Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-01-01
The GREAT MILL DAM
STUPENDOUS ENGINEERING FEAT
ACCOMPLISHED AT LAST,
WORK LONG IN PROGRESS
riooo waters Conserved for Use
During Dry Season and Vast
increase in Riches of the Country
certain to Ensue-Cost of Dam
s19,oOo,o 900.

SoSe J." niCneS or the Country |
Certain to Ensue-Cost of Oar, !
S1a,ooo,ooo.
From tne ages of the dynasties of /
shepherd kings and Pharaohs a low
Nile or a high Nile" has meant
dear.h or plenty in Egypt. In propor.
ton as the river spread it's fertilizing
waters in flood time along it's banks
the crop Of the season was assured
II Tor one or more years in succession
its volume fell short famine stared
the people in the face.
Imperial Rome depended largely on
the granaries of Egypt for the daily
bread of her populace, but in her
great constructive days she failed to
insure the constancy of supplies in
grain and other products of Egypt's
soil which is confidently expected
from the present regulation of the
rise and fall of the ancient river
Nearly four years have passed since
the foundation of the great Nile dam
at Assouan was laid. 1t was bedded
on a high portion of solid rock.
Across the river, a mile broad there,
the massive wall has been steadily
build up of granite, welding together
the rocks which form the dangerous
first cataract.
Inc length of the dam is about 900
1eet. Its strength had to be DESIGNED
| 10 mold IN reserve for purposes of if
| rlgatlon great mass of water.
| When the river is in flood its waters
Will gush through the massive sluice
gates. In the autumn months the
sluice gates will be closed until the
| reservoir thus formed is full and
ready to be distributed by channels
over the agricultural land on each
slde. When the water is most wanted
| In August and April-for the crops
OF corn, sugar, cotton and rice the
supply in the lower river will be in
creased from the reservoir, and thus a.
falrly even supply of water will be
afforded throughout the year. A canal
with numerous locks will give passage
TO the Nile steamers and other traffic.
! There are in the dam $50 openings.
each containing sluices. These are
OF the late F. M. .,,oney's patent-a
wonderful invention, by which a child.
by merely pressing lever. can
elevate or depress a huge mass of
steel with this enormous pressure of
water against it.
Commercially the value of the dam
to Egypt in the future can hardly be
estimated. One of it's immediate
| eHects, according to the Egyptian
governments engineer will be to
! bring under cultivation 100000 ad-
dltlonal acres of land. This is in ad-
dltlon to putting certain districts and
levels beyond the ordinary risks of
hood and drouth. An area of 5000, 1900
acres, now in fair cultivation, will be
converted into land of the first
efficiency in crop-producing qualities
over the whole area Sir William
Garstln, the secretary of state for
public works, believes the value of
summer crops will be increased tv as
much as $50 an acre. Egypt's re-
sources for growing corn and cotton
VIII thus be immensely enhanced and
are likely to bring her forward as a
competitor in the worlds markets.
From the engineering point of view
the stupendous nature of the under
taking will be realized from the effect
1t will have of creating practically a
lake LA miles long impounding more
than 100000, 900 tons of water. At
some periods Of the year, it is said.
100000 tons a minute will gusn
through the sluices. The dam will
raise the river about sc feet above
It's usual previous level. The
structure is broad enough for car
rage road to run along it's top.
Nowhere else in the Nile valley
says Sir Benjamin Baker, who has
carried out the work, were to be found
such advantages of site, sound rock.
numerous islands and shadows in
which to work. The openings of the
sluices are lined with cast iron one
and half inches thick, so as eff
fectually to guard against destruction
from the constant impact of large
volumes Of water at high velocity.
1 he width of the base of the dam has
been made such that the pressure on
the solid granite masonry will be less
than that on any Of the other great
dams of the world.
The cost Of the dam when the en-
tire project is completed will be. it is
estimated, $18,O00,OOO, including the
smaller dam at Assiout, about $50
miles nearer Cairo. The capital was
guaranteed by Sir Ernest Cassel,
London fnancier who has been CO.
operating with Lord Cromer, British
diplomatic agent in Egypt. The rev.
enues from me extra water supply F.,
created will pay off the cost, it is be- |
lieved, in single generation.