairoa3s. Wc have the 1.alu tu,ee Of
me Sou.ne.A Pacific, .aA D..go :
Arizona; Inter California and Holton
Interurban systems. All of the3>
roads have branches serving the trucl
garden territory, There was Tins
when Imperial Valley was considered
as being on branch, but it is now OF
the main line with through first-clas'
passenger trains carrying diners anf
Pullmans. Splendid local service pre-
walls between Imperial Valley anC
Los Angeles and San Diego harbors
with high-cl2ss through service to +
Paso, New Orleans, Kansas City anc
Chicago. Through Pullnlaas are rul