Norwich bulletin., 1916-09-23
ELEPHANT BUTTE DAM
 ON THE RIO CYANIDE
To be Dedicated October 14-One of the Greatest Irrigation Projects in the World,

Las Cruces, N. M., Sept. 22.-The crowning 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 Oct. 14. The dedication is to be coincident with the holding of the International Irrigation Congress on October IA to 19, the International Farm Congress and the International Soil Products Exposition, all at Fl Pa so, Texas.
 The Elephant Butte Dam is the largest and most important of the ir- rigation projects that the United States has undertaken in efforts to re- claim the desert lands of several western states and make them produc- tive. The work was begun in 1904 when the first borings for the founda- tions 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 12, last. The dam is the largest piece of masonry for the storage of water in the world. It contains 608,000 cubic yards of re- enforced concrete. It is of the gravity type, straight in plan, 1,318.7 feet long at the top which is 2O5 feet above the original level of Fl Rio Grande. From the deepest excavation the top is 306 feet, high. On the top there is an 18 foot roadway. The cost of the struc- ture alone was $5,0o0,000 with an ad- ditional $5,000,000 for the many ca nals and other work necessary for the distribution of the stored water All of this work is not yet completed.
 The total capacity of the dam is D. GAP, 292 acre feet of water, or suffi- cient to cover this number of acres to the depth of one foot. Putting it in dam when full, will contain S62, 100000 gallons which, if spread out one foot deep would cover 4,285 square miles, an area over twice that of the state of Delaware.
 The reservoir, pronounced the larg- est artificial body of water in the world, and known as Lake B. M. Hall, has a shore line of more than 200 miles, and an average width of two miles. Mexican towns and villages, many of which have. stood for cen tury or more, already are submerged or will be when the lake is filled. Owners of this property were compen- sated by the government as were the proprietors of vast stretches of graz ing land also submerged.
 The SplllWay IS or the comblnaIlOn weir and tunnel type. The weir is 2T5 feet long, divided into five sections, with an elevation at the crest of 193 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 water per second. The discharge is controlled by 10-feet diameter cylinder gates.
 The dam is solid wall of masonry and concrete with a width of 215 feet at the base, tapering to a thickness 1 of about twenty feet at the top. Ii l is built to withstand anything but the most severe earthquake shock and is said to be practically indestructable Some time ago reports were current 1 that Mexicans from across the line planned to dynamite the dam, and g