Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-25
THE LARGEST OVERFLOW DAM.
Effort to Change a wheat Count
Into a Fruit District.

INTO n Fruit District.
Stanislaus county. Cal. will have the
highest overflow dam in the world in about
sixty days. SAYS the San Francisco Call
1t rs called the La Grange dam, and in be-
ing constructed for the Modesto and Tur-
lock irrigation districts. Its location is in
the canyon of the Toulumne river. three
miles from the town of La Grange. Work
on the project was commenced in June,
,ssi. and has been prosecuted continuously
ever since. A force Of 200 men has been en-
ployed on the work. the total cost Of which
will be 100000
The La Grange will be 3so feet long ON
top, the plan being curved on a radius OF
800 feet. Its maximum height above the
foundation will be LIZ feet 8 inches. The
front face OF the wall is made to conform,
to the curve described by the water In over
| flowing. and TO defect it into the basin in
! front of the dam.
The dam is built Of 'cyclopean rubble,"
| and is a model OF solidity. Huge rocks,
| weighing from six to ten tons, were first
| laid on the bottom. All their projecting
pieces were cut Off, and fat but rough
surface was prepared for the lower he'd
Before being placed in the bottom eli
stones, whatever their size, were scrubbed
| and subjected to the action Of numerous
| Jets of water under the pressure of seventy.
| five feet.
The dam will distribute water over a ter
| ritory embracing 256.0oO acres. The Turlock
district comprises about $4,000 and the Mo-
| desto district 900 acres. The water will
/ flow over the dam into two bitches. One
| will be thirty miles long and 100 feet WIDE
| the other twenty-eight miles long and eighty
| feet wide. The waters Of the Tuolumne
| river will be banked up by the dam In the
| rocky canyon. A lake will thus be formed
| four miles long and a half mile wide. An
idea of the solidity of the dam may be
gathered from the fact that at its base it
| is III feet inches thick. and that Of solid
stone. forming an indestructible barrier 70
the lake of water behind.
One of the largest grain growers OF the
| state is L. NJ. Hickman Of Hickman, STAN
| islaus county. He owns the Lide ranch.
| comprising 1900 acres. all in wheat. His
| land is near the dam. and he believes that
the distribution OF its waters will change
| the agricultural aspect of the section. which
is now exclusively devoted to the raising
of grain.
What we have ALWAYS needed in the
central California counties" said Mr.. Hick-
OF crops We have had no rain since March
last, and nothing but wheat and barley
can be raised. At the present low prices
| for wheat farmers cannot make a penny.
| 1t is estimated that Stanisiaus county rails
es annually 100000 tons of wheat. The
rate this year is Sc ton less than two
years ago. That difference of 100000 just
about represents the profit. so this years
work has been for naught.
Until lSet we farmers were accustomed
to receive $50 to $1.s0 bushel for oui
wheat. In that year there was big crof
! the world over, and We have been evel
since working off the surplus These un
: profitable seasons for grain growers arr
liable to recur, but by having dfversit,
of crops we farmers can avoid being caugh
again That Is why d we fe Tbe so wa,ep xiI
5 be turned into the bitches on January
D | next.