New-York tribune., 1906-04-30

become more and more evident that many classes
OF engineering work in the West can be performed
considerably cheaper than in the East and al
the same time the natural conditions are such
that these structures are more economical and
effective.
If we take, for example the three great ma
sonry dams now being erected for the purpose OF
storing water, viz. the Roosevelt dam in Arizona.
the PatHfnoer Dam. in Southeastern Wyoming
and the Shoshone Dam, in Northwestern Wvo-
ming We shall find that the effective storage ca
pacity and costs far below those of some Of
the great Eastern dams. like the New Croton in
New York, and the Wachusett in Massachusetts
me heights Of these dams are as follows Roose-
welt, $50 feet; Pathfinder, 20 feet: Shosbone als
1eet; New Croton, 297 feet, and Wachusett a7 feet
These heights measured from the foundation
stones TO parapet in each case and they show that
the Shoshone is the highest, while the New Croton
Is second and the Roosevelt third If. however the
height above the river bed be considered-that Is
the effective storage height-the New Croton is the
lowest. The order is then as follows: Shoshone.
4O feet; Roosevelt. $50 feet: Pathfinder 200 feet:
Wachusett 1S5 feet, and the New Croton I57 feet
In other words, about so per cent of the masonry
in the New Croton dam is below ground and Is
servceable for foundation purposes only.
TIE RESERVOIR CAPACITY
1t is interesting TO note the comparative reser-
voir capacities. While the New Croton Dam is
the largest in the world from the point of view of
its amount of masonry, the storage capacity OF
the reservoir formed by it is by far the lowest of
any of those above mentioned. In fact from a
point of view of storage economy, the New Croton
reservoir is of the poorest that has been
structed in recent years. The dam contains $4,000
cubic yards of masonry and was erected at a cost
of S76GOCO0. The capacity of the reservoir formed
by II is 4OCOOpOOOO cubic feet or a cost Of 81 800
million cubic storage. Similar figures for the
Wachusett Dam show that II contains $4,000 cubic
yards of masonry, and erected at a cost OF
about 100000 Its storage capacity is 100000
cubic feet, a Of $23S a million cubic feet
storage
In contrast to these. excessive costs the three
western dams appear remarkable The Roosevelt
Dam, for example. contains $4,000 cubic yards or
masonry, erected at a cost of $3,&OO00. The ca
pacity of the reservoir is 81 900 100000 cubic feet
fifteen times that of the new Croton, and about
seven and one-half times that of the Wachusett.
The cost Of this dam million cubic feet storage is
only $63 16. Even more remarkable appears the
Pathfinder Dam. 1t contains 5000 cubic yards OF
masonry, erected at Il cost of 100000. The ca
pacity of the reservoir is 1860 10000 cubic feet or
more than ten times that of the Croton The cost
Of the dam million cubic feet storage is there
fore only So %. against 81 800 for the new Cro-
ton and 1898 for the Wachusett Similar figures for
the Shoshone Dam. the highest IN the world are
Cubic yards of masonry. G9OO0: cost, 100000; ca
pacity Of reservoir 100000 cubic feet or a cost
million cubic feet storage of $O35
These extremely low costs have seldom been
eQualed in the history of reservoir construction.
ana are due largely 10 the excellent natural IA
cilities which are found in the rugged Western
country. From this fact it must not be inferred
that these Western structures simple en-
cheering works. On the contrary, owing TO their
isolated location, their inaccessibity by rail. and
often by wagon, and the erratic and torrential
character of the streams. they involve problems
which tax the skill and ingenuity of their builders
TO the utmost
LOW COST NECESSARY.
II is most fortunate that these reservoirs provide
enormous storage relatively low cost, otherwise
their construction would not be feasible the ir-
rgated land could not bear the expense of the |
costly structures OF East with their limited |
storage capacity.
The Croton Dam. If it had been constructed in |
Salt River Valley, in Arizona, for irrigation. would
supply only 23oO acres. and irrigators would have
10 pay $3.50 for stored $40 =
the estimated cost for water from the Roosevelt 4
Dam.
work OF the reclamation service is the
shortage of Portland cement With twenty-four
dreds of thousands of barrels of cement the engi-
neers are finding II next To impossible to obtain
dented demand for this commodity all over the
West has already overtaxed the capacity OF the
ments requests for bids turned down. Appar-
emily no manufacturers west OF the Mississippi are
from the government they state that owing 10 the
unusual demand new orders cannot be accepted for |
requested from eight manufacturers and dealers |
In cement for 1900 barrels required an Idaho I
was AZ rate 30 per cent higher than the firm
would have sold few months ago. Still later in
We're sent to twenty-three dealers. Again only
urn submitted a bid and this nearly 60 per
by this hrm- Other attempts 10 purchase cement
lave been similarly unsuccessful
The reclamation service is graVey concerned
Il has rt contracts for structures involving mill
ons Of dollars, and a failure to secure cement
inp as eO aI,, a., tba X. 4