48 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



supply, on a basis of 8500.00 per inch, 

 measured at the mouth of a tunnel, 

 the S. A. W. Co. to furnish the capital, 

 for the development, under the manage- 

 ment of the promoters. 



The tunnel is timbered throughout 

 with 6"x6" redwood and 2"x6" redwood 

 for lugging. The bottom width is 4 

 in the clear, and top width of 3f feet, 

 and 6 feet in height. 



The bottom of the tunnel and the 

 sides to a height of one foot are lined 

 with concrete. 



The total length of the tunnel is about 

 a mile, and about a one-fourth mile more 

 of the shafts along the line of tunnel. 



Nothing of particular interest occured 

 in the cutting of the tunnel until the 

 water strata was entered at the face 

 of tunnel, causing a cave, and subse- 

 quently abandoning the further develop- 

 ment in the main tunnel. Considerable 

 water flowed into the tunnel for a 

 time, until, about January 1st, 1896, 

 it reach its normal flow, discharging at 

 the mouth of the tunnel 4 miner's 

 inches. 



At this time the promoters of the 

 enterprise decided to connect the tunnel 

 with a shaft about 210 feet deep at a 

 point about 20 feet back from the face, 

 and run side drifts or tunnels into the 

 water bearing strata above the main 

 tunnel, first by pipes and afterward by 

 shaft. Some four wells were driven before 

 a connection was made, to be of any 

 benefit in increasing the supply of water 

 in the tunnel below. The first well was 

 started with pipe 14 inches in diameter 

 and reducing to 12, 10, 8 and 6. The 

 second well was bored to a depth of 165 

 feet where some tools were lost and this 

 well abandoned. Well No. 3. met with 

 the same fate at about 175 feet, and well 

 No. 4 was finally driven to the tunnel 

 and a connection made. On cutting 



the pipe at the water stratas, some con- 

 siderable water was obtained for a time, 

 diminishing, however until the normal 

 flow was reached, which resulted in 

 about 30 miner's inches. The pipe also 

 filled with debris, and it was found nec- 

 essary to excavate the shaft the full 

 depth to allow the water to enter the 

 tunnel. 



The sinking of the shaft was a very 

 tedious and expensive operation, as the 

 several pipes had to be cut out in pieces 

 as the work progressed. 



The expense of the work, including 

 tunnel and shafts, etc., has exceeded 

 $75,000 and the additional tunnel must 

 be necessarily expensive. 



In consequence of the existing condi- 

 tions, and the enormous outlay with the 

 result of the limited supply of water, 

 sealed proposals were called for recently at 

 Ontario, California, by the San Antonio 

 Water company for the construction of 

 certain proposed extension of the tunnel, 

 resulting in the awarding of a small con- 

 tract to the O'Neil Bros., of Cucamonga. 

 Work is still progressing on the tunnel 

 with some success in increasing the 

 water supply. 



This tunnel is one of the sources of 

 water supply of the Model Colony of 

 Ontario. 



The total supply for the present 

 season is now approximately as follows: 



Miners' inches. 



San Antonio Creek 165 



San Antonio Tunnel 81 



Prankish & Staur Tunnel' 18 



Bodenhammer Tunnel 25 



Making a total of 

 The effect of the light rainfall for the 

 winter of 1895 is shown by the unusually 

 small surface flow of the San Antonio 

 Creek. 



-TTO 



