Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-04
WORK ON DAM IS
INTERRUPTED BY
SEVERE STORMS
In Spite of SetbaCkS, However,
Good Progress Is Made al
Elephant Butte and ReSer-
voir Is Rising,

tspSetsu eeRRsspeuoEses TO MORNING JouRsAli
Elephant Butte. y. NJ April g-
March had twenty-seven working days
and q possibility of fifty-four shifts.
Unfortunately enc complete shift was
lost. and nine others were so badly
broken by storms that the progress
was less than during February.
During the month $4,000 cubic
yards OF masonry We're placed. as
compared with $4,000 cubic yards in
February. The total concrete in place
March 81 Is 526 500 yards. and the
lowest place in the dam Is at elevation
4,325. III feet above the old river
bed
The reservoir has been rising slowly
all the month from elevation 4.250.S
on February 2S to 4263.S on March
3f The storage has Increased from
$500 TO $4,000 acre feet. and the
old camp ground is covered.
Engle Road Completed.
a little eNcavating has been done
during the month on the west abut-
ment. but none on the east side. The
eXcavating crews have been trans
ferred to the spilway. which was
started on the 9th. The new Engle
road was completed ami put in ser
vice on the 9th also. This road has
a maximum grade of a little over )
per cent. 1t leaves the old wagon
road at n point about two miles out
Of camp; from this point il drops to
the railroad and crossing this, follows
along the east and south side Of ii
util it reaches the bottom of Ash
canyon below the third railroad cut
from camp. This stretch leading
from the old road to the bottom Of
Ash canyon is on "a % per cent grade
down. Il then follows along above
high water line I'm the canyon until
the quarry it crosses a trib-
utary to Ash canyon coming in from
the southwest
The bridge is set up on high CON
crete pedestals, because when the wa
ter starts over the spilway the piers
will only be two feet above the water
level From the bridge the road
rises on a per cent grade until it
crosses the divide between Ash can
yon and Spring canyon. following
down the latter past the hospital. to
a junction with the old road again
AT this iuction parties going TO the
lower camp should turn to the left,
To the upper camp to the right. and
continue TO the right until the main
office is reached
During March the working force at
the main dam has decreased from
LOGS to 93S. The force at the em-
has remained nearly con-
slant ut 40 men and 12l mules, At
12.0l "A. m. April /. the force at the
main dam was reduced from 93S to
less than 500.
From now until the first Of October
will be placed only on the
day shift. Tho afternoon shift will
raise forms. move derricks, make re-
pairs, etc. The graveyard shift,
from midnight to S a. m Is abolished
except in the case of the spillway ex-
aviation. where three shifts will con-
-inue until this work is ready for con-
crete.
BY the middle Of April the lowest
place in the dam VIII be at elevation
i,3f0, and the possible storage will be
10000 acre feet There is now in
storage water enough To cover every
tcre now in cultivation below the dam
me foot deep and there is storage ca
)acilY sufficient to- take care Of tho
maximum flow ever recorded COcto- I
Der. 1904 $4,000 cubic feet per sec {
md, for nearly two weeks. The lake |
viii now hold nearly four times as
much water as the river discharged in |
1902, the record dry year: and about !
,ne-third Of the 1905 flow, which was
he champion wet spell, provided no !
water was allowed to pass down the |
liver