Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-09-23

CONSTRUCTION
THE BUTTE dam
Most Important of Uncle Sans
Projects to Reclaim the Des-
ert Lands, to be Dedicated
Oct. 14-19

Las Cruces. N. M. Sept. 22.-The
browning event Of virtually twelve
years construction of what is regard
ed as one of the greatest irrigation
projects in the world will take place
when President Wilson comes to New
Mexico to dedicate the great Elephant
Butte Dam, on the Rio Grande. north of
Rincon, on October IA. The dedication
is to be coincident with the holding of
the International Irrigation Congress
on October IA to 10. the International
Farm Congress and the International
Soil Products Exposition. all at Ell Pa
SO. Texas.
The Elephant Butte Dam is the larg
est and most important of the irriga
ton projects that the United States has
undertaken in efforts to reclaim the
desert lands Of several western states
and make them productive. The work
was begun in 1904 when the first bor-
ings for the foundations of the monster
dam were made. Actual construction
was commenced in July. 1910, so that
the dedication by President Wilson will
be the final formal event of six years
work on the project.
Actual completion of the construc-
ton occurred on May. II. last. The
dam Is the largest piece of masonry for
the storage of water in the world. 1t
contains 608,000 cubic yards of rein
forced concrete. 1t is of the gravity
type, straight in plan, 1887 feet
long at the top which is 205 feet
above the original level of Ell Rio
Grande. From the deepest excavation
the top is 306 feet high. On the
top there is an 1S-foot roadway
The cost of the structure alone was
100000 with an additional 100000
for the many canals and other work
necessary for the distribution of the
stored water All of this work is not
yet completed.
642,292 acre feet Of water. or sufficient
to cover this number of acres to the
depth of one foot Putting it in anoth-
er way. the reservoir behind the dam
when full. will contain s62,20O,0o0 gal
lions. which, if spread out one foot deep,
would cover 1926 square miles. an area
over twice that of the state Of Della
ware.
The reservoir, pronounced the largest
| artificial body of water in the world
and known as Lake B. NJ Hall, has a
shore line of more than 200 miles, and
an average width of two miles. Mexi-
can towns and villages. many of which
have stood for a century or more. al
ready are submerged or will be when
| the lake is filled. Owners of this prop
erty were compensated by the govern
ment as We're the proprietors of vast
stretches of grazing land also sub
merged.
The spillway is of the combination
weir and tunnel type. The weir is 275
feet long, divided into five sections,
with an elevation at the crest of 1913
feet above the original river bed. There
are four tunnel outlets, 10 feet in dia-
meter. with a capacity permitting the
safe discharge of 5000 cubic feet of wa
ter per second. The discharge Is con-
trolled by 10-feet diameter cylinder
gates.
The dam is a solid wall Of masonry
and concrete with width of 215 feet
at the base, tapering to a thickness of
about twenty feet at the top 1t is
built to withstand anything but the
most severe earthquake shock and is
said to be practically indestructible.
Sometime ago reports were current that
Mexicans from across the line planned
to dynamite the dam. and a company Of
| troops was sent from Columbus for
guard duty. Reclamation service off,
Gals held that this precaution was I'M
necessary pointing out that nothing
short Of a trainload of dynamite. the
placing of which would require more
| than a year of drilling would be sum-
Client to materially injure the dam.
Waters from the dam. which is locat-
ed in Sierra county. will irrigate $780,
600 acres Of land In the Rio Grande val
ley. in New Mexico, Texas and the Mex