THE IEKIGATION AGE. 



367 



familiar with all of the details, but intend to take it up 

 with those who are well posted and exploit both sides in 

 future issues of THE IRRIGATION AGE. The land owners 

 in some of the valleys will be asked to state their side 

 of the case and government officials will be requested 

 to explain their position. Meanwhile, the motive and 

 the cause leading up to the passage of this treaty 

 will be investigated carefully, and it is presumed that 

 some very interesting revelations will result. 



Six-Mile 



Under 

 Mountain. 



On July 6 the heading from either direc- 

 tion met in the Gunnison Tunnel, con- 

 structed by the Government in Colorado. 

 This tunnel is expected to carry the waters 

 of the Gunnison Eiver through a moun- 

 tain range into the Uncompahgre Valley, there to be 

 used for irrigation. It is the largest 'underground 

 waterway in the world, being six miles long, has a 

 finished cross section of lO^xll^ feet and will carry 

 1,300 cubic feet of water per second. The tunnel will 

 be lined throughout with cement, and the Washington 

 authorities state that it will, when completed, cost about 

 $2,500,000. Clippings from western papers and also 

 information received from those who are familiar with 

 the project, indicate that the cost will reach a very much 

 higher figure some say double that sum which would 

 bring the cost for water per acre to a very high figure. 



Numerous difficult engineering feats were encoun- 

 tered in^the construction of this tunnel, and it was 

 necessary at various times to increase the acre cost of 

 water as the difficulties made greater expenditure than 

 was first considered necessary. The preliminary work 

 on this undertaking was not only difficult, but in a sense 

 spectacular, as the Gunnison Eiver flows at the bottom 

 of a canyon 2,000 feet deep, with almost perpendicular 

 walls, which necessitated the surveys for the location of 

 the tunnel heading on the river side being determined 

 by lowering engineers from the rimrock down the face 

 of the canyon by ropes. This work required both heroism 

 and engineering skill of no mean order. 



Actual work on the tunnel was of a necessity pre- 

 ceded by the construction of a road down the canyon 

 walls over which supplies and heavy machinery could be 

 carried. For over four years crews of men have been 

 boring into the granite mountain from both ends of the 

 tunnel. They have encountered all sorts of discourage- 

 ments, gas, cave-ins, hot and cold water, running sand 

 and treacherous material which required careful timber- 

 ing in order to protect the workmen, but the work has 

 gone on steadily day and night. 



The lands in the Uncompahgre Valley are said to 

 be among the richest orchard lands in the west, and with 

 an ample water supply they will furnish homes for 

 thousands of families who can easily pay back to the 

 government the cost of building the irrigation system. 



It is said by the wise ones that no other than 

 orchard land experts would be likely to take up and 

 develop property in the Uncompahgre Valley owing to 

 the high price of construction which brings the acre 

 cost to a higher figure than that charged on any other 

 project so far developed by the Government. 



The formal celebration of the opening of this tun- 

 nel will be held in September and it is expected that 

 President Taft will be present with other distinguished 

 guests who will take part in the program of the day. 



This project will reclaim approximately 150,000 

 acres of land surrounding the celebrated Montrose fruit 

 district. Homesteading will not be necessary on most 

 of the land as the majority of the acreage was filed on 

 years ago and is at present for sale outright at reason- 

 able price per acre. Water-rights must be contracted 

 for with the government. 



A new era is dawning for the irrigated 

 Ballinger west under the control of Secretary Bal- 

 Studies linger, a western man, who studies careful- 



Western ly all problems that confront him. Under 



Needs. these conditions, the west may expect a 



square deal. It is safe to say that under 

 his administration irrigation projects controlled by the 

 Government will be carried forward more rapidly and 

 satisfactorily than in the past. The predecessor of Mr. 

 Ballinger, while a capable man, was not in any way 

 familiar with the west. He secured the major part 

 of his (information concerning western affairs from 

 bureau heads and many details, no doubt, came to him 

 through Forester Pinchot. Mr. Ballinger is making a 

 general tour of the west at the present time and will 

 reach Washington in the fall, better prepared to meet 

 the grave questions relating to western progress than any 

 man who has ever filled this position. 



People of the west may feel that their interests are 

 in safe hands with Secretary Ballinger at the helm. 



AMES PUMP CATALOG. 



One of the most commendable of pump catalogs to 

 come before the editor of the Irrigation Age during the 

 past month is that put upon the press by the A. T. Ames 

 Manufacturing Company, of Niles, Cal. In its explana- 

 tions and description of the various classes of pumping 

 machinery placed upon the market by this company the 

 catalog is comprehensive and complete. Catalog No. 

 24, as it is called, approaches the artistic and withal is 

 a most valuable booklet for buyers. 



Send $2.50 for The Irrigation Age, one year, and 

 the Primer of Irrigation, a 260-page finely illustrated 

 work for new beginners in irrigation. 



