Arizona republican., 1914-12-24
ARIZONA THURSDAY MORNING. DECEMBER A. 1914
SUPPLEMENTARY
 ID GREAT DAM

FL PASO, Tex, Dec. 22.-1n round numbers, $1O0,OO0 a month will be spent by the reclamation service on the irri- gation canals to be constructed below the $7,20,000 concrete dam across the Rio Grande at Elephant Butte, N. NJ, during the next six months. Actual work in the field has begun.
 L. M. Lawson, project engineer In charge of this branch of the work, states that he will have employed about 1000 men and 2O00 horses and mules. He has already on their way from Chi cago two big eXcavating machines which vii be used at first in cutting the first mile of the various canals lead ing away from the channel of the river, where the ground is too soft for horses and mules to be used to advantage. Later on these machines will be used for digging drainage ditches.
 The steel required for the various structures to be built is already on the ground, and 30 carloads of lumber and 21 900 barrels of cement are en route and will be received during the next few days The work to be done may be grouped under four heads-the Me slla diversion dam, the East Side canal, the West Side canal and reconstruction work on the Franklin canal.
 Tine Mesilla diversion dam will be concrete structure It will be located five and a half miles southwest of Las Cruces, N. M It will require 1S.000 cubic yards of excavation, and will contain 5000 cubic yards of concrete. It will be topped with a highway bridge over the Rio Grande, which will give a permanent roadway across the river at that point. Its prime purpose will be the diversion of water for irrigation pur poses into the East Side and West Side canals. The Dona Ana county highway officials have already begun the con- struction of macadam roadways to connect with this bridge over the dam at either side
 The East Side canal will be 10k miles long, and will require 25O,OOO cu- bic yards of excavation. It will be fur nished with 12 bridges and 30 miscel- | laneous concrete .structures-siphons turn out gates etc. It will furnish wa | ter to the three saints" community ditch and to the entire east side of the | Mesilla valley-a total of about 20,00O | acres.
 The West Side canal will be 1212
 miles long. It will require 800, 900 cu- I bic yards excavation, and will be fur nished with 25 bridges and 78 miscel- | laneous concrete structures. It will supply water to the Santo Tomas, San | Miguel, Chamberino La Mesa and La l Union districts--a total of about 30, l 900 acres.
 l The Franklin canal will be consider ably enlarged from Ysleta to point
 miles below Clin, Texas, and vii greatly increase and better the present l facilities in that section for irrigatine
 the valley lands. There about 1s,O0(
 acres served by the Franklin canal al
 the present time
 The entire work" said MT Lawson yesterday, will be done by day labor no contract work. Preference will b, given to the men and teams furnished
 by the water users. It is going to rusi
 us to complete the undertaking within
 the allotted time. but We shall let m
 grass grow under our feet"
 Estimates and recommendations hav already gone in to Washington on tn
 work that will follow the completion
 of the present assignment, and it is ex pected that congress will promtly vot the necessary appropriation, as it is tn policy of the government to complet work actually begun.