The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-04-19
GOVERNMENT ROAD IN SALT RrHEP CANYON

Should the Americans pass away in
the ages to come, there is strong like
lihood that their works will live after
them to bear testimony to their skill
and prowess in gigantic engineering
feats. And not the least striking mon
ument to their genius would be the
vast masonry work of the Roosevelt
dam in Arizona which is now nearing
completion, and which is to create a
great lake whose waters are to be
used in Transforming Arizona's deserts
into fertile fields. This Colossus of
dams will rise to height of 286 feet
and will extend nearly mile in cover
ing the gap between the two adjacent
mountains. 1t is 60 miles from the
dam site to the town of Phoenix, and
a fine wagon road has been construct
ed all the way, much of it being cut
through the solid mountain. A view
of a section of the roaod which is just
above the dam site is shown in our IL
lustration.
One can scarcely comprehend the
vastness of the figures which tell the
story of what is to be expected of
this great mountain of cement and
masonry that has been constructed
during the last five years. Against
this dam will press 100000 acre
feet of water. This artificial lake will
be 25 miles long and 220 feet deep,
and through the massive gates of the
dam this vast supply of water will be
fed out to 100000 acres and more in
the vicinity of Phoenix.
An interesting feature of the build
ing of the dam has been the creation
of the town of Roosevelt in what is
eventually to become the bed of the
great lake, and where now there are
schools and stores and factories and
homes there will be in a few months
only one vast deep of liquid blue. AS
soon as the dam is finished the resi-
dents of the town will move their be-
longings, even to the houses in which
they live, to other parts and the pow
erful gates of steel will let the waters
in. Within a few weeks there will be
more than 200 feet depth of water
above the dam and the newest form
of blue upon the map of the United
States, the latest lake, will stretch it's
length of 25 miles upstream and it's
breadth of two miles between the
giant notch that separates the hills.
G. j. Blanchard, chief statistician of
the United States reclamation service,
who has worked like Trojan early
and late, in season and ont, for the
success of the projects for the last
five years, has just returned from a
visit to the Roosevelt dam. His graph
ic description of the wonders being
worked is well worth hearing.
mo national work." said Mr..
Blanchard, has received more general
interest and none has been more wide
ly advertised by the press than the
Salt river project, surrounding the
city of Phoenix, Ariz. While the en-
cheering features are stupendous and
spectacular, the charm and mystery of
the region in which the work is going
on appeal even more strongly to the
visitor.
This is the land of interrupted dis
tances, of opal tinted landscapes and
perpetual sunshine. Its atmosphere is
one of enchantment, and it's silence
holds voice of the vanished past. In
the midst of vast stretch of desert
a wonderful oasis has arisen, its vivid
green standing out in marked contrast
with the dusty plain and the distant
purple hills. Three fair cities lie in
the heart of this emerald island
Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. Their fu-
ture growth and prosperity depend
upon the success of the work now 60
ing on under the supervision of the
reclamation service.
Sixty miles away from Mesa a
thousand men are toiling night and
day to make that growth and pros
perity enduring"
And the ride in an automobile over
the government road to the dam is one
marvellous picture of scenic beauty.
After long swing on the brink of
profound gorge one reaches the top
of the mountain through which the
Salt river has cut its way. Here is
another inspiring view. Below u.s."
saws Mr.. Blanchard, who never tires of
talking of the wonders of the place,
1.-The river; like silver thread, rushes
through a deep and shadowy canyon.
Looking down through confusion of
cables and wires we see an army of
men at work far below the river bed
laying massive rocks two and three