Arizona republican., 1907-12-25
DANGER OF FLOODS
 NOT LONGER FEARED
No Damage Could Be Done at Roose- welt and But Little Interference With
 Construction Work.

Engineers L. C. Hill and w. A.
 Parish. and their, families. returned
 Sunday night from Roosevelt, where they had been for several days. MT
 Hill yesterday gave a very pleasing
 report of the progress Of operations at Roosevelt, especially in respect of
 the construction work on the dam. IL
 is pleasing for the reason that it may
 be said the contractor is almost tout
 of the woods" so far as having his
 work stopped by flood waters is con-
 cerned. With led pencil Mir. Hill
 in a half minute drew a diagram that
 indicates very accurately just how far
 along the construction work has been
 pushed. but it is more of a task to put
 that description in words. Though it
 is slightly curved. in a general way
 the foundation of the dam is a paraI-
 telegram. The upper face of the dam
 for about one-quarter of the distance
 from the north bank of the river. is
 about nine feet above datum or nor
 nal water level. From the point last
 described to the south bank of the
 river the face is from twenty to
 twenty-two feet above datum The downstream or lower face of the dam
 is about four feet above datum at the north bank and for a quarter Of the distance across the river From that point to the south bank the lower face is five or six feet above datum. Di- viding the dam into three sections. the dividing lines running parallel with the river, it might be said that the fu. on the upper side and four feet above on the lower side. retreating from these two walls to a point in the cen ter of the section where the foundation is still considerably below datum hole or stump as 1t were. The other two sections are rwenty-two feet above datum on the upper side and six feet above on the lower side Next to the south bank the working surface of the dam would present a series of steps like the face of the pyramids. from the lower face Of the dam to a point q few feet back of the upper face Toward the north section there is less work done. the south end of the dam being kept ahead all the time
 The work has reached a point where the coffer dam has about outlived it's, usefulness. and it will be blown up with powder one of these days The upper face of the dam at the north end will not be constructed any higher before the winter floods. though it is desired that the hole" behind il will be brought up to or little Then when the floods come the north end of the dam will
  sized river No harm will be done to the construction now in. and as soon as the water stops running the laying of rock may be resumed. The work will be at this point very soon. and even if the flood came now the hole that might be filled with mud is a small one compared to the entire !. In the meantime. if the flood comes now, there is room for the employment of a large number of ! men all the time in the laying of rock | on that portion of the dam above the | water. After the winter floods the | Sluicing tunnel will be able to handle | all the water except a very large flood ! and if that should come it can back l lp for some distance before any harm | would follow or any stOppase of the | work be necessitated.
 There are some very interesting 1 things in connection with later work | hat readers will do well to remember m connection with later reports of | progress. One. for instance. is that in 200 yards of rock to add one foot to | he height of the dam. And in a gem .ral way also this will hold good at ,1 ,1rrra=f csa nc [ housh it is an approximate estimate lot a measurement. As the dam gets higher. it will be thinner. but it will iiso he longer. and what is gained one way is lost in another so far as the ffort to acquire altitude is concerned.
 About 10000 wards of rock per month is now being laid. that. roughly 'stimated. being about eight feet ,ained per month in the height of the lam. It is believed. though. that the anne force of men can lay more rock
 little later on when the dam is higher. for the rock will not he low red so far. That means a saving of ime on every rock placed. for at present. the rock are brought from
 igh on the hillside. by the big cable. nd lowered to the bottom of d very eep conyOn. And when the work on he north side is up above datum. all yer. there will be room for more der icks and a larger force of men. I
 In two or three weeks more the '. 'ork of installing the biz gates in he sluicing tunnel will be started. IS those who have followed the con- truction work know. the sluicing tun- |. el. through which the water will be eeased from the dam. circles the end f the dam and has been driven trough the solid rock of the mountain n which one end of the dam rests. n immense shaft has been sunk from le side of the mountain. a perpendic- lar height of 80 feet above the tun- el. The gates to control the water the tunnel will be placed in the Innel at the bottom of this shaft. he water will first be shut out of the innel by temporarily sealing up its ' ltrance. The gates will then be
 laced, and the machinery for operat- U lg them will later be placed in the laft. This shaft. so feet deep is bot Q shaped. After going down. some llled the bottle-neck of the shaft. le shaft widens out into a chamber of size for the accOmoda- ID on of the machinery for operating d le gates. and which machinery will d 2 placed on the floor of the bottle g
 -r.s.