Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-08

n during which the scope of It's
activities has enCompa sSed the
whole field Of Federal service save
that of national defense. Its achieve
ments during its II years of existence
constitute notable contribution
toward American progress.
The nature of the departments
work is such as to require some of
its employees TO take many unusual
risks, notably in geographic and map
ping explorations. Seemingly super
human engineering feats have been
performed by its experts in the recla-
nation Of arid and semi.arid land.
Ats files contain records of the exploits
OF employees in the early days of the
Nations history more dramatic than
some of the widest heroiCs of fiction
characters.
In recent times. in one of it's eX-
ploits, 10 men, headed by Col. c. II.
Birdseye. started on August |. 1923,
In four specially constructed lifeboatS
! from Lees Ferry. Ariz.. to complete
topographic survey of the Grand Can
yon as far as Boulder Creek, Ariz..
distance of $40 miles. The rapids in
this stretch of the Colorado River
form some of the widest water In the
United States
Wireless messages were received
from the surveying party up to the
middle of September. when all com
SrHnication ceased. Fear was felt for
their lives until their boats appeared
kt Diamond Creek trail. without a
man injured The party had been
caught In a serious food sweeping
down the canyon, but they had es-
capped the 20foot rise in the river by
climbing through a crevice in the
walls TO high ground.
The radio world was agOg over the
wireless achievements Of the Govern
ment engineers in the canyon party,
especially as many leading radio ex-
perts had predicted that it would be
Impossible to receive or send radio
messages while travelling in the bot
, tom of the Grand Canyon. Col. Birds
eye received daily messages broadcast
from Los Angeles, Salt Lake and chi
cago. He received the news of Presi-
dent Harding's death within As min
ttes after II occurred.
The recent Alaska expedition re-
suited in the successful exploration of
the Navy's petroleum reserve, and the
discovery of a river about 200 yards
wide and Of many unknown streams
In the northern wilderness. The re-
serve includes a great area of some
$4,000 square miles in the extreme
northwestern part of Alaska. one OF
the most inaccessible parts of the Ter
ritory.
DR. Philip S. Smith. q geologist and
an experienced Alaskan explorer. head
ed the party. which included another
geologist, DR.. J. B. Mertie, and two
engineers, r. K Lynt and Gerald
Fitzgerald All three of the men we're
selected because of their proved ability
to endure hardships met in traversing
unknown regions and to combat the
rigors Of an Arctic Winter
DOR a thousand miles of their
Journey the party of men and 30
dogs were in the heart of the wilder
ness relying entirely on their own re-
sources for food The last 700 miles
covered region almost entirely with
out vegetation. The commissariat
was helped out by such game as
moose, mountain sheep. caribou and
ptarmigan. Fish from the rivers and
the plentiful small black bears of
northern Alaska also contributed food.
especially for the hungry dogs. for
which in addition a ton and half of
food had to he transported.
Turning to other fields, the Interior
Department has constructed irrigation
works costing about 5000, 900. 900.
which now irrigate more than 1000. 900
ceres of land. supporting almost half
million people The Elephant Butte
Dam on the Rio Grande is the largest
Irrigation structure in the United
States, forming a reservoir with a
capacity of 100000 acre-feet, and
furnishing water sufficient TO irrigate
las 600 acres In New Mexico and
Texas.
The proposed Boulder Dam in Colo
RADIO now under consideration will he
the largest engineering structure of
It's kind ever attempted The maximum
development planned is to raise the
water surface sos feet height
greater than that of the Washington
Monument and more than two and
one-fourth times that of the Don
Pedro Dam in California, which now
has the greatest lift of any dam in
this country and probably in the
world.
The Boulder Dam would contain
over 3.375.000 cubic yards of concrete
which is more than three times as
much as the Assuan Dam In Egypt.
now containing the greatest amount
of masonry of any dam in the world.
The reservoir formed by the dam
would he 100 miles long and will have
An area of $4,000 acres. which is one
and-one half times as much as that OF
Gatun Lake on the Panama Canal.
Three quarters of a century ago
when the Department of Interior was
Established. the public domain of the
United States comprised practically
all the Western States and the greater
portion Of the Southern States. Then
ensued the great pioneer movement
extending over five decades.
Machinery for handling the rush Of
honest eaders had to be set up. the
area being divided into land districts
with a central headquarters In each.
Once the work of the Federal agents
often was performed under the most
hazardous conditions. as they opened
up vast areas for which thousands
: of men and women raced at the crack
OF a signal.
Pioneers in the days when the only
recognized law was a rifle or a pistol
looked 70 the Federal agents for armed
protection against claim jumpers. rem
egades and Indians. Many a Govern.
nnent official threw in his lot with the
gold camps. helping to protect them
against attack. and safeguarding their
pack trains Of the precious metal.
The hazardous work of apprehend-
ing rum-runners finds It's earlier
counterpart in the enforcement by
the Department of Interior Of the
laws prohibiting the African slave
trade The importation of African
slaves after January l, 1908. had been
prohibited by Congress in 1907. Later
F, It was necessary to make provision
for the punishment of persons en-
gaging in the slave trade. and for
The use of armed vessels in the pre-.
Vention of such traffic. The President
Sas authorized to make arrangements
fcr the return TO Africa of slaves
Illegally imported.
BY executive order of May 2, 1851,
Gne President charged the Secretary
- he Trforior with cnfnr0in0 tho