230 THE IRRIGA TION A GE. 



from above. But where there is no pressure the flow from above 



<JANNOT BE ACCELERATED BY TAPS BELOW. 



There may be wells enough in it to take it all but they cannot 

 hasten the end as in the other case. As this is contrary to common 

 belief, even of many good engineers at first glance, you will find it of 

 interest to consider this carefully especially in view of its possible 

 importance. 



In the case of Yarwood vs The West Los Angeles Water 

 Company it was proved beyond question that the water in wells some 

 twelve hundred feet above the development cut fell some four feet 

 about the time the main cut was made and some sixteen inches while 

 while an extension was being made. This was not denied and could 

 not be for I found on examination of the wells that it was true. But 

 I was satisfied that it was from failure in the supply and not from the 

 draft made by the cut. The other engineers in the case took the 

 same view and the case was won by the company on that ground. 

 Had the water been a still sheet it could have been lowered but in 

 that case it would have been percolating water and the owner of the 

 land, (the company) would have a right to it, even to the damage of 

 another. To maintain their case plaintiffs had to claim as upper 

 riparian owners on an underground stream and the court found that it 

 was such a stream, although in the form of a moving sheet. But 

 being in motion on a grade instead of standing on a level plane it 

 became instantly subject to the laws of water flowing against re- 

 sistance 



WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS FORM, WIDTH, DEPTH, VELOCITY OR FALL. 



One of the most simple of these is that water flowing against 

 resistance will by that very resistance be held up to a certain plane. 

 If so it cannot be lowered below that plane as long as the resistance 

 is there. The illustration I gave in court was that of a flume carry- 

 ing one hundred inches of, water. It will flow full to a short distance 

 from the end where it will drop off in a curve. This curve cannot be 

 extended back of a certain point by any mode of facilitating the 

 discharge. You may break off section after section or widen the 

 outlet as you please but the curve quickly stops. No matter how 

 short the flume you cannot carry it back the whole length, for if you 

 could the flume would then carry more than the hundred inches. 

 It would not be long enough- to be a real flume. 



Suppose now we fill the flume with gravel until it carries only 

 one inch of water. We still have the same results. The curve at the 

 end is changed some by the character of the resistance of the gravel 

 but it is still there. The flume runs full as before to near the end and 

 then curves suddenly off. By no way of assisting the .discharge can 

 you increase it so as to carry the curve back of the point where the 

 nature of the resistance has located it. If such assistance could lower 



