Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-19
IN RED TAPE TANGLE WATERS ARE FREED
Fear That Industrial Advance Gates of the Great Roosevelt
Is Retarded by Litigation. Dam Opened.
COTTON GINNING DEVICE WILL RECLAIM THE DESERT
Suits and Counu Over Control Former President Presses Button
Of the Machine. Starting the Machinery.
CHARGES BY DANIEL J. SULLY END A FIvEYEAR TASK
Contents
spiracy Alleged o.
Washington One Foot
Gates of the Great Roosevelt
Dam Opened.
WILL RECLAIM THE DESERT
Former President Presses Button
Starting the Machinery.
END OF A FIvE-YEAR TASK
Contents of Reservoir Would SUBJ
merge State Of Delaware
One Foot Deep.

ROOSEVELT. Ariz, March IS-Stand
ing on top Of the great storage dar
which bears his name former Presidcri
Roosevelt today pressed an electrlt
button which set in motion a mass Of
grinding machinery, which in turn raisei
three OF the six massive iron gates,
weighing 6.o00 pounds apiece. BY th's
act he officially opened tho Roosevelt
storage dam. a part OF the Salt river
irrigation project.
The motors which raise the gates had
hardly begun to turn before three rag1n.
torrents Of water came rushing through
the three openings at different levels. and
ran madly down the valley. where. afte
racing fully sixty miles. II will be used
in the irrigation Of about 10000 acres
OF land
Col. Roosevelt and party arrived IN
Phoenix today and left Immediately IN
automobiles for the Roosevelt reservoir
Many citizens OF Phoenix accompanied
the party.
A Striking Scene.
The scene from the dam was striking
one. The motor cars IN which the many
people besides the Roosevelt party mado
the seventy five-mile journey from Phoe-
nix. were parked along the road above
the artificial lake. each with it's roll of
bedding strapped upon IT, as the guests
must spend the night here. on the hills
hundreds Of saddle horses grazed
Along the top OF the tower, several
hundred people were crowded and when
Mr.. Roosevelt's machine came I'm sight
In the twisting road the tremendous salute
of dynamite greeted him.
Those who spoke besides Mr. Roose-
welt were Lewis Hill. engineer of the
project; c. j. Blanchard of the reclama-
ton service. who read a letter from Di-
rector Newell, and Il. A. Fowler. presi-
dent OF the national irrigation congress
Along the top of the dam standards
bearing electrical globes had been erect
ed and Miss Roosevelt set these alight by
touching a button, concluding the fea-
lures of the day.
Five Years in Building.
The dam has been about FIVE years In
building. The foundation was surveyed
May H. 1904. The first stone was laid
September 20. 1906, and the last stone
was placed in position in the parapet
walls February 6. 1911. The structure is
declared to be the largest storage dam
with one exception, the largest in the
world. 1t is exceeded i'm size only by the
Assuam dam on the River Nile.
There are $4,000 cubic yards of ma
sorry IN the dam. according to the rec
ords of the reclamation service. and
$4,000 barrels of cement, manufactur-
ed from material found in the vicinity
were used in it's building. The struc-
ture is or sandstone and cement and
rises 2s4 feet above the river 1t Is
1000 feet long on top and 40 feet
thick at its base. An acre OF ground IS
covered by the foundation alone Run
ming along the top. which is the length
OF about two city blocks. is a roadway
twenty feet wide
Would Submerge State of Delaware.
The dam forms a reservoir twenty
five miles long. and more than 200 feet
deep. It's capacity is approximately
56,62S.0O0,000 cubic feet or, according
to the Offices Of the reclamation serv-
Ice, enough water to submerge the
state OF Delaware in water one foot
deep.
The waters from the dam will be
used to irrigate about 100000 acres of
land in the Salt river valley. After
the water leaves the dam, and before fl
reaches the point where II is TO be
used. it flows distance of about sixty
miles. 1t is then distributed through
out the land to be irrigated by means
Of diversion dam.
The valley, it is said, will became one
OF the richest agricultural valleys ina
the world. Crops can be raised twelve
months in the year 1t is estimated by
{. j. Blanchard. statistician for the
reclamation service. that one full crop
from this valley will equal more than
the entire cost Of the irrigation works
danlQ lay nd Ias
worth i cent an acre before the project
was built since its completion has risen
in value from 500 to $1,000 an acre
The six massive gates OF iron, which
VIII control the outlet of the waters
Of the dam. each weigh 10000 pounds.
They measure four feet nine inches
wide by ten feet high. They are di-
vided into three regular" and three
emergency gates: the latter to be
used only in case of extreme floods.
Original Town Under Water.
The original town of Roosevelt. which
was built by the people who went to the
dam TO work, now lies under about 22o
feet Of water. Its successor has been
built higher upon the mountain slope.
The government road, which was neces-
sary to build before work on the dam
could be begun, was guarded today for
every mile OF Its length to provide against
any possible misnap. 1t was cut for a
greater part of its length out of solid
rock. apd skirts the edge of precipices At
dizzy heights.
Road Along Precipices.
In view Of the fact that Bud" Norton.
driver Of the stage between Mesa and
the Roosevelt reservoir. was killed yester-
day with one Of his passengers. a Mrs.
Smith Of Roosevelt, as result of the
stage leaving the road at precipitous
point, some fears had been expressed OF
accidents today on account Of the large
number of automobiles making the trip
with inexperienced drivers.
With cal eful driving. however. there is
no reason to apprehend danger. The
road, one Of the most picturesque high
ways in America, was constructed at an
expense of 100000. to provide a means
Of conveying material to the dam during
1t traversese a rugged
mountain range and for many miles fol-
lows winding curves along steep cliffs.
Col. Roosevelts main speech In Arizona
viii be made in Phoenix Monday. He will
eave the reservoir Sunday morning. The
ay- proc md fa WI Gnp