Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-29
Assures Abundant Supply of Water
for All Time for 100000 Acres
of Farm Land.
By WILLIAM z. CURTIS
Special Correspondence Of The star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

OF ABOUT IL Darrel. Or ABOUT $0UU,VVU
Another similar saving was accomplished
by building q sawmill in the national
forest nearby, where the government
cut all of its own timber.
The reservoir created by this dam
covers 18, 800 acres; 1t Is twenty-five miles
long at the longest place, seven miles
wide at the widest place and is shaped
like the letter ~" the two arms extend
ing between the foothills Of the noun
tains. The average depth at mean high
water is sixteen feet: the maximum depth
Is 20 feet, and the maximum supply is
LISA, 200 acre-feet Of water. which means
that the contents Of the reservoir, IL
spread out evenly, would cover 1,2S4, 100
acres with water one foot deep. or an
area Of 10000 acres with water 1--WE feet
deep.
Assures Water Supply.
This water is to be distributed over
the Salt river valley in 900 miles Of
canals, and insures an ample permanent
supply for irrigating 10000 acres.
The work Of construction began Sep
TENDER 20. 1905: the last stone was laid
February ). 1911. The project was de-
welt March IL, 1911. and 100000 in
round numbers has been expended upon
1t up to date.
In addition to this great reservoir, q
diversion dam Of solid concrete LOO feet
long, with head gates on each side, has
been constructed across SALE river canyon
between natural abutments for the pur-
pose OF dfvertfng the water into the main
trunk canals. to be distributed Through
the valley. The artery on the north side
other. on the south side Of the river will
serve $1,000 acres
Trolley lines are being built through
cut both irrigated sections, Transporting
people by day and freight by night.
The two halves of this great valley
of concrete. reinforced with steel. 1850
feet in length, and said to be the longest
OF Its type in the world. One-half Of the
cost was raised by cash subscription
from public-spirited landowners and the
balance is paid for from the county
treasury-the proceeds Of taxation.
The dam IL reached by two roads, one
of them climbing the hillside to the top,
and the other following the bed of the
river to the bottom Of the dam, where is
horsepower. and capable of developing
as 1T" may be needed. This power
is carried sixty-fiHe miles by q transmits
sion line over the mountains to Phoenix
and other points in the valley. where 1t is
used for trolley cars, for lighting the city
and the villages and farmers homes, and
for pumping to the surface an immense
volume OF underground water which,
fortunately, lies within q reasonable
depth and it os such quantity and quality
that 1t makes a valuable addition to the
system Of irrigation from the dam reser-
voir. Fifty wells are to be pumped with
electricity. Eighteen are already COM
pleted
Revenue From Power.
After the complete development of the
underground water supply the balance
of the $4,000 horsepower available will be
sold FOR industrial and commercial pur-
poses. and is expected to produce a rev.
enue Of about $4,000 a year. which, will
be deposited in the United States Treas
ury TO the credit of the water users, and
will reduce the price paid by the farmers
for the irrigation work by that amount.
The dam Is built across the narrowest
place In the canyon Of the Salt river.
The walls at that point are about nine
hundred feet high on one side and seven
hundred feet high on the other, and the
width Of the canyon is one thousand and
eighty feet. This spot. SO we'll formed
by nature for such a dam. was discovered
In 1889 by James II. McClintock. now
postmaster at Phoenix: w. NJ. Breck-
enridge anad John r. Norton while the,
were making a summer jaunt on horse
back through the Tonic BASIN When
the reclamation act was passed by Con-
gress and the geological survey began to
locate sites for sseservoirs attention vas
called to this spot. and Arthur p. Davis
afterward chief engineer OF the reclama-
ton service. was sent out to inspect It..
His report was so favorable that the site
was selected and work was begun in
1906
The first thing was to take care Q. the
water from the river while the masonry
was being laid. and that was done by a
conerdam which was sufficient for the
normal flow, but was once carried away
by flood and had to be rebuilt.
In Charge of Work.
The work has been done by. j. NJ.
O'Rourke & Co., who built the SEQ wall
at Galveston and other great jobs of the
kind. F. H. Newell, director of the rec
clamation service. has had general SUPER
vision; A. p. Davis has been the chief
engineer: Louis c. Hill. formerly of De-
troit. has been general superintendent
and supervising engineer. He Is grad
uate OF Michigan University and for u
time was a member Of the faculty of the
Colorado School of Mines at Golden.
Chester W. Smith OF Massachusetts has
been engineer In charge OF construction,
assisted by {. r. Wietz and .. l.. McIn-
tyre.
A large part Of the designing was done
by F. Teichmann. assistant engineer.
who Is now in Germany.
The electrical work vas carried out by
!. c. Harris Of California and the chief
operator has been r. W. Pemberton,
who was a rough rider in the Spanish
war. A. B. Demrich. who designed and
started the electric plant. was killed
while making an examination OF the
sluicing gates with Mr. Harris, hia assist
ant. several years ago. Owing to a mis-
understanding Of orders the gates were
opened prematurely. Demrich was drown
at Pho.nix.
J. ID. Stannard Of Lowell, Mich, Is
engineer in charge Of the Offices at Phoe-
nix: Howard s. Reed of Maine Is engi-
neer in charge Of the canals: w. A. Far
IRISH of Arizona is engineer In charge of
clerk at the Phoenix Office; e.. 9. Whit.
beck OF Detroit has been the legal coun
sci and has settled a multitude OF per-
picking claims. while Walter J. I.ubKin
has done srea: work in recording the
progress Of the work by frequent photo
graphs.
Along the top OF the dam is a carriage
mental balustrades and decorated by
handsome electric lamps. Upon that
cross'Say Theodore Roosevelt stood. sur
rounded by the men who have done the
work, when he turned on the water. Sat-
urday. March H.
Camp Of Contractors.
On one side 1T the top Of the dam Is
he camp OF the contractor. composed o.
several pretty cottages for the chief men