The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-15
The GREAT ROOSEVELT Dam.
THREE Ma. YEARS cow
PLETE TIE Structure.


lie lS2 Feet Below the Reclamation
ReseFVoir-Tho Government Makihs
It's Own Cement for - 90 barrel
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE town OF
Roosevelt. Ariz., humming a. Il Is with the
activities Of lie 5000 inhabitants. u doomed
Its lease on life b only three years long.
In 1908, when the engineers Of the heola-
nation Service shall have completed the
highest dam in the world, Roosevelt VIII
lie Ia feet below the surface Of the water
IN the reclamation reservoir. Work has
been In progress for about year, but men
are hboring now, night and day In three
shifts Of eight bours each, In order that no
more than three additional years may be
consumed in the task Then Roosevelt
will be no more.
Shut In by mountains as the valley OF
sslt River Is at this point, there Is no place
else where the men who are constructing
the dam for the Salt River reclamation
project might build them a city except
IN the very valley that Is destined 10 be
submerged. The town. or camp, Of Roose-
welt, IL situated partly on the fat along
Salt River and partly on the hillside above
the high water mark Of the reservoir. In
the lover part Of the camp are located the
UsmHOIdIy DOWtI lAaHAg Allo NgAhAAAAa1NAi =
the corral, the hospital and the dwelling
tents Of employees Of the Reclamation
Service Of the United States Geological
Survey and Of contractors working for
the Government. In that portion OF the
camp known as 'Roossvelt-on-tbe-H -
are the cement mill an Of6cs building,
dining han and kitchen. numerous tent
houses and several frame structures erected
. IL - -. ,otr.n rtV40n fnrSsa aVA
their familiss.
The contract for the Roosevelt dam
has been recently given to J. NJ. o. Rourke
4 Co. Of Galveston, Tex, and the most
serious work Of the project will soon be
under way. During the past year how
ever, a vast deal OF important preliminary
work has been accomplished by the IN
habltants Of Roosevelt. temporary
power plant, a cement mill, an Ice plant
p alightindplant and saw mill have all been
completed. The power canal. which will
furnish water power for the generation
Of electricity to operate all the works,
viii be done IN few months. telephone
line connecting the head works Of the power
canal, about eighteen miles above Roose-
welt, with the Arizona dam, which IL about
thirty miles from Phoenix, has also been
installed. In the face Of great engineering
difficulties wagon road has been built
between Phoenix and Roosevelt. road
10 the TIMBER IN Llo bltIIh huCuh AOun-
tains has also opened up new country.
Altogether it has been necessary 70 con-
stTlct about eighty miles Of road.
Much Of the work has been done under
most unfavorable circumstance. From
February until the end Of March there was
almost continuous rain and snow, Never
in the history Of Arizona has snow been
deeper than II was last winter, and the
chances for high water during the entire
summer are, unfortunately, almost GER
tain I0fFinn tho mart ~ March
the road 10 Globe was impossible and
the ella Valley, Globe and Northern Rail
way was out Of commission. The Southern
Pacific bridge aoross ella at MRrcopa
was rebuilt half dozen times during that
IL might be said Of the ,unwelcoms rains,
however, that they rather improved the
power canal by consolidating the banks.
The grading work for this canal was done by
Sherer A Co. Of Los Angeles, and tunnel work
by John Tuttle Of San Francisco. Water
viii be diverted from the river TO the power
canal about a quarter Of q mile below the
The canal Il 10 miles long and It's construo-
ton has involved the excavation Of about
0000O0 cubic yards Of material and the
driving Of nearly 1900 feet OF tunnel.
Until power can be obtained from the
power canal, a temporary steam plant
has been built for furnishing power TO the
machine and wood shops and for running
the cemsnt mill. Il has also run the hoist
for the material, which has to be elevated
800 feet 10 the cement mill, and has fur
nished Light and power for drilling opera
lions In the tunnels ut the dam.
The cement mill, which has been ready
10 run since the middle Of February Is now
In operation. The fuel used In burning
cement In the hlns Ia crude petroleum
from the California oil zelda. Attached
to the mill - a well equipped laboratory
under the charge. Of two chemists, who
viii devote all their time to. standardizing
the cement materials and testing the
products Of the mill. II Is expected that
about 10000 barrels OF cement will be
required In the construction Of the Roose-
welt dam the power canal and the various
Tonic improvements.
The cement used In the preliminary
work cost 1855 a barrel deliv cred at the
point where II was used. Bids were later
received for Furnishing cement at tsl
a barrel IL will cost the Government
$3.50 barrel to make the cement on the !
grouhd. II the cost OF the plant $4,000,
be added 70 the cost Of the 3OO, 900 barrels |
Of cement required the total cost Of the |
Government cement will still be only 50 20 !
q barrel. This means a saving Of S2.6l |
barrel, OF a saving Of t522 900 on the en- |
tire work. After the dam and canals have |
been completed the cement plant will I
still be capable Of further use and con- I
Siderable salvage may doubtless be realized. /
Two new gaglng stations were established I
on Little Colorado River and its tributaries I
during March. A party has been survey J
Ing possible power canal on Verde River, I
the power to be used 10 supplement that I
obtained from the dam when Il IL desirable /
to store water in the reservoir.
Mr. Louis G. Hill is the supervising en-.
gtneer In charge Of the work on the Salt |
River project.