Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-12-18
A DESERVING ENTERPRISE.


soon to improve.
A DESERVING ENTERPRISE.
Description of the Dam Across Tongue
River, Now Being Built by the Miles City
Irrigating and Ditch Company.
Few Of our readers Who have not
visited the dam now being constructed
across Tongue river by the Miles City
Irritating and Ditch company. are
aware of the magnitude Of the enter
prise. 1t will be remembered some
threeiyears ago the old ditch company
constructed a dam in about the same
place, under the superiDtendence of
Col. Cav, and other would.be archi-
tects. 1t is needless to say that the
dam did not stand the raise in
the river, and portions of il
were scatterd all along the banks
of the river to its mouth, where
it empties into the Yellowstone.
The site Of the new structure Is but q
few ards up the stream from the old
dam and about 500 yards from the
mouth Of Pumpkin creek. At this
point the bank is quite high on the
east side of the river. and sufficiently
high on the west side to prevent any
overflow of the water by being backed
up by the oam or other causes. The
river at this place IL nearly 800 feet
wide, quite shallow, with q little
gravel on the tottom and under that q
thick strata of blue clay, the bed Of
the river thus complying with the re-
quirements to make q good, tight
dam. Driving piles was the fret work
done, and these to the number Of 800
were driven until solid bearing was
had in the bed of the river and placed
every few feet. Upon these piles rest
the superstructure Of the bridge, which
starts with width of 4S feet and tApers
to the top to . width of feet n inches.
The lumber used is l2xi2 laid on the
piles and spiked to them with drift
bolts. Upon these timbers are Others
of the same tize placed at right
angles, and spiked on to those be-
low, thus holding everything In place.
aud In the iDterstices formed is dump
cd rock and gravel. the entire struc-
ture Weighing when completed eleven
thousand tons, which with the
strength Of the drift bolts. Ia calculat-
ed to Withstand many times the
pressure that may be brought against
II to displace 1t from its foundation.
The dam when finished will be $40
feet long ON TOP and aboutla feet high,
with an apron Of 10 feet and inches,
made of double rows Of heavy-e and
4.inch plank. In the construction Of
the dam and its approaches, 100000
feet of lumber viii b used; $500 yards
of rock; 800 piles; 81, 600 pounds of drift
bolts, equal TO 1850 bolts; 100 kegs Of
nails and several hundred loads of
sage brush to 6ll In with the rock and
gravel. The dam when complsted
will have cost alone over e20, 900. This
work has been going on all the sum-
mer and fall. and ut various times
there have been from ten to one hum
ldred men ut work; at the present time
there being employed on II ffty-fivs
men. The dam will be nnished In .
few weeks, when the entire force win
bs put at work upon the fluming for
the ditch, and which with the ssssr-
voir. viii be ready for water before
the drst OF the coming Nay.
Work ON the ditch at present 10 be-
ing rapidly pushed. . large fores Of
men and teams being oongregsesd
upon Kings bluff where cat Of 2,l0o
feet is being made, amounting TO $500
yards. This 10 the snoss '>xpsnavs
piece Of work on The satirs HE q uAs
ditch aud without ths east o. ne
lflums viii psnaosnt 70 over y ,0oo.
'tThs ditS6 = pssjsss6d 70 Ne sssssvuar
4 has on n hb6ot Z me Of fleming. ths
liouesss anozss RdAAg ardsnA Ki1g's
bluG tsAik vinesz lo0 A65esn le6ssh.
) | An ~ 7kabsf - Ne 'dltsh S4a d.
'|uusl ~ by No soApAay's ssw aink
4 40 IA Ion ths efoand. s5o. - ssstsf
4 llumbsr, which had bssn drives N6vn
Tongue river NON he MIN Sh'ohs
plnsrisa. eighty miles up ths rlvsr.
This ditehyh cas q ths,grssssse sll5s-
prises ever prcjseesd In sssoerh 1fon-
tana, and when: nnished ~ reservoir
viii have cost ~. 900. In ahpthsr
issue proper msnticp Win b nads Of
the ditch. and IL bshsns to ths conn
munity.