The Parker post., 1915-04-17
RESERVOIR
OVERFLOWS
ALL ARIZONA JOINS IN CELEBRA-
TON AT ROOSEVELT DAM
SPEECHES AND BARBECUE ARE
FEATURES.

THE DAM, April ia mighty
cash in the face of nature, bridged
by wonderful pile of masonry 24O
feet high and 40 feet wide.
A thousand citizens, their tense
faces fixed earnestly upon the shelf
topping the spillways, against which
a Vagrant gust of wind now and
again dashed a spray, like some
gigantic bathtub about to overflow.
The lights outlining the dam pro-
per shed ghostly effulgence over
the strange scene. Overhead a mil
lion stars twinkled Below the
chasm; almost dry, seemed to catch
the feeling of expectancy, while on
either side the eternal hills stood
their solemn guard, and below the
valley of the Salt sread it's far
flung acres dotted with the lights of
irrigators reaping the untold benefits
of the splendid project now come
to it's full fruition.
| It ws strange sight unique,
weird. fraught with meaning, and as
the earliest drops of the water flowed
over the spillway tears came un-
hidden into the eyes of many, es-
pecially the older ones who were able
t. look back upon the lean years be-
fore the dam was thought Of when
men wrested a scanty living from the
sun baked soil and dreamed of the
day when water would flow through
shady bitches to overspread the land
at his command
The reservoir was officially filled
a. $3.50 p. m. Pictures were taken,
souvenir bottles filled and the
crowd from Phoenix, Globe, Miami
and elsewhere disposed itself for
the night; many camping with their
machines.
At Newtown, about mile above
the dam there was a dance, music,
fireworks and happy exchange of
"reminiscences. At the spillway an
ever increasing flow of water; the
music of the falling water lulling the
tired bodies Of the visitors who had
journied over miles of scenic beau
ty to have their part in the history
making event
The New Day
Bright and early this morning there
was rush to the dam. Two inches
of water was flowing over the spill
way. Later in the day this was in
creased and reclamation officials an
ticipated that before the SHOWS have
contributed their last melted flake
to the s0od of the cause at least
three fee+ of flood will be pouring
into the river bed and hurrying on
IS way to the diversion dam at
Granite Reef, and from there into
the several canals of the system.
AS early as s. o'clock the crowd
commenced coming, and it came
steadily in both directions from that
hour until early in the afternoon
Globe sent several hundred; Miami
nearly as many, while up the lovely
trail from the Salt River valley
never ending stream of cars wended
their way to the haven of their
| hearts desire.
The speaking began shortly be-
| fore noon and the program was car
ried out closely.
Joseph H. Kibbey was the first
speakn", followed by George H. Max
we'll, o. Chicago. The other speakers
were Louis c. Hill, State Senator
Bacon, Judge Shute, State Senator
Stapley, w. J. Murphy, R. M. Turner,
Congressman Carl Hayden and Uni
ted States Senator Henry F. Ashurst.
The talks were short, eloquent,
optimistic, retrospective, and pro-
phetic. After t - formal part of the
program the crowd, now numbering
several : ousand adjourned to New
town VIII, re a barbecue was served
under thy direction of experts from
Miam' AID Globe.