The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-12-10

CODY. Wyo. Dec 10 Uncle sam
is buildine. eight miles from here a
dam that VIII spread The torrent
waters OF the Shoshone river over an
area four miles wide and nine miles
long. although me river Is now only
100 feel vide
The reservoir thus created means
the biggest job The reclamation depart
nent ever did though II Is not 49,
costly
IL is more dangerous IL is more
\ spectacular. and IN 70 more lives have
been put in peril than in many
projects costing ten times the SEQ
600 that has been sunk for this dam
Here are some OF tine Thing, the
government engineers did 10 build this
dam
They wiped the Shoshoue river off
the map for several miles. and theu
/ they put it on the map again.
They damned mountain chasm
halt mile deep.
They are creating a cataract that
will be twice as high as Niagara falls.
Cut Cash 600 Feet Long.
They Gu; a cash in the solid granite
X OF mountain Gao feet loug through
which the Twentieth Century limited
could run.
And. 10 cap il all they are going
TO demorsh the neighboring town OF
Marquette to make room for more
water
IN this Wild domain. made famous
by Buffalo @iA aud near this city bear.
sr.re hi D., ff,s
n OF water from TWO directions. The
north and south forks OF the Shoshone
4 clash with a roar that the Indians OF
old time could only family initiate by
\ the musical name they gave IL.
A narrow gorge is cut through tho
range as Though by Titan's ruling
pen sOn the south is Rattlesnake
mountain. on the north Cedar noun.
tain. As each mile Is passed on its
course--Oy the raging ShoshoHe the
walls of the gorge narrow and the
power of The river becomes greater.
When they reach the canyon they are
only a ribbon when viewed from the
top. $500 feet above.
At the top the sides OF the gorge
h arc only 205 feet apart, and there is
\ an Indian legend that saws a redskin
here once ieaped across the chasm
TO escape the avenging Manitou
la this wild spot Uncle Sam decided
4 the work was to be done The place
n IS a terror TO engineers. The biggest
problem. at first, was 10 get the rock
drills, dynamite, electric plants and
n concrete mixers on the ground Three
years ago the work started. and 1t is
not finished yet.
Rattlesnake mountain never has
h.. .1g ,T,xsI Il
who are occasional inhabitants here
abouts. But the engineers laid out
road from here to the gorge-eight and
half miles long IL skirted the noun
tainside. The building OF every foot
OF it meant danger. The peak slopes
UP at an angle OF - degrees.
\ Along this treacherous. twisting
path all the machinery was hauled 10
the site of the dam by horses The
|. slip of hoof would have spelled dis
aster TO man, machinery and beasts
Wipe River OF Map.
Then the engineers literally wiped
the Shoshone river off the map, They
bored a big tunnel through the granite
side OF the mountain. and with dyna.
mite and rock drill turned the roaring
torrent into IT,
2
bed they tunnced and blasted, and on
this bedrock foundation started their
concrete foundation. They were below
water fevef ana the Collapse or The fun-
mel would have drowned them like
rats.
A suspension bridge was swung in
the air As the concrete bulwark
grew, the work strange 10 say. was
less. For instead OF lifting the con
crete 10 the 200-odd feet needed. II
was swung down 10 the men from
battery OF mixers on the mountain side.
Above the mixers steel cables were
strung and tons Of ron.work and ma
H terial were swung along them Men.
too, were swung 10 work-a trip as
spectacular as any the Wright brothers
have. ever made.
More than 1900 cubic yards ~ con-
crete were nodded in place every -
hours.
Why docs tnCfe sam 90 f0 an This
expense? The answer IS easy There
are 100000 acres OF sagcbrush land
waiting the water from The lake back
OF the dam 10 make them fertile.
The benefit to the farmers around
here-can't be hgured. even In millions
For the good il will do them viii en-
dure- for hundreds, maybe thousands,
OF years.
Now the land is practically worth.
less. Later the Shoshone dam basin
will be one OF the worlds garden spots
True. the mighty lake will creep m
more and more until II wipes out the
town of Marquette. but the citizens
there don't worry The government
has paid them for their homes. and
their land outside the town will make
thcm rich.
Such good results have been Oh.
taIned from the 20 electric locomc-
tives deriving their power from &C.
/ cnmulators owned by the Prussian
.lsfc railwnvs TINT 81 more have heen