Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-11
FINE WESTERN DAMS


Over 1000 feet below the sea and
,early 6, 900 feet below the great peak of
san Jacinto, in Riverside County, CAL,
avs the Irrigation Age, there has now
cached the height of 40 feet what is
probably the best built dam in America.
t is in very narrow gorge Of solid
ock, and built of blocks of granite Of
rom three to five tons each, no small
tone being used. The spaces between
hcse are filled with rich concrete, mixed
" machinery and rammcd into place by
,ee rods. This makes monolith of
he whole structure. with the advantage
If having more ficxibility than any other
lam of equal strength could have. Its
actor of safety is very heavy, and its
peculiar construction will make it rs
nearly earthquake proof as it is possible
or dam to be. With stone of such
'ize it could stand for long time very
heavy overflow, but an ample waste way
will be provided. 1t will be carried to
height Of $50 feet, where it will hold
over 8, coo, 900, 600 gallons. 1t may be built
still higher il necessary. Though SO
high, 1t 10 not very expensive on account
of the gorge being very narrow for the
first 100 feet.
The watershed is over 100 square miles
OF as good mountain watershed as there
is in this part of the State. 1t is all
high mountain, with steep slopes, aud an
average rainfall of about As inches fall
ing in six months. When the gateway
was shut n few days ago one storm filled
it to depth of 50 feet, making lake
some two miles long. The lowest summer
flow 10 oOnruh IN hu, ho NUN Nc ro ticn
while tho average will furnish large
after the lake is full.
This wster will be used upon what
is called the mesa in the rich valley
of San Jacinto. In this valley are
many THOUSAND acres of the richest
land, and $50 artesian wells are there
pouring out over 1900 inches Of water
This will build up one of the most
prosperous settlements in the new
country, with quit, town and alfalfa
fields and orchards on every hand. On
the west. and some 20 to 40 feet
above the main valley, where the
artcsian belt is, lie some 10000 acres of
bench land that, with water, is the finest
Of fruit land, and upon which the ar
tesian water cannot be taken. Upon this
the water from lake Hemett will be led
by pipe and cement ditch and f1umo
down the canyon with fall Of 2, 500 feet
in few miles, which will give power
enough to run electric roads and lighting
plants, besides considerable for manufac-
turing.
Upon the mesa or bench land the CON-
pany already owns some 5000 acres of
choice land, over which 1t will distribute
water, and it will undoubtedly sell water
to the ad jacent lands, if the owners pre-
fer to keep them, instead of selling them
to the company While considerable
has been done here in the past without
any irrigation, the use OF water so far
surpasscs the best results without it that
the sale Of all the water they can reservoir
is assured.
This type of dam was selected mainly
On account Of its economy Of cement.
The hauling of cement up long noun
tain road was serious item. But this
s not its only advantage. 1t is much
stronger than ordinary rubble masonry.
less apt to crack under any sudden shock,
and also heavier for the same bulk of
material. Where a savage stream has to
be fought, and there is any question
about the sufliciency of the wasteway, it
is the best type of dam if the cleaving of
the rock will permit the getting out of
large rocks. The overflow cannot tear
;hem loose, nor can ordinary pounding
Of the water at the base jar it so 40 to in
jure the joints of the structure. Its
economy over rubble masonry will de-
pend upon the price of cement at the
work and upon the cleavage of the rock,
it being assumed that in the case of ordi-
nary rabble work wire rope carriers
would be used to deliver stone into place.
With some rock. the waste of stone, too
small for this type of dam, yet large
enough for common rubblc work, might
be great enough to overbalance tho diff
ference in the amount of cement used.
At all events, this form makes most
safe and imposing piece Of work that
will endure as long as the hills in which
he dam is so firmly locked.