Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-05-19
THE WORK GOING
ON AT BIG FALLS
Busy Place Now, AS Solitude of
Woods Is Broken By Noisy
Construction
Work
HIGH TRAMWAY BUILT
TO HANDLE MATERIAL
Nearly Two Hundred Men Now at
Work. Several Buildings Under
Construction

Activity at the site of the power dam
project at Big Falls does not cease
for the day when the Sabbath arrives.
Contractors and sub-contractOrs are in
a hurry to finish their work as quick
ly as possible, so the work goes right
along seven days in the week.
The layout at the dam site was
bit of a surprise to a NewsBudget
man when he visited the place Sunday
afternoon There is more of a village
there, more machinery working, and
more men employed than he expected
to see. The scene presented to visit
Ors that day was one of wOnder-in-
spring activity and naturally excited
the attempt to visualize the completed
project, which was somewhat difficult
amid the confusing array of buildings,
machinery and men.
The rows of bunk-hOuseS, the mess
hall, shops, dwellings, tents, barns,
warehouses, and lesser buildings
strung up and down the east bank of
the Flambeau, black smoke rolling
from boiler stacks frequent screeches
from steam whistles, and the various
noises, general and incidental remind
ed one of a prosperous western min
ing town. The most imposing sight
is the high trestle and tramway built
in line with the dam-to-be On top
Of this operates the huge steam crane
which furnishes its own motive power
and carries the rock and soil back
toward the first bench" from the
rivers bank.
Working In Solid Rock
While the work is proceeding on the
Golfer dam, one of the principal jobs
is the excavating for the basement Of
the power house. This is in solid
rock, as indeed the whole river bed
and bank back to the bench appear to
be. Diamond power drills were drill
ing holes for charges of explosives
which were to sbatter the rock so that
it could be handled by the steam
crane. 1t looked like dangerous work,
almost anywhere around there. The
wOrkmen are warned by a whistle be
they may seek places of safety from
flying rock.
Considerable crib work has been
accomplished and is still going OIL,
but the Golfer dam appeared far from
complete. 1t looks to the uninitiated
as an extremely difficult piece of work
to control the turbulent waters, for
at this point the river is narrow and
the water rushes through as in
gorge. Constructing cribs in the riv-
er under such conditions requires
courage as well as engineering skill.
Not Easy of Access
There is a fairly good site for a vii
lage on the east side of the river,
where all the work is going on at
present. but it is still little difficult
of access. a turnpike comes to with
in about half mile of the dam site,
and an auto trail leads through the
woods to the village but it was in poor
condition for travel Sunday, and none
of the visitors cars, of which there
were perhaps a dozen parked near the
end of the road, attempted the wind
ing, but gradual descent. Most of the
visitors walk in on the railroad track
from the nearest farm house, or from
the crossing.
On the west side of the river, the
bank rises abruptly to a heighth of
probably twenty-five feet and then
slopes gradually upward for several
hundred feet at an easy grade. The
territory around the dam site has
been cut over and burned over and
there is no standing timber of any
value near by.
Two substantial cottages for future
employees who will reside at the dam
are well under way and another one
will be built. These are below, or
down river, from where the work is
going on.
About 175 men were employed at the
dam the first of the week. Men are
going and coming almost daily. 1t
is estimated that it will require from
one to two years to complete the work,
and during that time the rail line
in to the site will be used almost con-
tinuously to haul materials and sup
plies over. 1t connects with the main
line of the 500 at Tony.