The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-06-29
LARGE CREWS
BEGIN WORK
POWER PLANT PROJECT UNDER WAY
Phoenix Utility Co. Expects Soon to be
Employing 800 Men at Camps Of
PIP. L. Co.

Construction work on a large scale
has been launched by the Phoenix
Utility Co.. now engaged on new
81 ,250, 900 power plant on Hood rivel
for the Pacific Power & Light Co.
Two hundred and fifty men have
been placed at work. and ]. E. Shinn.
superintendent of the big task, ii
seeking an additional $50. Two per-
manent camps have been established,
one at Powerdale about a mile south OF
the city and another three miles up the
river. where the dam and headworks
will be built. The commissary at the
lower camp was in operation last week,
and by the latter part of this week,
the cook camp at the upper camp will
be able to care for the workmen. The
crews will be equally divided between
the two camps.
l.. B. Nation, Mr.. Shinn's assist
ant. says he has never seen finer lot
of men than the crews now at work.
Most of them are permanent residents
of Hood River, men with families. A
preference is given to the "home-
guard,D and the construction concern
is also buying all materials possible
from local business houses.
The construction company has leased
the line of the Mt. Hood R. X. Co.
from the city to the switchback. and
a locomotive has been purchased from
the company for use on the work.
From the switchback to the site of the
dam, where temporary bridge is be-
ing constructed across the river, a &c.
inch guage railway will be built. The
company owns q l4-ton locomotive,
which will be used on the temporary
line in hauling materials. The narrow
guage rail line will be extended as far
as possible down the west side of Hood
river.
Three big donkey engines will be
placed in commission on the work, one
will be located at the damsite in the
operation of an aerial scraper. An
aerial cable, an inch and an eighth in
diameter and 500 feet long. will be
used here On the site of the power
plant z by 10 donkey and a stiff
legged derrick, with a go or 70 foot
boom, will be used in operating q
clamshell excavator. The boom will
be used in handling materials: A
travelling stiff-legged derrick, with a
7by IL donkey, will be used on the
pipeline work. A caterpillar steam
shovel will be used for excavations,
Numerous teams will be used in the
excavation work. The concrete will
be poured at the dam either with an
aerial system, with large buckets. or
by a gravity system. from an elevator.
A Golfer dam. so feet wide and 25O
feet long will be constructed at once to
clear about two thirds of the river bed
for the dam. The west side of the
dam, in about half-section, will be
poured frat. The completed dam will
rise only about IA feet above the water
line Of the stream. IL is not planned
to back up the flow of the stream but
to divert portion of it into the big
l0-foot pipeline.
Work on the PROJECT, which will de-
velop 10000 horsepower, will continue
throuhgout the winter.
The use by the construction concern
of the Mt. Hoods line will in no way
affect the regular schedule Of its
trains or rail autos.
The camps of the Utility Company
are very sanitary. The men are fur
nished with springs, mattresses, sheets
and pillow cases. They are required
to pay for the laundering of the bed
linens.
Shower baths have been provided at
the camps.