East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-11-20
SKETCH Of THE RECLAMATION DAMS

here is being carried on day night
with the aid of electric light produced
| by power generated on the spot.
When the construction is completed
water will be let into the reservoir
covering at the depth of 200 feet, a
town which at present consists of
permanent buildings, including all the
usual utilities and which has a pop
ulation of 1000 souls From the dam
and the connecting canals 10000
horsepower will be derived and used
to pump the underground water Of
the valleys to lands above the gravity
system.
The resourcefulness of our engi-
neers was trikingly illustrated in pro-
viding cement for this operation. The
project is situated 60 miles from the
nearest railroad and the fact induced
the manufacturers to quote an ex-
horbitant price in response to the de-
mand of the service. This put the
engineers on their metal. They ex-
plored the surrounding country and
found the desired materials in the
vicinity of the dam site. Since then
they have been making their own ce-
ment on the spot and will thereby
save 100000 to the future farmers.
The Shoshone dam will block a
gorge between narrow walls of solid
granite. Its site is in the widest
part of Wyoming, near the place
made famous by eton-Thompson as
the retreat of Wahb, the great griz-
ely. The location is so nearly mac
cessible that the engineers were OBJ
liged to make a road-with intense
labor-for several miles up the cam
yon in order to carry on the work.
From foundation to crest the dam
will measure 80 feet, reaching
greater altitude than any other such
structure in the world. 1t will be
made of concrete, throughout which
will be uniformly distributed large
pieces of granite rock, like plums in
a pudding.
Here the builders encountered one
of the unexpected complications that
now and again upset their calcula-
tions and entail unlocked for labor.
These untoward developments rend
the hearts of young engineers and rob
them of sleep, but the veteran learns
to take such things calmly as "all in
the days work" When plans for the
Shoshone dam were formed, it was
supposed that the river ran on a rock
bottom but the diamond drills went
down SS feet in places before strik-
ing a permanent base. Bowlders, 40
feet in thickness, were pierced, ly-
ing upon beds of sand and gravel.
This necessitated an unusual amount
OF foundation construction.
The Pathfinder dam Is named after
General Fremont and is in course Of
erection at the place where that in
trepid explorer almost lost his life
in the attempt to pass through the
Platte river canyon in boat. The
structure will be 20 feet short of the
height of the Roosevelt dam.
Aside from Its utility as the chief
factor in the irrigation Of 100000
acres of eastern Wyoming and west
ern Nebraska land, the dam will pre-
vent for ever any recurrence of the
disastrous floods of the North Platte
which yearly destroy property rep
resenting a value in excess of the cost
Of this structure.
In connection with this operation
there is being built an interstate ca
nal, 140 miles in length. The condl-
tIons were very favorable for the con-
struction of this dam. It contains
$4,000 cubic yards of masonry, will
store 1880, 100000 cubic feet of wa
ter-1O times the capacity Of the
Croton reservolr-and will be COM
pleted at a cost not exceeding one
million dollars. The settlers on this
project will get their water in re-
turn for an assessment of $22.95 per
acre.
At Belle Fourche, South Dakota,
the engineers have had to resort to a
form Of construction entirely differ
ent from those already described.
Here will be erected an earthen dam
attaining height of 115 feet and ex-
tending $500 Extraordinarily more
than mile-in length. It will be
constructed in layers, each of which
will be sprinkled and pressed by steam
rollers to a great degree Of density.
The material. which is heavy clay
and gumbo, weighs in places as much