Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-07-29

Floods, unexpected delay from snort
age of material, and trouble with la
Dor had retarded the construction so
that the time specified in the contract
for it's completion expired at noon of
this bright April day.
The contract not only specified that
a forfeit should be paid by the con.
tractor if the head of water in the
wheel-pits should not be of sufficient
volume TO run all the turbines in
stalled. but it also provided that a
premium of equal amount should be
awarded were the conditions carried
out within the time named.
The dam itself measured 30 feet
from its crest to the bed Of the river
below. IL was built i'm the form
of a curve. with its conveXity up
stream; so that as the pressure be-
came greater, the weight of the water
by the principle of the arch-was
carried on the rocky shoulders of the
mountains on either side, where the
shore ends Joined the cliffs.
Ordinarily the surplus water in the
reservoir created by the dam would
pour over the top in a semicircular
sheet. About Is feet below the crest
a collar or abutment ran around the
face of the dam, projecting a foot.
perhaps, from the curved wall. AS
the water fell, instead of falling it's
full weight into the chasm, il struck
this collar at slant, thus relieving
the blow on the foundations of the
dam.
The night before one of the stones
about ten feet below the breast OF
the dam had suddenly blown out un-
der the pressure, as if an immense
punch had been driven in, leaving an
oblong opening about three feet by
two. A stream from the reservoir
now shot through this opening, clear
ing the collar and laundering down
into the gorge. The gate of the spill
way on the side had been closed, so
as it was completed. Urged on
by the conditions of the contract, the
builders had allowed the river TO
rise above the stone before the &C.
ment hardened, and it had given way.
The scow on the surface Of the reser.
yoir was guyed back TO either shore
by long steel cables. A heavy mat
tress of timber and brush had been
hastily prepared and was being low.
cred so as TO stop the leak temporar.
lily until permanent stone could be
fitted into the hole on the lower side
of the dam, corresponding stone
above to be inserted later.
Bill Bevins and John Dakus were
the divers employed, and Bevins had
| just been lowered into the water
where he worked, guiding and direct
ing the movements of the mattress AS
| ii came down towards the hole.
No one could tell just how it hap
| pened-'twas done so quickly. A still
under the sruface-the lifeline parted
suddenly, the rope which held the
diver, became taut, tighter and tighter
parted with a snap, and the poor fel
lof was gone, sucked through the hole
and hurled out into the air, and with
in the next second lay a shapeless
crushed mass so feet down on the
rock-strewn floor of the chasm. The
working crew stood with pallid faces
J paralyzed with the sudden horror Of
it, while some of the men scrambled
hastily down the embankment, hop
ing to recover the body.
Standing a little apart on the decl
of the scow, watching the operation:
! with intent eyes, stood group o.
three. The general contractor of the
work, c. j. Bolivar, man of middle
age, short, keen, with light-gray eyes
and quick, nervous manner that in
dicated i'm part the wonderful virility
promptness and energy which hat
made him millionaire. j. G.. Goult
tall and lean, with rugged features
man of great resource and ability
who had by his own efforts accumu
lated fortune of probably half {
million dollars-was the originator o
this great project and had been ap
pointed engineer in charge. I'll,
| United States engineer stood near Il
see that the conditions under which
the government had granted the fran
! chise should be carried out. Bolli
var was the first TO recover from tn,
stupor which held every one: h,
sprang with one hand uplifted
shouting:
Steady, boys, stedy; We cant hell
poor Bevins, the boys down there will
get him; ! will see after his widow
into your suit, Dakus, get down Their,
quick and tell us how We can shift
that mattress so as TO cover th,
hole
The men stood alert. instinctivel,
responsive to the quick, sharp. cleo
tric words of command, and the dom
mating personal magnetism OF th,
man.
| All eyes were turned on Dakus a,
he deliberately began the work o
incasing himself in the diving suit
When he was ready to screw on tn,
round copper helmet with its grea
glass google eyes, not unlike som,
huge fish. the diver put UP one hand
turned to Mr.. Bolivar, his face whit,
under Its tan. and said. slowly:
1 ~ -