Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-12-19
Progress at Elephant
Butte Dam
OBy =. II. BALDWIN. Construction
f,nginccr).

II fngincerl.
tIN accordance with tho program i'm
dicated in preceding report on the
/ a Elephant Butte dam. masonry
work WIS temporarily suspended on
( December /. ana AN available forces
/ concentrated in excayatng for foun-
dations or in quarry development
The placing of masonry continued
( through November without special in
cident. the rate OF progress being
about the same as during the previ-
ous month. When coneretinR was
suspended, the block being worked
on. az downstream side. had reached
the level of the river bottom, while
the upstream side was several feet
lower This difference In elevation
of !he two sides Of the dam Is inten-
tional, the top being carried on
downward slope of about per cent
towards the reservoir. for the purpose
of providing suitable bond with the
succeeding layer The total masonry
thus far placed amounts to $4,000
cubic Yards. or about 1T IL per cent
Of the entire quantity I'm the com
pletcd dam.
with the suspension of masonry
work temporary reorganization Of
forces was made. The quarry gang
was divided about half going to the
excavation. the balance remaining in
quarry FOR development work All
new men and those that could be
spared from other work were put on
excavation. This work is being car
ried In three shifts OF about the
same proportions, the total being
about 325 men. Practically the only
difference In the shifts Is that on the
second, on day shift. teams are be-
ing used 90 cxcavutc sand, gravel and
shaie from east abutment II Isl
planned 90 use them on this work
during the balance Of chis month"; by
which time the remaining excavation /
viii be mainly rock, and the teams
Will have TO be used elsewhere
A considerable area Of new founda- |
tion has been prepared and concret- /
ing viii be resumed during the latter /.
part of the week. This area adjoins |
the block just abandoned. and extends /
for 200 feet along downstream toe, 7
but does not include the cut-off
trench nor central portion adjacent
TO IT, which will De eXcavated while
balance is hcing concretcd.
ON account of caving banks and
sliding rocks the chnnnening machine
had to be removed from trench and
troublesome rock excavated. The
rock adjacent TO this trench looked
very good when first removed. it's sur
face was hard and waterworn, but
upon testing. was found to be much
shattered and loose beneath conse-
quently it IS being eXcayated to a
depth of from fifteen to twenty feet, I
at which depth excellent rock is be 4
ing found
with the exception Of the team !
work mentioned above, the excavation |
Us being handled with derricks and /
cablcways Two deTicks have been !
moved 10 the edge OF the block of |
masonry where they command a |
large area of excavation, and Will be |
OF considerable value in placing ma
sony. Three more derricks are To-
Gated at suitable places in the bot
tom, while sixth is operating atlI
east ahutmcnt The skips are hans
died by the derricks, passed to the
cableways, by which they are trans
ported TO the lower railroad, dumped Il
into cars, and returned empty to theIl
derrieks for reloading. The excava-
ti0n, which is mainly rock and much OIL
IT hand trimming, picking. barring
and wedging is being taken out
at the rate of about $50 cubic yards
per day
Work n the quarry consists mainly /
IN removing muck, or waste material,
breaking and storing crusher rock,
and drilling for future blasts.
The drilling for grouting holes was
commenced December 4. For grout-
ing purposes siN-inch pipes We're
built i'm the dam, starting at bottom
of cut-off trench, placed about ten
feet apart and in a line parallel with
the axis Of the dam; these pipes were
extended mp as the concrete was
placed These holes are now being
extended down into the bed Of the
rock some fifty feet. hy means Of
core drill which gives
similar results to a diamond drill. but
It's initial cost and operation is much
cheaper. while the results are at
least equally good. The cutting is
done by means of chilled shot CON
,inually revolving beneath the hollow
cylindrical bits, and giving a core sim
liar to that obtained with a diamond
irilL Grouting will probably not be 1
lone until the holes are an drilled
The crushing ana mixing plants are
being put in condition for maximum
output. and minor defects that could