The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1923-03-23
BIGGEST Dam IN
WORLD IN NEV.

StupendOus! tnats all Stupend-
GUS in magnitude. Studendous in ex-
ecution. Stupendous in possibilities
Words cannot portray a fragment
of tn wonders involved In the con-
struction of the Boulder dam or i'm
preston that would serve to furnish
a mental closeup view that would
stamp a permanent matrix on the
minds of men familiar with vast
imperial projects.
Success or Calamity
Damming the Colorado river Is one
of the marvellous engineering feats
Of the goth century that will take its
place in history with the building of
the Chinese wall or the erection of
the pyramids. as dam project there
is nothing In the world to offer COM
mensurate comparison. The Panama
canal, which is the accepted standard
for the acme of triumpant engineer
ing, fades into insignificance con-
trasted with intricate problems to
be disposed OF before a pick is
stuck in the ground or a shoyelful
OF dirt turned in the Black canyon
OF the Colorado. Every inch of the
way must be probed with the utmost
precision for the reason that any
structural weakness might entail the
greatest calamity In the worlds his
tory since the day when Noah and
his menagerie Jared forth into the
unknown. Any impairment of the
dam would eventually sweep most of
southern California and goodly
portion of Arizona from the maps.
Continental Divide Drainage
Backed behind the dam Will be
stored every gallon of precipitation
falling from the heavens over the
area OF seven states. This moisture
whether In the form OF snow or rain,
will eventually reach the wall In
Boulder canyon. Snow that lodges
to depth of 40 to $50 feet in the
mountain ranges of Utah, Colorado.
Wyoming. Arizona, New Mexico and
Nevada Will pour down through the
marble-lined gorges and until they
dash with an impact of 6i00 tons
per square foot against this man
made obstruction.
The estimated capacity of the res
ervoir. extending back to the Utah
line. is 3o.o00,000 acre feet OF water.
This means that. without renewal,
the irrigable area dependent on this
flow would be 15,000.O00 acres. not
allowing for a 25 per cent loss by
evaporation. This would represent
enough water to cover the whole OF
Iowa or Illinois with 12 inches OF
water. II would cover Kentucky or
Indiana to a depth of is inches,
Maine would be made a lake with a
depth OF five feet OF water or the
contents OF the Boulder canyon res
ervoir poured over Maryland would
bury fhat state beneath a food ex-
tinguishing that commonwealth under
460 feet of water.
Two Years 10 FIJI
Notwithstanding the impetuous
flow from the runoff OF peaks whose
crests tap the clouds the filling OF
the reservoir will occupy at least
two years.
The dam will be $50 feet high or
twice as high as the worlds highest
dam and the construction will occupy
three years. The first step towards
the sinking OF the foundation will be
TO drain OFF the river and provide
for the complete removal of the
cascades that come billowing down
from the watersheds OF the north.
This will be accomplished with
four tunnels each 40 feet In circum-
ference driven through the solid
granite or breccia for a distance Of
1000 feet. These tunnels will be fed
by means of Golfer dams to defect
the river from It's channel and ex-
pose the river bed for some distance
above and between the walls OF the
Black canyon.
Flood Control Comes First
The first consideration Of the rec
lamation service is food control. the
second. irrigation, and lastly. the
production Of power that will repay
the money advanced by the govern
ment for the undertaking. BY re-
leasing the impounded water $4,000
horsepower or energy would result.
This could be wholesaled at three
quarters OF cent per k. W. and
leave a handsome margin for amort-
izing the government investment The