Arizona republican., 1908-11-15
Then the Dam al Roosevelt
 Will be a Fact THE LATE SHUTTING 4 TEST
The Inhabitants of Roosevelt Who Have Not Already Hunted High Ground Are Getting Ready to do SO at an Early Date.

Roosevelt, Nov. 12.-(Special cor
 respondence of The Republican )-m
 our last letter we were slightly in
 error in stating that the gates of the
 dam had been shut for good, as your
 scribe found out to his sorrow. Such
 was the report at the time and as
 temporary shutting of the gates made
 a smooth means of transportation by
 boat, and saved a hard climb up and
 down the mountain side to the dam
 where We work between times, We got
 us a boat and floated down to work
 on placid lake at our regular early
 morning hour and tied up our boat all safe and sound, congratulating our
 selves over our more unfortunate
 brethren in that they had to do all the climbing while we had the luxury of travelling at our ease. Our triumph was short lived, however. When our days work was done we hied us to our merry craft, only to find it high and dry on a bank of mud and rocks with our placid lake a thing of the past, and only a swift flowing stream
 instead. The gates had been opened and the lake let through the tunel to the river below the dam We'll
 we walked home with the rest of the bunch and our boat is still there.
 The final shutting of the gates will take place within a week. They were shut and opened again for the com putatiOn of the passage of water in and out of the reservoir, to test the workings of the machinery connected with the gates and readjusting it
 Everything has been found in apple pie order and as good as the best trained mechanical skill could accom-
 plish.
 Mir. Dutton arrived via the Mesa stage tonight coming with instruc- tions direct from the postoffice de- partment at Washington to look into the situation here in regard to the movement of the local postoffice to the most advantageous position. Whether he has full power to act onI his best judgment, or has to transmit his findings for final de- cision to the department at Washing ton, we have not learned; but are given to understand that instructions are to be immediately forthcoming That notice can not arrive any too soon, as the dam is S5 feet elevation at its lowest height. and is at least 97 feet elevation at it's highest point. This in connection with the elevation of the present pOstoffice site, means that the lowest part of the dam is some ten feet higher than the ground on which the pOstoffice stands. The stage cOmpany's office stands at about the same elevation as the postoffice, while the corral and barn of the stage company is situated some twelve to twenty feet lower still. When the gates of the dam are finally closed, which is to take place | inside of ten days, the water is to be allowed to rise to the limit to be maintained to the completion Of the dam, which will be within twent or twenty five feet of the lowest part of the dam as it is being brought to completion. Brought to the regula- tion height, and saying it is twenty | feet instead of twenty feet, it will | allow the postoffice. as now situated. | a small margin only of some fifteen | feet elevation above low water. It | will place the stage corral under | water and anything in the shape of | flood that will more than fill the !. tunnel will save the stage and post office people the troubl of moving at | all, and give them chance of hay ] ing everything brand new from A | to z.
 Work is being rushed on the grill | lage and the section of the shaft | leading to the gates of the dam also. | Forms are being built by the car penters for the cement top that is to | be added to the grillage that lacks | only the top to be completed. This | is in such shape that the cement | workers under MT. Blades will be | able by Saturday at the longest to | commence their part of the operation. | They are at work now reinforcing | the section of the shaft for which | the carpenters put in the forms last | week, while a gang of the carpenters ! are adding a set of forms above them | that will bring the shaft level with the highest point of the dam. This | work is all being carried on by the | government and separate from the | contract of J. NJ. O'Rourke &; Com | pany to build the dam, although | when all is completed the whole | thing will be connected as one com plete whole. The grillage is a round | tower rising from bed rock to some | 92 feet high and has a diameter of | some F or 15 feet. It is made of | cement and reinforced by rods of | steel. It is situated at the upper end | of the tunnel and is about 100 feet | above the face of the dam on the | upper side. It is built with vertical