The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-03-18
Great Engineering Project
in Arizona Thrown Open
With the Former Presi-
dent at Ceremony.
A BUTTON PRESSED;
MACHINERY STARTS
Dam Is a Huge Barrier of
Stone and Cement in Mar
row Gorge, Penning in
Salt Rivers Waters.
(America,. News Seryice)

Phoenix, Ariz., March lS.-The
Roosevelt dam. the great engineering
work in connection with the Salt riy-
er irrigation project. just completed
by the United States government at
an expense of more than $S,000,00o,
was formally dedicated today by Ex-
President Theodore Roosevelt, after
whom it was named. Mr.. Roosevelt.
accompanied by Mrs. Roosevelt, Arch
lie and Ethel came here expressly for
the purpose of the formal opening and
to attend the three-day celebration ar
ranged in honor of the completion of
the gigantic undertaking. BY pressing
button Mr.. Roosevelt set in motion
the machinery opening the sluice gates
and permitting the precious water to
run, for the first time into the irriga-
tion bitches which conduct it down
through the arid eXpanse of the Salt
River valley. Public officials, repre-
senting the United States government
and the governments of Arizona and
several adjoining states were in at
tendance and thousands of people
from all parts of Arizona and other
parts of the Southwest visited the site
of the great dam. .-.
The Roosevelt dam pens up the wa
ters of the Salt river and it's tributar
les at a point about seventy miles from
Phoenix. There the river runs through
a narrow gorge, across which a huge
barrier of stone and cement was con-
structed.- The point selected by the
engineers is Just below the point
where the Tonic Creek, flowing
through the famous Tonic basin, emp
ties its waters into Salt river. The
dam, which stretches across the cam
yon. rises in it's highest part to a
height of 2S4 feet. Its length OH top
is about 1 ,OSO feet, narrowing down
toward the base. The thickness OF
the structure. which is 16s feet, at
the base, tapers to twenty feet at the
top. Behind the structure the waters
of Salt river and it's tributaries will
form reservoir twenty-five miles
long and more than 200 feet deep at its
lowest level. The capacity of the res
ervoir thus formed. is estimated at
approximately 56,62s. 100000 cubic feet
enough water to cover the whole state
of Delaware to a depts of one foot.
The waters held back by the dam
will be used for the irrigation Of
more than 100000 acres Of land in the
Salt River valley, and the power Great
cd by. the dam will be transmitted
electrically for more than hundred
miles down the valley to operate
pumps. These pumps will raise un.
derground water to supplement- the
surface supply and will thus increase
the irrigible acreage. 1t is estimated
by the Reclamation Service that about
10000 acres will be irrigated by sub
terranean waters, available for irrigat-
ing purposes only through the opera
ton of such pumps. The big power
house erected by the government at
the base of the dam is completed and
ready to supply electric power at any
time. 1t is expected that the power
generated at the works will be suffi-
cient,- not only to supply all the pow
er required for the working of pumps
in the valley within a distance of one
hundred miles. but also to furnish
light and power to the settlers in that
territory and to supply Phoenix with
light and power for running street
cars, mills and factories.
The officials of the Reclamation
Service are elated over the completion
Of this stupendous engineering work
and expect great results. from it. The
area benefited by this irrigation plant
is considered eminently capable for
cultivation. All that was needed was
water, to transform there arid and
sterile expanses into valuable farm.
lands. and the much needed water will
now be supplied inabundance. 1t is be-
lieyed that this desert district will
soon be transformed into a prosperous
farming country and the officials OF
the Reclamation Service are confident
that the crops of single season in
the territory opened to cultivation by
this great irrigation plant, will more
than repay the entire investment of
the government.
When the work was to be under.
taken more than five years ago. it was
found. that it would be necessary to
construct a wagon road about LOG
miles in length. to make the site OF
the dam. which is about sixty miles
from the railroad. accessible. 1t was
asso found that the government. ow.
ing TO the difficulty of transportation
could not obtain the required cement
at any reasonable price. Both prob.
lens were solved. however The wa
gon road was blasted out of the rock
of the canyon and a cement mill was
erected near the dam site. where. dur.
ing the last five years, about 350. 900
barrels OF the best cement we're farn,
ed ont. practically all Of which enter.
ed into the construction of the dam