The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-18
BY FRANK HARRIS sLIeHToN.

BY FRANK HARMS BllOH ON.
PHENIX. Ariz., March 16-The
Roosevelt dam irrigation system is
the greatest work of the kind ever
undertaken in the new world. IL ranks
among the very greatest works OF the
kind ever undertaken anywhere. new
world or old. 1t has cost s9.000.0 900
and seven and half years OF time 10
build IL. Through more than 500
miles OF canals IL will supply water
to more than 100000 acres OF arid
land.
| went TO the man under whose
guidance this herculean task has been
completed, and asked him TO tell, me
about how IL was done
That man, Louis c. Hill, reclama-
ton chief OF engineering received me
in his Phenix Office Ii is so miles.
as the crow flies. thence 10 the Roose-
welt dam. rs miles by the road, but
IL was but half block from the Office
TO a ditch ,brimming with water from
the dam. A block away were running
street cars driven by power generated
at the dam, The very incandescents
over Mr. Hills desk were lighted by
current produced by water from the
dam.
The engineers story sounded like
a chapter from The Swiss Family
Robinson"
We built out own roads" said he,
IFS miles OF them. We installed our
oYn mill TO make cement, and thus
saved 100000. We installed our own
power houses We redug old canals
and put I'm many tons of reinforced
concrete work We quarried our own
stone. We sawed our own lumber
We even burned our own brick.
we trained many OF our men for
the work-including Pima and Apache
Indians from the neighborhood. So
expert did these become that We NOV
ed whole units of our construction
camp from one section OF the work
TO the other, retaining the same men
and the same tools.
When the development Of the irri-
cation project was taken up on the
Sacaton reservation the Indians, I'M
der the white foremans direction, did
all the work. and on this land they
now use from 500 to 1000-horsepower
Of electrical energy per day to irri-
gate their lands by the subsidiary
pumping system which We have in
stalled.
You see, the gravity canals from
the great dam will not suffice for the
entire irrigable area OF rich land, so
We pump. getting our power from the
fall OF the water which afterward irri-
gates the other lands by the gravity
system. In this way the project takes
care OF 10000 acres OF land which the
gravity system alone could not sup
ply"
Twenty men have given their lives
during the construction OF the dam
Some OF these men fell from the face
OF the dam TO the floor of the gorge
below Chief Engineer Hill himself
had narrow escape, and only by
grasping the sides OF a derrick plat
form Through hole in which he had
fallen). was he saved from the terrific
drop from the apex OF the dam 10 the
base.
Great floods hampered the progress
OF the work-the very first piling driv-
en- by the contractors was washed out
All OF the machinery and supplies hac
10 be transported for miles up the
government-built roads traversing the
Superstition mountains and those OF
the Mazatzal range Lumber camps,
primeval with her and there saw
mill, dotted the Sierra Ancha ranges
further 10 the northeast.
Lumber, metal and men all met at
the city OF Roosevelt and thus the dam
grew-a huge curved wedge films the
space between two mountain slopes
Rehind this arched wedge, whose
breast curves inward TO resist the
weight OF the inland lake now accum
| ulating, lie liquid dolars-a treasure
for the people on the 100000 acres
each OF which has already been in
creased In value four TO twenty.fold
The water needed for irrigation =
sent through the spillways TO the
| channel OF the Salt river 4 little FUR
| Their down the Verde unites with the
| Salt, and during the winter season II
| drains another watershed Their
! joint flow is diverted by the granite
/ reef diversion dam" huge rubbie
concrete weir l,l0O feet long and IS
feet high All Of the water thus check
ed In It's fall goes into the north and
| south canals, and thence TO the acre
| age which IL rrrigates
Just above the dam power canal
10 miles in length was built TO furnish
eleCtIN ShtiSy iOI Inc tohbtFuctlOu
OF the dam IL gives 4,000-horsepoweI
and the power house Immediately un
der the dam will give 1000 more. This
potential is sold TO corporations
farmers and municipalities. and tn,
revenue from this source Is turne.
over 10 the farmer who Is repaying tn,
government the 100000 advanced
From the main canals the wate
from the Roosevelt dam is distrib