Arizona republican., 1915-04-15
Description of the Massive Masonry Dam Which I'm pounds Salt River Val ley's Irrigation Water N Supply
SOME FIGURES
 ON THE PROJECT
Brief History of Work, Dat ing from Earliest Plans of Foresighted Dwellers, Who Wanted Desert to Bloom

DlOO1n
 Tine Roosevelt dam situated half mile below the confluence of TOnto Creek and Salt River at the head of canyon through which the Salt flows for many miles, is the most imposing feature of the Salt River project the first undertaken by the United States reclamation service under the provis- ions of the reclamation act approved by President Theodore Roosevelt June r, 1902 and after whom the dam was east of Phoenix.
 It creates a reservoir extending ten miles I'D TontO Creek and eleven miles up Salt river to what is known as the intake dam, 400 feet long. The reser- voir has a capacity of 1.367,300 feet and the surface of the water this morn ing is equal to 16,864 acres.
 The foundation rests on bedrock for ty feet below the level of the river. The foundation there is ITO feet thick and 235 feet long. The spillways are bridged and over the bridges and the top Of the dam runs the only highway in that region, connecting the noun tain country on both sides of the river. This roadway is fifteen feet above the highest storage and a coping four feet high protects the roadway. From the bottom of the foundation to the top most stone is 2S9 feet. The thickness of the dam at the top is 16 feet
 The length of the dam at the top is 6SO feet and its width is sixteen feet. Each of the spillways is 200 feet long and the road over the top is 10S0. The spillways are blasted from the noun tain sides
 The dam really has capacity great CT than is given in the foregoing fig ures. The water pouring over it, that is if there were enough water would raise the height of the flood over the spillways to three feet so that there would be a wall of rock cement and water 228 feet high instead of 225 feet high.
 The dam contains about 240,000 cubic yards of masonry, every rock of which was washed before it was put into place and permanently cemented. In the construction of the dam and the aux Hilary work 340,000 barrels of cement were used, all of it being manufactured on the ground at a cost of s1,110.000, in cement mill erected by the govern ment. The government undertook the erection of this mill when the best bid it could secure from private manufac- turers was $4.S9 a barrel. The proposal to erect a mill met with opposition from cement manufacturers all over the country and the opposition of many members of congress was enlisted. But President Roosevelt severed lot of red tape, disregarded a lot of political ad- vice and the mill was ordered. The ce- ment manufactured there cost the wa ter users of this valley $3.14 barrel, q saving of s592,300 or about s25O an acre.
 The dam was constructed by John M O'Rourke & CO. of Galveston, Tex, to whom the contract was awarded on called for a dam 15O feet in height. The estimated cost of this construction was $l,147, 500.
 The first stone was laid in the foun- dation September 20. 1906. The last stone was laid on the coping 2S4 feet above on February 6, 1911.
 The Dedication
 On March IS the dam was dedicated and Colonel Roosevelt was brought here as the chief figure in that cere- mony. What happened at Roosevelt was described by The Republican at ! that time: At 4:15 o'clock the car bearing Colonel Roosevelt rounded the point giving him his first view of the dam for whose dedication he had made the long journey to Arizona. A salute of eleven guns reverberated through the canyon walls. the discharge flut- | tering the United States and the Recla- l nation Service flags that flOated over 1 the parapets of the dam and the as- sembled hundreds broke into a mighty cheer and five minutes later the cal appearing on the crest of the hill hun | dreds of feet above, was the signal foi
 another salute and renewed cheering
 for another five minutes. The colone came down the roadway to the south ern bridge. followed by an escort o
 some hundreds, servants. employees ant workmen, including a phalanx of Apa- che Indians. There was a short pause
 for the greeting by the colonel of spe l cial friends.
 He and other speakers then noun ted the stand amid wild cheers an(
 John P. Orme, president of the Sal
 River Valley Water Users Association
 introduced Governor Sloan as chair
 man. The speaking program then fol lowed and lasted until 5:45 O'clocl
 when Colonel Roosevelt closed an ad
 dress of characteristic emphasis an,
 vigor. punctuated with humor and illus
 trations. He paid a special tribute t'
 Frederick Ii. Newell, Arthur P. Davi