Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1929-07-30
IMMEDIATE START OF
PRELIMINARY WORK IS
ASSURED. SAY EXPERTS
Federal Representatives Considering Matter
Of Dividing Electrical Energy Between
States; Planning of City to House 1000
Workers at Dam Site Being Pushed.

WASHINGTON, July 29.-(P)
The department OF the inter
/ i0r OF the federal government is
/ going ahead swiftly with pre-
liminary work looking to early
starting OF the construction of
Boulder Dam.
C0ncurrently with receipt by
the department of applications
from power companies for twice
the amount OF power which will
he produced at Boulder Dam,
the department is planning a model
city to house a population OF about
/ four thousand persons, construction
of which city will be one of the first
/ steps toward construction of the
dam
Announcement was made today
by Secretary Ray Lyman Wilbur
that the bids for power have been
turned over to the Denver office.
where distribution among the states
is being studied. It is expected
that, as a result of the great de-
mand tor power contracts, these will
be signed ut an early date, promot-
ING the early start OF actual con-
StruCtiOn OF the dam.
The city being planned by the
government will rise on the brink
OF the Colorado a mile from the
site of the dam 1t will provide
permanent homes for a thousand
workers who will be employed eight
years building the dam, their fami-
lies and the normal population
necessary 10 a comfortable exist
ence
The city will be on government
land, leased to those who live on it
or establish business buildings. A
string will be attached whereby the
government can cancel the lease OF
any tenant who misbehaveS, and de-
partment officials said this would
be used to exile bOotleggers or other
law violators who interfere with the
Well-being of the dam workers.
Instead of a boisterouS frontier
town, officials hope the community
will be one of simple homes, gard
ems with flowers, schools and play
grounds.
Workers will travel daily to the
Drink Of the Colorado, and be low
cred 1900 feet by huge elevators to
their work
Plans call for a permanent COM
munity, that will last even after
construction is completed, when the
largest artificial body of water in
the world will stretch a hundred
miles through a region of rare
scenic beauty and where it is be-
lieved a popular resort may grow,
when the reservoir is developed. to
provide incidental attractions.
Plans already are being developed
for an automobile highway from
Las Vegas to Kingman via the top
of the dam when completed.
WASHINGTON. July 29.-UP>--
Preparation OF designs and plans
Tor construction of Boulder Dam
now has reached the point where
the Interior Department has found
it necessary to authorize expansion
Of the engineering staff of the Den
yer office of the Bureau of Reclama-
zion. The increase Of staff is the
first as yet authorized on account
If the Boulder project, which, in
addition to construction OF a per-
nanent dam, entails drilling four
niles of tunnel fifty feet in diam
2ter, through solid rock of canyon
walls and erection of two Golfer
lams. one above and one below the
lam site
The one upstream from the dam
viii have to be eighty feet high and
Il sufficient strength to divert the
low OF the Colorado river even at
lood tide.
OF the tunnels. two will be used
S permanent spillwayS, and the
ther two will supply water to
| )oWer houses which are intended to
enerate enough electricity to pay
OF the entire project All of the de-
| ignS and plans are to be completed
| I advance OF the time when money
Ill become available for actual
G1yrIc,iOn.