The border vidette., 1930-09-20

tol building.
WORK ON BOULDER DAM CON-
MENDED IN NEVADA
Las Vegas. New Sept, 15.-
A solid spike Of Nevada silver is
ready for a United States cabi
net mem Der to drive into q rail
road tie in the desolated waste
OF the southern Nevada desert.
When Ray Lyman Wilbur, sec
retary of the interior, 'sledges it
home. binding down a 90-lb. rail
next Wednesday afternoon, be
will signalize the beginning of
construction work for the largest
dam 10 the world. This is an
eight year job, $165, 900, 900
work. the Boulder dam project.
The project is to save the I'm
perial Valley of California from
the devastating floods of the
Colorado river, to conserve a
water supply for Southern Cali
fornia cities where the largest
population growth ia the nations
historgsis under way, to develop
million horsepower of cheap
hydroelectric power for the
southwest, and provide for irri
cation of vast acreages.
Special trains from east and
west will bring dignitaries from
several western states, Cslifor
MIA, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah
and Wyoming joining with Ne
vada 10 the celebration. OF the
seven western states in the Col
orado river basin only Arizona
will be absent ia the ceremonies,
that state, upon whose border
one Of the Abntments OF the great
dam will rest. continuing its op
position to the project.
The first step in construction
work, signalized by the ceremon
les, is the construction of a %
mile branch line of the Union
Pacific. This will start from a
point seven miles southwest of
here. where the silver spike will
be driven, to Summit. point in
the hills near the damsite.
From Summit 7.17 miles of rail.
road will be built and operated
by the government to the dam
site. The % mile line will be
completed within six months.
Il will cost some 5000, 900 and
the III mile government line,
through the rocky hills to the
damsite will cost 81, 100000.
Las Vegas is making ready
for the greatest celebration in it's
history, this being the town
nearest the damsite. and head
quarters of the government en-
gineers in charge of the project.
Secretary Wilbur is due here
Wednesday morning from Los
Angeles and will spend the fore
noon in conference with Dr.. Ell
wood Mead, commissioner of re
clamation under whose bureau
the work will be directed, r. F.
Walker, chief engineer of the
reclamation service, and Walker
Young. resident engineer who is
in charge here.
The dedication ceremonies out
in the desert will be brief, but
additional observance of the
event will be held here in the
evening under the auspices of
The Las Vegas citizens commit
tee, aud the Metropolitan Water
District of Southern California.
comprising representatives of
the communities which will share
in domestic water from the dam.
Governor Fred Balzar of Ne.
vada will present the silver spi ke
to Carl r. Gray, president of the
Union Pacific. He will give it to
Secretary Wilbur, who thus will
become the first workman on the
project. United States Senator
Ley Pittman of Nevada will re
spond to the speech of Secretary
Wilbur at the spike driving. The
band from the Battleship Nevada
will represent.
Imperial Valley, California.
which will be insured against
inundation by construction of the
dam, will be represented by a
large delegation headed by Earl
Pound of the Imperial irrigation
district, who for years took a
leading part in the move before
congress for the project