Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-08-06
Bic DAM IS NOW
ESTIMATED To Be
OVER HALF DONE
In Spite of Unusually Wet
Weather During July Con-
Struction Work for Month
Kept Up 10 Former Average,

ESPECIAL cossssponprnct &c sossisa JOURNAL
Elephant Butte. n. NJ. Aug. D.
Based on expenditures, She dam. in
GLIDING all auxiliary features. is now
81 per cent completed Progress dur
ing July was about the same as for
several months previous, nOtwlth-
standing an unusually wet month. 1t
ralned on seventeen days. with a to-
tai precipitation Of ABS inches. While
the rains were of short duration, caus-
small loss Of time, they were suffi-
cient to impede progress, rendering
quarry work unsafe. and wetting the
sand to such an extent as TO make
screening difficult.
During the month $1,000 cubic
yards Of masonry was placed, OF
which amount 5000 cubic yards We're
laid during the last ten days. The to-
tai amount placed to date is 265,60O
cubic yards. 1t is expected that the
present rate of progress. from $4,000
to $4,000 cubic yards per month, Will
be continued until The end Or the year.
Three cables are now being used on
masonry work. There is a perceptible
difference in the time required to
make a round trip, as compared with
the time when landing on the deeper
portions Of foundation. Only two
concrete mixers were in use. as the
third mixer developed a serious crack
and had to he replaced; a new mixer
has been installed which should give
increased output for the current
month.
-Four Block of Masonry.
Masonry work is now in progress on
four distinct blocks, each los feet
long. called summer blocks, to dis
tinguish them from the narrower
blocks between. that will be built in
late winter, when the masonry Is In
its densest condition due to contrac-
ton. The highest block is at eleva-
ton 1920, while the adjacent block,
between the high block and the flume,
is at elevation 1855; the other two
Summer blocks are near the easter
w abutment and will contain the gates
and outlet conduits; these blocks are
at elevations 1912 and 1925. The bot
tom of foundation was at elevation
Alb, and old river bed at elevation
4214, consequently the highest block
is 1T feet above bed rock and seven
ty-six feet above river bed.
Excavation at the east abutment
was continued through the month
with three shifts The muck is loaded
into skips by hand, then handled by
derricks and dump car. Great care
has to be used not to shatter the abut-
ment with explosives, consequently
the volume removed per shift Is
small. but it is keeping ahead of the
and is now so far advanced
that the first gate castings Will be
installed about the middle OF the
month. The excavation for the month
amounted to $500 cubic yards, max
inc total to date of 37S, 400 cubic
yards.
Quarry Work on Three Shifts.
The sand cement plant produced
33.500 barrels of sand cement, making
a total to date of 247, 200 barrels. The
output was not quite equal to the de-
mand on account of inferior pebbles,
the wearing out of lining plates, and
wet rock. but these conditions have, ts
a great extent, been remedied, and a
much larger output is expected this
month. Portland cement is now be-
ing received at the rate Of 500 barrels
per day, which about meets the re-
quirements.
Work at the quarries has contin-
ued with three shifts. A new loading
hopper has been built at sand storage
which has somewhat increased the
output of sand derrick. During the
month 5000 cubic yards of sand was
delivered at making plant, making a
total to date of $4,000 cubic yards
Labor conditions are better than a
month ago, but there is still room Tor
several hundred additional laborers.
AT the end of the month there were
1112 men employed. The health of
the canp remains excellent, due main
ly to the untlring efforts of the sani-
tary department. At the present time
there is only one case of continued
sickness, which is an excellent show
ing for a camp OF $500 people.