The Dermott news., 1917-08-23

for month and a half yet. That, would give him ample time to com plete the dam and the spillway. This year. however, there had been some very unusual rains during the fall and the water back of the dam was now 9S feet deep which made 1t 22 feet below tbe level to which the dam had risen and 20 feet below the spillway. This was much more water than anyone had dreamed would be in the reser- voir at that time, and was perhaps more than should have been allowed. Still there was safety margin of 22 feet, which Vandeventer was sure would be ample. The financial promo terS of the project were very anxious to have the reservoir full when the irrigating season opened. and the en- gineer's Judgment had been influenced by theiG eagerness to get 1t working.
 The broad sheet of water ran back into the valley for many miles. In fact, the dam had transformed the country into beautiful lake. Some times it rained in the mountains when 1t did not rain down in the valley. and there was constant. if very. small, rise in the level. Vandeventer' personally carefully gauged the water every day. Naturally he had noted that it rose gradually, but as the dam rose proportionately more rapidly. he was not uneasy. Yet, as good en- gineer. he was watchful and largely because of the unfinished spillway he urged the men to the very limit. The weatherwise from the town, who sometimes rode up to inspect the work, assured Vandeventer that 1t could not possibly rain before March. and the mere fact that so much water had fallen rendered 1t more improb- able that any more would come down. But at three on the afternoon of Jan uary sixth it suddenly began to rain hard without warning and with no premonition on the part of anybody. It was not one of those terrible down. pours known as cloudbursts. but 1t was an excessively hard. steady rain. i The heavens over the range were black with clouds and so far us any. one at the dam could see. 1t was rain. ing from the crest Of the mountains down. There were some anxious dis cuSsions in the dining room of the res ident engineer and his American as- sistants.
 At four o'clock IL was decided to open the underSluice gate about half way. but when this was done the vol. tune of water IL was capable of dis charging was too small to help ver} much, and on opening II to its fullest
 extent the velocity of the water rush. ing through was so great that the river bed was rapidly secured out. For fear of undermining the toe of the dam IL was necessary partially to close the sluicc once mere
 The water was rising first at the
 rate of three or four inches an hour,
 then half foot. and finally nearly . l foot. By six o'clock that night it had risen two feet IL was still rain. | ing hard at that hour. although not
 quite so furiously as 1t had been. If it did rain until morning at the pres
 ent rate there would still be n mar. gin of safety of perhaps fourteen or i fifteen feet at dawn. Although the l situation required watchfulness and
 WAS somewhat alarming. it was not desperate. The men were advised 10 put in all the time In their hunks so
 as 10 be good and ready for the hard battle which might come in the morn. 1 Ing. and as they were all tired out
 with their days work the little group
 soon broke up and each man went to 1 his quarters.
 Nandeventer however. could not sleep. The rain kept up steadily all
 night. The resident engineer finally. {. got up and dressed himself, and pro- dected by high rubber boots and cowboy slicker and Il souwester, left
 his quarters and went out to inspect
 the dam. He carried lantern. of
 course. for IL was pitch dark and. if
 possible, the rain dropping from the
 black sky made it more tiifiicult~to see. He was surprised when he got to the
 dam to see on the other side another
 lantern. Closing the slide of his own lantern to prevent observation. and be-
 ing on familiar ground. he went
 straight toward the other side. The
 noise of the rain subdued any sound
 that he made, and he was able to como
 quite close to the other light without
 being noticed