East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-04-28

One of the most surprising features
connected with the work Of the recla-
nation service, as we'll as the one af-
fording highest qualification, is the
cost of structures compared with those
which have become familiar to en-
gineers in the east.
When the reclamation work was in
augurated it was matter of conjec-
ture whether or not the standards of
cost for dams, canals, etc, that had
been established by engineering prac-
tice in the eastern part of the coun-
try, could be relied upon as basis OF
estimates of the cost of the proposed
western structures. AS the work has
progressed II has become more and
more evident that many classes Of en-
gineering work in the west can be per-
formed considerably cheaper than in
the east, and at the same time the
natural conditions are such that these
structures are more economical and
effective.
Cost Of Big Dams.
II we take, for example, the three
great masonry dams now being erect
ed for the purpose of storing water.
viz, the Roosevelt dam in Arizona, the
Pathfinder dam in southeastern Wyo-
ming. and the Shoshone dam in north
western wyoming, we shall find that
the effective storage capacity and
costs are far below those of some OF
the great eastern dams like the New
Croton in New York, and the Wachu-
sett in Massachusetts,.
The heights of these dams are as
follows: Roosevelt, ESQ feet; Path
finder, 21o feet; Shoshone, 30S feet
New Croton, 297 feet, and wachusett
2O7 feet. These heights are measur'
ed from the foundation stones to par
apet in each case, and they show tina
the Shoshone is the highest, while th'
New Croton is second and the Roos
evelt third.
IT, however, the height above th'
river bed be considered, that is, tn
effective storage height, the New
Croton Is the lowest. The order i
then as follows Shoshone, 240 feet
Roosevelt. 230 feet; Pathfinder, 2O'
feet: Wachusett, 1856 feet, and tn
New Croton, 157 feet. In other words
about 30 per cent Of the masonry II
the New Croton dam is below groun'
and is serviceable for foundation pur
poses only.
.. Capacity of Reservoirs.
It is interesting to note the compar
ative reservoir capacities. While tn
| New Croton dam is the largest in tn
world from the standpoint of 1t
: amount of masonry, the storage ca
pacity of the reservoir formed by
is by far the lowest of any of thos
above mentioned. In fact, from
standpoint of storage economy, tn
new Croton reservoir is one of tn
poorest that has been constructed
recent years.
d, The dam contains $4,000 cub
e yards of masonry and was erected ;
i a cost of s7,6O0,OOO. The capacity {
the reservoir formed by 1t Is 1000
- 100000 cubic feet, or cost of s19C
D per million cubic feet storage.
Similar figures for the Wachuse
dam show that it contains 2S0,0C
! cubic yards of masonry, and WI
erected at cost of about 100000
! Its storage capacity is s,400, 10000
& cubic feet, or cost of s23S per milliC
3 cubic feet storage.
q Western Dams Not Costly.
3 In contrast to these excessive cos
q the three western dams appear r
. markable. The Roosevelt dam, 4
Z example, contains 100000 cubic var
! of masonry erected at cost of 3;
= $4,000. The capacity Of the reserve
' is 81, 900. 900, 900 cubic feet, or Is tim
that OF the New Croton, and about 7
= times that of the Wachusett. tt
r cost of this dam per million cubic fe
T. storage is only s63.16.
" Even mope remarkable appears L
n Pathfinder Nam. 1t contains $50
cubic yards of masonry, erected at