PULSE OF THE IRRIGATION INDUSTRY, 



These careful investigators found that of 324 flashes 

 of lightning in 1889, in Belgium, only two struck 

 lightning rods; 123 struck unrodded buildings, setting 

 36 on fire; 16 struck persons; 96 struck trees; 81 

 struck telegraph and telephone lines. Further, it 

 was found that of 18 deaths caused by lightning, one 

 occurred within a dwelling, 11 out or doors and six 

 under trees. 



The Weather Bureau strongly recommends that 

 all barns and exposed buildings be provided with 

 lightning rods. Good iron or copper rods may be 

 used. If copper, the rod should be in form of a tape 

 and should weigh not less than six ounces to the foot. 

 If iron be used, and it appears in every way as effi- 

 cient as copper, it may be either in the form of rod 

 or tape, but should weigh 35 ounces to the foot. The 

 ground end of the rod should in all cases terminate 

 in moist earth or in water, and the top must be 

 always protected by plating or otherwise against lia- 

 bility to rust or corrosion. Chain or linked conduct- 

 ors should not be used. Lightning rod manufacturers 

 and agents often claim absolute protection by their 

 rods within certain limits, proportional to the height 

 of the points above the ground. The investigations 

 of the Bureau lead to the following announcement in 

 this connection : " We now hold that there is no 

 such thing as a definite protected area." With refer- 

 ence to the efficiency of lightning rods when prop- 

 erly placed and cared for, the report of the Bureau 

 cites the case of the Washington monument, which 

 was struck in 1885. It appears that the rodding was 

 somewhat defective originally, but changes were 

 made after the damage of 1885, and of present con- 

 ditions the Bureau report says: " Eight years have 

 now passed since the alterations were made and 

 the monument stands unimpaired. Unquestionably, 

 standing as it does, 555 feet high, in the center of 

 flat, well-watered ground, it constitutes a most dan- 

 gerous exposure for lightning flashes. No better 

 illustration of the value of lightning conductors can 

 "be asked. 1 ' 



TRAVELING CA3LEWAYS. 



Mr. Spencer Miller, engineer of the Lidgerwood 

 Manufacturing Company, New York, Chicago and 

 Boston, will soon be in the West for the purpose of 

 bringing to the attention of parties interested in irri- 

 gation matters, the merit of the Lidgerwood Traveling 

 Cableway in the construction of irrigation and water- 

 works dams. 



This machine has received the hearty endorsement 

 of engineers and contractors familiar with the problem 

 of hoisting and conveying large stone in such work 

 profitably and expeditiously, nnd in its present form 

 is shown in a high state of simplicity and efficiency. 

 Mr. Miller is a member of the American Society of 

 Civil Engineers and widely known for his work in 

 the development of the traveling cableway. 



AN ENERGETIC SUBSCRIBER. 



Montana is wide awake to the importance of irri- 

 gation as a means for the development of the agri- 

 culture of her splendid valleys. Mr. J. C. Burns, of 

 Chinook, in sending us a list of fifty new subscribers, 

 writes: "This valley, along the Milk river, extending 

 some 140 miles in length and two to seven miles in 

 width, is one of the best valleys in the west. It is, 

 however, comparatively new, having been opened to 

 settlers about six years ago, having been a part of the 



Assinaboine Indian Reservation. I came here in 

 March, 1889, from the Yellowstone Valley, which is 

 described in the December AGE. There are many 

 good locations in this country for home seekers, and 

 we need them to help build up our industries. We 

 know that the influence of THE IRRIGATION AGE 

 has been to encouiage and aid the development of 

 the new sections of the west, and we feel that it is 

 aiding and assisting in the upbuilding of agricultural 

 and irrigation enterprises, and we want to call at- 

 tention to some projects that would be of great bene- 

 fit to this magnificent valley. One is the turning of 

 some of the waters from St. Mary's Lake into the 

 head of Milk River for the increase of our water 

 supply. The government has already had this sur- 

 veyed by engineer Nettleton, who made a favorable 

 report." THE AGE is always glad to publish authen- 

 tic information concerning any honest enterprises, 

 projected or in operation, which are for the develop- 

 ment of any part of the great western country. 



THE SACALINE SEEDS. 



Many calls are being received for the packets of 

 sacaline seeds which we are offering to prepaid sub- 

 scribers to THE AGE for 1895. None will be sent out 

 except upon application, as they are too costly to be 

 wasted. The seeds will be forwarded late in Febru- 

 ary or early in March, in ample time for planting. 



UTAH ENTERPRISE. 



One of the handsomest folders that has been pub- 

 lished by an irrigation company is just issued by the 

 Bear River Irrigation Company, of Corrinne, Utah. 

 It has evidently been prepared to give brief, concise 

 answers to every question which a prospective settler 

 can think to ask. It is illustrated by more than a 

 dozen full-page half-tones, some of them combina- 

 tions representing a number of views together. On 

 the one side is an accurate map of Northern Utah 

 showing the close relation which these fine lands bear 

 to the cities of Salt Lake Citv and Ogden, getting ad- 

 vantage of these home markets, as well as of the popu- 

 lous mining regions of the Territory. It will be sent 

 on application as above. 



Mr. F. C. Finkle, Chief Engineer of the Grapeland 

 Irrigation District, says they are progressing well with 

 their canal and tunnel. There are now eight miles of 

 canal completed and 2,050 feet of the tunnel. The 

 flow of the water is increasing rapidly in the tunnel, 

 and by the time the remaining 950 feet are completed 

 it bids fair that the flow of water will be greater than 

 expected. 



The Citrus Belt Irrigation District have begun con- 

 struction on their main canal, having made a start 

 about the middle of November. They have about 

 half a mile excavated and one-quarter of a mile ce- 

 mented at the present time, Mr. Finkle is still chief 

 engineer for both the Grapeland and Citrus Belt Dis- 

 tricts. 



Messrs. Phillip Bros, have just completed the plat- 

 ting of their 640 acre ranch west of Las Animas, 

 Colorado, under the Riverside ditch, into 20 and 40 

 acre tracts, which they will put on the market in the 

 spring. The place is laid out with broad roads and 

 numerous driveways and will be known in the future 

 as Riverside Park. Although this land already has 



