The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-06-19
NO GUESSW0RK ABOUT
THE SPAVINAW WATER
EXCAVATION TO BE CHEAP
Naturnt Foundation OF Rock VIII
Eliminate Much tsWns~ In
Building the Dam.

'-rho dam for tho spavinaw wafer
project has actually been deAipnod
for the Hita II IL intended Tor, ana
the actual quantities 90 concrete ana
steel have been determined com %
putntions Of tho actual quantity cost
and strength have been checked hy
r. L. Holloway. city water engineer
NJ. r. Roberts. city construction on
Enecr. Ar g. Ileggcm. Hhfnoy
Meyers. Victor Hughes and nj leaN
oight other prominent engineers. ana
MI are agreed that tha dam can he
hunt for the estimated cost OF t2i6,-
600" aaid n A prossey. hydraulic
engineer. last evening In dlscuHsin q
tho Intentionally incorrect figures
and data concerning the water propo-
Nuon that have appeared from time
Ia time In tho Page organs
"As matter ot fnrt," continued
Mr. PrcHsey, these estimates arc all
rather liberal. aH allowances wer"
made on both quantities and unit
cost. va havc allowed for all haul
ing OF materials 20 the site of the
dam. local rock being used In th"
construction one side of the rite In
naturally limestone and tho other Of
granite
Gardner, have examined the dam
rlte from n geological standpoint and
M have stated uncpulyhChlly that
the dam built At this site would he
entirely safe and free from all leak
age through rock creviccH.
"Construotion will he unusually
cheap nt this site, due 60 IN" fact
that tho rock IN entirely exposed on
tho north uido Of tho Rpavinaw, and
only ono foot covered on the southern
side The rock IA exposed over part
Of the river bod. and NJ no place II
there moro than two feet OF oxcava-
tion 10 ho made to obtain n perma-
nent solld rock foundation.
This IL very unusual In tho con
struction of dams In the southwert-
ern htatcN, M II In usually necessary
TO eScavatc through many fe"t OF
silt and sand.
"Oklnhoma City's dam required an
excavation of ~ feet through wet
material. and tho dam nj Shell creek
would require In places nearly twice
this amount.
There II not the slightest question
but that the dam can he built for
tho estimated cost. In fact contracts
can be signed with firms Of strong
financial standing who viii put Mp A
bond with tho city for tho construc-
tion ~ tho dam at tho estimated cost.
In order that tho work may be
thrown open to all available con-
tractors, designs were made for va
rious types. Including soiid masonry
dams with gravity section and a re-
inforced concrete dam. This esti-
mate OF cost included the necessary
gates, fumes. irsins and power
house, 40 that tho water wheels and
generators can he instailed on the
masonry foundation
The rainfall In tho Spavinaw val.
ley district amounts to about ~
inches per year based upon rec
orhs FOR the past 2b years OF the
United States weather bureau. This
rainfall In eight inchea higher per
year on an average, than NJ Tuba,
whero the records OF the United
StAtes weather bureau show a little
less than 90 inches per year.
Careful computations covering
tho rainfall and run-off of the
Spayinaw Cor the various morftns ~
this long period have been made and
have heen checked by At least four
we'll known engineers ana these REQ
ords show that there has been more
luan FhlllNl'hN NhANi li'N lu Wv
spavlnaw every year the past ?b
wears TO pump more than 100 900,
600 gallons OF water 10 the city of
Tulsa, except for parts ~ an aver
age OF two months each year
I'm other words. auxiliary power
will only be required during part
OF two or three months OF tho year.
and at all other times Srmvinaw
water, creating hydro-electric pow
er, through the wheels at the dam
site will do all the pumping that
will be required to supply all water
TO the mains OF the city ~ Tulsa,
Much Cheaper, Too,
Allowing for auxiliary power
that might possibly he required
during the dry periods OF dry years
and allowing also for all labor ma.
terialH depreciation and repairs,
water from the spavinAw river csn
bn delivered 10 tho city OF Tulsa
for Ia cents Zone and One-thiri
cents) ,on the hasis of 10000 900
gallons, or Tor l6 cents Zone and
ElS-tenths cents), on n basis ot TO-
100000 gallons per day, delivered
into the city mains.
at present time the cost OF the
supply is about two cents per I .OO0
gallons toSfilter the Arkansas river
water. so that Il may safely he said
that water from the spavinaw river
-.