The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-02-01
PROGRESS ON
NUUANU DAM

| In spite of all that has been said. As
sistant Superintendent of Public Works
Rowland maintains that visit to tn,
Nuuanu dam will show that consider.
able progress has been made in the
construction since the resumption OF
work following the receipt OF the KEEL
logg report. In this report the dam
expert recommended ten main changes
In details. and of these all but two
are practically completed. these two
having been held back because Of the
unfavorable weather of the past few
weeks. In the matter of bulk, the put.
ting into position of the earthern and
rock fills, considerable yet remains to
be done, but in the parts Of the con-
struction where the greatest difficult
ties were to have been encountered
and the completion of which, because
of the engineering difficulties to be
overcome, was necessarily slow. most
satisfactory progress has been made.
Roughly speaking, three-quarters of
the detail work of the dam is finished
to the satisfaction of the engineer in
charge and about one-quarter of the
earthwork and rock filling.
Should not further delays be expert
enced, the Nuuanu reservoir will be
ready to hold water within year.
In detail. the work that has been ac-
complished during the past few months,
since the original plans were ADAM
doned and the alterations suggested by
Expert Kellogg adopted, is:
A cutoff wall of planking, set upon
a concrete foundation extending to an
average depth of twenty-five feet be-
low the bottom of the reservoir, has
been put in at the foot of the toe
across the middle portion of the dam.
This wall was damaged somewhat by
the freshet experienced just before
Christmas, but is being repaired. The
object of the cutoff Is to prevent
through the earthwork through the
loose strata underlying the false bed
rock.
The basin in the center deepest por-
ton of the reservoir, upon which the
biggest portion of the earth fill will
rest, has been stripped and 5000 yards
of earth removed. The canyon walls
at this place have also been stepped,
to allow the dam to bed firmly into
them.
The concrete corewall has been
and raised across the CEN
ter of the dam, the only gap being
that left to allow the freshet water to
make it's way below. Below the level
Of this gap there is at present a guam
Lity of water accumulated, preventing
the work of putting in the suggested
toe to this corewall, but three
pumps are at work on this water and
It is expected that the concreting can
be commenced this week, although
shower will result in some
1elay again.
The big pipes which pierce the dam
nave been reconstructed and covered |
With a heavy concrete covering, made
stronger than that originally planned |
md with concrete collars of wider
iare. These pipes were regarded as
he weakest part of the dam before
he change. The valve tower. which
was being built in the GEN.
er of the dam, has been torn out and
'emoved further mauka, out to the
oe. This new tower is finished UP to
he level of the pipes, with all the
,alves in position. The completion of
he tower is a matter of simple con-
,rete work from now on. The con-
truction of the new tower Is solder
han that of the original one. the con-
rete being thicker and the walls
heavier.
The question of the springs which
lad been tapped in the excavations for
he corewall along the Waikiki side
# the dam has been settled by placing
ockdrains along the makai side Of the
vail. this having been the Kellogg
Ian.
This has been the work of the gov
the contractor having sup
lied the men and drawn his commits
ion on the cost, but everything hav-
ng been done under the direct super
ision of the government engineer.
here yet remains to be done as part
( the extra work the placing In POSI-
lon of the big rock fill on the lower
ide of the dam in the canyon. This
an not be started until the contractor
egins the earth fill on the inner side.
ut everything is in readiness. The
ock has been quarrled, the great blast
1t off recently having broken enough
,ck for the work. A railway line has
cen put In between the quarry and
lie dam and the stone cars have been
uilt. AS soon as the work can be got
nder way, which will be very shortly,
lie $4,000 yards Of rock will be dump
into position at the rate of yard
minute.
At the present time the payroll at 1
e work contains 107 names of labor
s, OF whom IS are at work for the
,vernment and 20 for the contractor. .
nese twenty-five are busy laying II
am track and putting in two tres {
IS to carry earth for the big fill on n
e inner side OF the dam at the toe, X
here the earth will be strung across o
e canyon to form a basin into which II
nth will be sluiced and carried by v
e aerial tram buckets. h
Taking II altogether. the department e.
'ks upon the progress at the dam n
H. r. I II