Arizona republican., 1919-08-10

operations on the Gillespie Dam on the Gila, fifty eight miles southwest of Phoenix and twenty -four miles this side of Gila Bend. It is a development of the scheme of F. A. Gillespie, who last spring purchased the damsite of the South Gila Water company and some 7S,000 acres of land lying west of Gila Bend. He and his associates have since added to this acreage until now they have total of 90,000 acres.
 The operations at the damsite for the present consist chiefly of the To- cation of the plant which resembles already a small, but bustling town. There are here and everywhere en- zines engaged in the work of prepa- ration which is now almost completed. Groups of workmen are digging away he hillsides for foundations for need ed plants of one kind or another.
 A reporter for The Republican spent a day there recently with James B. Girand, chief engineer of the project and pr. A. W. Morrill,. There are at present 100 men employed at the plant and in the distance on the other side of the river is another camp whose members are engaged in the widening and reconstruction of the canal. Farther below, along the river is still another camp, that of the engineers.
 An Up-to- Date Camp.
 At the damsite there are two long bunk houses, comfortably provided with cots Between them is a porch in which the men when not at work may find rest and shelter from the sun and where there are tables where l they may read or play cards. There is a great dining hall where meals are served, the cost of board including | lodging, being s1.35 a day. Such meals as the men are given could not be pro- cured in any restaurant in Arizona for less than fifty cents each.
 | Water works have been recently in stalled and water is conducted to all parts of the camp. There is an ice factory in operation with cooling system for the preservation of meats and perishable vegetables. Work is now being pushed on an electric light and power system by which lights will be furnished for the houses of the | foremen, other houses occupied by | families of the men employed and the houses of the officials. Also great arc lights will be suspended all over the works, for it is proposed 10 carry on operations night and day.
 This continuous performance is al- ready in operation by the truckmen | There are eight big trucks of the com pany at all hours on the road between the works and Hassayampa station bringing in lumber, cement, steel, pipe and supplies. It should also be made known that at the Gillespie camp day
 light saving is not recognized. Every
 thing is conducted according to req
 time. That was the choice of tht
 workmen who did not fancy ending tho
 day in the middle of the afternoon anc
 having their mornings nap cut off by
 an hour.
 Everything is being arranged so tnat
 the work may be performed the most ex
 peditiously, with the least unnecessary
 labor and with the least lost motion
 The face of the hill on the west sid,
 of the river is being torn away fo
 the rock-crushers so that the rock ma!
 be served to them by gravity, tn
 crushed rock and the sand and cemen to be dropped by gravity to the con
 crete mixers just below them.
 The lowest wage paid at the cam
 is 40 cents an hour. Of course, skill ed labor receives much more.
 The Gillespie Dam, now building, j ! diversion weir approximately 200O fee
 long and twenty feet night On h top of this dam it is proposed to con , struct reinforced concrete bridge plans have been made and the Depart
 ment of Good Roads together wit
 the State of Arizona, through tn , state engineers office and the count ,, of Maricopa will contribute their pro
 pOrtlOnate share of the cost
 The Features of the Dam , The Gillespie dam will have thre
 rows of interlocking sheet piles of re inforced concrete driven to bed-roc D across the river, one at the heel, one a , the axis and one at the toe of the dan f these will be fifty feet apart and O these sheet piles will be superimpose ! a concrete slab one hundred feet wids
 The multiple arch dam will be at tn extreme upper edge of this slab an s will be supported under the buttresse , by three to six bearing piles of rein : forced concrete Is" square and drive | to bed rock. On the east side of tn '. river, for the Gila at this point flow V almost due south, is located the mai e canal. Regulator gates and sluic
 gates to control the flow into th r canal of the most approved type wi
 be built while on the west side simila y works though of not so great capacit n will be built to take care of the irri T gated lands now held by the Gran e Canyon Sheep and Cattle company
 which T. E. Pollock of Flagstaff is th S moving spirit. This ranch was form : erly known as the Flower Pot Cattl n company owned by Dan Millet an e Sheriff Montgomery.
 d Description of the Canal
 The Gillespie Canal formerly know y as the Gila Bend Canal is about fort Il miles in length and considering tf
 fact that it was built more than twer 1T ty-six years ago is in excellent cond 9. tion. The present contractor, c. y Crowley, was also the contractor the n and it is very interesting to him
 note the changes which have take n place since he first began the work ar | doubly so to know that the work I = did was of such splendid and lastir
 character. Only a few breaks nay T. occurred and these will be repaired l. installing permanent structures of rt Il inforced concrete. There will be seve e large siphons to carry the waters U the canal across the more importal " breaks while boxes and culverts w
 be, used to carry the waters of u y washes under the canal.
 The company now owns about 90 y 900 acres of choice lands under Il r canal which it proposes to bring und C cultivation. Of course, it is not col
 templated to do all this the first
 second year, but ultimately there W
 be an irrigated area in this part
 Maricopa county about one third Il le extent of the Salt River Valley. ,h The Builders.
 y The well-known firm of contractor IS Sherer & Crowley of Los Angeles. Ca