Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-08-15
The ENTIRE PLAN IS CHANGED
AS A RESULT MUCH TIME, LABOR
AND MONEY is EXPECTED
TO BE SAVED.
PUMPING SYSTEM NOW IN use
THIS MODE OF Pudding DIRT
INTO PLACE FOUND TO BE
MOST PRACTICABLE.

Much progress is being made on the
construction of the big Camfield dam
on the Las Vegas grant under the
direction of Trustee and Contractor
F. H. Pierce. Mr.. Pierce took charge
OF the work early in June. At that
time he found affairs at the dam
site in a chaotic state. Before begin
ming actual construction work it was
necessary to change completely the
working plan adopted by a former con-
tractor, a plan which had been found
to be impracticable 1t was neces-
arsy to rebuild the line of the "dinky"
railway and purchase and install new
machinery. All this has been accom-
plished and in few days construc-
tion work can be pushed as rapidly as
modern machinery and skilled labor
will permit
The embankment which will forua
the inner face of the dam has been
thrown completely across the arroyo.
1t is now being-leveled and raised and
the railway track is being extended.
across it as rapidly as the embank-
ment can be packed and put in shape
to carry the trains. Only a few more
days viii elapse before the rails win
run the entire length of the dam.
This will permit the trains to carry
in their full capacity, seven carloads
at trip. Mr.. Pierce says the two
trains will be able to make fully fifty
trips per day when the system has
been placed in perfect running or
der. This means that $50 carloads
of material will be dumped upon the
dam site each working day.
Three spillways have been pushed
through the portions of the dam al
ready constructed. These will permit
such water as gathers in front of the
dam to escape in case there is dan
ger of the structure being washed
and damaged during high water fol-
lowing heavy rains The big steam
pump and boiler house have been
erected at the foot of the front face
of the dam and lines of pipe have
been extended to various parts of the
work, permitting the attaching of
hose at intervals of about fifty feet.
The pump throws heavy stream,
two men having difficulty in holding
the nozzle when it is working at full
pressure. The pumping system will
be used in pudding the dirt into place
This has already been done in the
case of the railway embankments and
the results have been highly salts
factory.
Plenty of water for the nse of the
pump is available from the big Gal
linas river and from a well sunk near
the pump house. The "dinky" rail
way is exactly mile in length It's
steepest grade is three per cent,
which the trains negotiate with heavy
loads without difficulty. The road
to the solth of the dam where
the big steam shovel is digging up the
dirt as fast as 1t can be handled An
abundance of suitable soil, free from
shale, has been found. The steam
shovel will dig up the dirt to the
entire length Of the field and will thea
reverse its position anil dig its way
back to the starting point Before
the dam has been adopted all tho
soil will be removed and the raised
prominence where the shovel is work
ing will have been cut down to
depth of over eight feet. 1t is esti-
mated over two-thirds of the required
amount Of dirt can be secured where
the shovel is now in operation.
If necessary the track will be ex-
tended to a great distance to Sc
cure good soil. The dirt containing
shale is of no value for dam con-
struction. Some OF this class of soil
had been hauled to the dam site be-
fore MY. Pierce took charge. He