The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-19
Touching Blu tton, He
Senus Them Ripping
Through alley.
VAST PROTECT
ACCOMPLISHED
By Means Of Vast Storage Dam
Sun-Ba Desert Will Be
Converted Into Vcritable
Garden Of Eden-One Of
Words Greatest Recla-
nation Schemes.

Roosevelt. Ariz.. March Is.-Stand-
ing OH top Of the great storage darn.
which bears his name. former Presi-
dent Theodore Roosevelt. pressed an
electric button. which set in motion Il,
mass Of grinding maciincry. wnich III
turn raised three Of the six MASSIVE
iron gates Weighing $500 pounds
apiece. By this act ne onicially opened
IN" Roose veIt Storage Dam, q part OF
! tn. salt River Irrigation project
TIC motors which raised the gates
hnd hardly begun TO turn before three
iraglng torrents of water me rush
ing through the three openings at dir
ietcnt levels and ran madIy down the
{ ~ He, where. after racing fuzzy sixty
miles. II Viii be used iii the Irrigation
OF about 25o,0oQ acres Of land
Five Years In Building.
Tho dam has been about five Years
in building. Tho foundation was sur
vcycd May l3, 1904. The first stone
was laid September 20, 1906, and the
laot stone was placed III position in
tho parapet walls February G. 1911
The structure is declared TO be the
largest storage dam OF its kind in the
United States and with one exception,
t the largest in the world. 1t is exceed
Cd In size only by the Assouan Dam on
tho River Nile
There are $4,000 cubic yards or ma
| sonrr In the dam. according to the re-
cords Of the Reclalna ton Service ana
81 1000 barrels OF cement. manufact,lr-
led from material found in the vicinity,
We're used in its building The strIc-
tnro IL OF sandstone and cement. and
rises 2S4 feet above tile river. 1t is
1850 feet long on top and 10 feet
thick at It's base. An acre Of ground
Is covered BY the foundation alone
Trimming along the tor. whc! is the
length OF abou, two city blocks is q,
/ roa dway twenty feet wide.
| Tic Dam forms reservoir twenty
| five miles long, and moro than 200
feet deep. It's city is approximate
IL 36,62s. 00o.000 cubic feet. or. accord
ling 10 the Offices OF tho Reclamation
Service. enough water TO submcrgc the
! state of Delaware In water one foot
deep.
! The waters from the dam Will be
used 10 irrisate ahot 250. 900 acres OF
land in the Salt River Valley. After
the water leaves the dam, and before
! u reaches the point where II is to be
used, it flows n distance of about sixty
miles. II Is then distributed through
ont the land TO be irrigated BY means
| OF diversion dam
VIII Bc Garden Spot
! The valley. 1t is said will become
| ono OF the richest agricultural valleys
| in the world. Crops can be raised
| twelve months in the year II is csti-
I. mated by c. J. Blanchard statisticinn
| for the Recla nation Service. that one
! full crop from this valley will equal
more than the entire cost of tic irri-
| cation works. lie declared that land
that was not worth ! cent per acre
| before the project was built since it's
completion has risen III value from
| 500 TO $1,000 an acre.
! The six massive gates of iron. which
! Will control the outlet Of the waters
OF the dam, each weighs 10000 pounds.
| They measure four feet nine inches
wide by ten feet high. They arc di-
| vided into three regular" and three
! emergency" gates he latter 10 Re
| used only in cases OF extreme foods
| The original town of Roosevelt.
| which was built by the people who
| went to tho dam TO work now lies
| under about eco feet OF water. lis
successor has been built higher upon
| the mountain slope.
! Tho government road, which it MS
necessary to build before work on the
| dam could he begun was guarded to-
! day for every mile of its length :,
| provide against any possible nishap.
! 1t was cut for q greater part of lis
length out of solid rock. and SKIRT S
| the edge of precip1Ccs st dizzy heights.
signal for IIilnrity.
| The arrival OF the Roosevelt party,
| who motored seventy-five miles across
| the desert to attend the ceremonies.
! was signal for wild hilarity among
| those assembled to witness the event.
! The cheering crowds pressed about
! the little group of prominent state and
! government officials 10 offer thanks
and congratulations to the colonel,
! to whom in great measure they owed
| the successful compilation of the pro-
| iect, and he repeatedjy removed his
! hat in acknowledgment Of their cordal
! welcome.
After tho first enthusiastic greeting
| had died away the party was escorted
| to q platform erected near the famous
! dam. Here every convenience That
| could add to the comfort Of tho hon.
ored guest had been installed. and here,
| surrounded by all eager throng of sun
| burnt plainsmen, farmers and artisans
| employed upon the great work ,h.,
! three days ceremonies in honor OF tho
! formal dedication Of the great work
| began.
For countless ages tho principal
| stream Of Arizona. the Salt River.
| swollen to torrential proportions III
! the spring by the melting SHOWS nj
| the distant mountains. ara diminish
| Ing to tiny creek under the blazing
sun of summer, has wound It's tor-
tuous course through hundreds Of
! miles Of sun-seared desert land that
needed but tho application of water
+, to blossom into luxuriant vegetable
i life. The waste Of this rich territory
was called to tho attention OF Colonel
! Roosevelt when he occupied the presi-
Dental chair, and he. in turn, ordered
(, the governments Reclamation Service
| to investlgatc.
| Engineers were sent TO explore tho
| valley OF the Salt River. Maps We're
made of Its winding course and sam
| pies Of Its soil were forwarded tn