The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-04-23
BDESCRIPRINE ETTFR BY
WALTER REEVES

pnr Shorses and began to 4slumbeI
where our long days Journey soon
invited u.s. but about midnight the
gale which had been blowing brought
us some rain and we were compelled
ito take up our bed and walk, under
a shed near by. The next day about
noon. after slndry experiences We
reached Roosevelt.
In order to reach Roosevelt We must
wind around until we had reached
the top OF q precip,ce over the dam
where one big jump from the roads
edge would take US on top of the dam
five hundred feet below US.
Now for a shor. description. OF
Roosevelt and the dam:
The dam is situated In a narrow
canyon OF some 400 feet broad at the
bottom. and just above the dam the
river forks. both forks seeming to run
out almost on a level plateau for miles
and miles making 1t possible after the
dam is finished to cover almost the
whole mountain top with water. in
fact II Is almost Incomprehensible tho
amount OF water can be stored away
when the dam has reached It's $50 or
300 feet in height The dam or wall
itself Is $50 feet thick at the base and
Is built In the shape of an arch the
convex side being up stream. both
ends being i1nbedded in the solid
mountain OF rock on either side, see
ing to make 1T impossible to be Jared
loose even with a immense earth
quake. Part Of the dam Is about so
feet above water now which the 9TH
er part IS still under water. Two i'm.
mems steel cables 50 from one side
of the canyon to the other at a height
OF 500 feet Just over the dam, and
there cables the rocks and cement
used in the dam are run out and low.
erell down. and must say that It
looked a little silakey to see them pick
up a rock over on the side OF the can
lyon where they blast it out and with
n man standing on the rock swing out
over Your heads at a height OF 500
feet and be let down to the dam.
went through n tunnel 700 feet In
length urller the side of the canyon
at one side of the dam; this tunnel
Will be used for an outlet for the wa.
ter when the dam is completed and
turbine or water wheels will be plac.
cd along this tunnel ami the purpose
of these will be used for generating
electricity. which will be immense
when you consider that the water
VIII have pressure of Mt least $50
feet Or much greater than that of
Niagara Falls. In fact some look upon
the value of this dam to the Salt riy-
err valley as being greater in the cheap
purpose that it will furnish than the
thousands of acres OF arid land 1t
will water. They .lave many of the
towns already built for. conveying the
electric cables down into the valley
co miles away. where it Is prophesied
that farmers will in time be supplied
with enough electricity to run all
their farming machinery. To show
the value of this already they have
gone some 20 miles up one Of the riv-
ers above Roosevelt and taken out a
small canal on n high lever this is
brought around the side of the can.
yon by taking 1t through viaducts un.
der small canyons until 1t reached
Roosevelt: there 1t Is dropped down
through n viaduct and runs n turbine
wheel of 1900 horse power. which
generates electricity that furnishes
power for all the derricks and cable
engines.
The Immense cement factory which
went through and which l learned
a Ereat deal about by being q regular
question mark with every one that /.
talked with In it land every employee
every where up there seemed glad TO
answer questions.) They have to use
oil for burning their clay and rock
which go to make the cement: this
takes about 500 barrels of oil each
day. which O must remember they
have to haul over those GO miles of
mountainous roads. yet they make
their cement :or n little less than
$500 per barrel. when other indiviI.
ual companies wanted t charge $500
per barrel for furnishing 1t.
We had the sights OF Roosevelt pref
ty well taken In by evening and
made up my mind to start early next
morning to, the cliff dwelling. SO I got
up and cooked ME n little breakfast
before daylight where we were camp
ell on the river bank and by the time
1t was light enough | was ready to
strike the trail. ms Jim did not want
TO go. I took his rifle nn,l left him
sleeping. They had told me thnt |
couldn't miss the cliff dwellings ms
they were III the first canyon about
! four miles ont kent nv evns npon