The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1906-08-25

Ddnkment. The dam is carrie
across the basin at narrow poir
between low hill on the east an
higher one on the west. Its lengt
: Is 74OO feet, or nearly a mile and
half. Its greatest height-where tn
deepest depression is found-will b
40 feet. This will be the height fo
about one-third of the length. 1t
: extreme width at the base is %
J feet, its width at the top 20 fee
! The body of it Is constructed O
; earth taken from both sides Of tn
| dam and from the sides of the ad
jacent hills. The surface earth will
be cut away on the reservoir sid
for a distance of 500 feet. Tw,
longitudinal trenches the Who'll,
length of the dam were sunk below
the base land and filled with earth
packed by process similar to tina
employed in constructing the EN-
bankment above; so that the EN-
bankment is extended downward by
two solid projections, increasing its
base resistance and tenacity.' Against
the base of the enlargement on the
! lower side is a similar wide, deem
trench, filled with packed gravel, in
which is imbedded tile drain the
whole length of the dam. Both faces
and the top of the dam will be rip
a NIT
depth of from three to five feet.
The outlet will be through three cy-
finders six feet in diameter laid
parallel In body of concrete eX-
tending through the whole thickness
of the embankment at its base They
will be operated by gates at the foot
of the upper face of the dam. A
bridge will connect the top of the
dam with the top of the gates Mr..
Hubbard says that the soil in this
'agebrush land makes the finest dirt
for constructing dams wan which he
is acquainted, for the reason that it's
comparative freedom ION vegetable
roots and mold makes it easy to pack
and less liable to become porous from
the decay of the vegetable matter.
Two steam shovels are at work
constantly taking the surface dirt
from the hillside. The ground thus
uncovered will be used in the facing
of the embankment A railway
track is laid from this point out upon
the embankment, and a train of
eight or 10 dirt cars is loaded from
the shovells, carried out and dumped
on the surface of the embankment
The dirt Is loaded by machine
similar to an ordinary road grader
making a layer of eight or 10 inches
in depth. Then sprinkler is driven
over ii and 1t is heavily wet down.
When 1t has dried sufficiently, a
five ton roller. six or seven feet
wide. is driven over it, This process
of packing is kept up. layer by lay
er, as the bank goes up. The packed
earth feels az firm under the foot as
4 stone pavement. The track is
shifted from side to side as each
layer is laid. The water supply Is
obtained from wells sunk along the
line of the dam and storage tanks
placed at other points as needed.
From 100 to $50 men are en-
ployed in all capacities on the work.
The following imperfect list, taken
will serve to show the var
iety and distribution of the labor:
one master mechanic, four black
smiths, one locomotive engineer, two
traction engineers, four stationary
engineers for shovels and pumps, |
three firemen, eight or nine others
on dirt train and shOvels, two dump
bosses, four drivers of water wagons, |
25 drivers of dump wagons, five |
track men, one irrigator, half a doz-
EN- on odd jobs, three or four boys |
to carry water, etc. There were 1873 |
names on the roll August 1. The |
horses and mules employed number |
1856. Steam power equal to 225 |
horse power is employed.
Quite little town of shacks and |
tents has been built up beyond the |
dam. Fifteen or 90 families of |
workmen live there A boarding |
house and a supply store are kept
for the needs of the men and the |
work. These both belong TO Hub
bard & Carlson. the contractors. This
seems TO be a necessity to keep the
force from struggling. and to insure
good service.
The contractors expect to have an
electric light plant in operation soon
and put on night shift. 10 expedite |
The work. The work win go on with +
out interruption through the winter,
except that the taking up of surface