The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-03-13

ton. the greatest ever attempted in the his- tory of the world. has just been awarded to San Francisco company whose bid was $48,890,995. That's just about half the cost of the Hoover Dam. The remainder will go into materials which Uncle Sam is going to supply himself
 While it may not seem as if materials for a mere dam would amount to fifty million dollars remember that 5.500.000 barrels of cement must be supplied for the dam alone. Reading a description of the work that will be done away out in the far West where the mighty Colorado has hewn a path through solid mountains we must but wonder on the modern day miracles of man. For instance, there is no habitaton within miles of the dam site. therefore a model town is being built on the mesa, six miles distant. A railroad spur. 26 miles long, links the remote spot with civilization. For almost seven years this little village may flourish and then return to the desolate wastes of the desert in which it is being built.
 And all during those six long years tiny human beings will be struggling in the bed of the Colorado river. up the steep sides of the canyon. and along the brink of the chasm. And when they are finished mighty wedge of concrete will have been thrown across the Colorado river. It will store up an immense lake 100 miles long. It will prevent flood waters devastating immense areas of fertile land. It will bring water to arid districts and transform them. into blooming gardens. It will generate enough electric power to take care of all southwestern United States. It will provide an all-American canal, 100 miles long. up which ship drawing 20 feet of water can make its way. Uncle Sam has never done anything to compare with ta.s. The project is an epoch; it is history making.
 Work will start within thirty days and four tunnels, one mile long must be blasted through the sides of the chasm and around the bases of the dam to divert the rivers flow. Two years will be required to complete this job. Then an 80-foot cofferdam must be flung across the river above the site of the pro- posed Hoover Dam. This must be done during low water season. When it is com pleted water will be diverted through the four tunnels to emerge into the river bed far down. stream. Then second cofferdam will be built one-haf mile below the first. Then comes the dental work This half mile of river bed must be scraped and cleaned as carefully as any surface of tooth which is to be filled.
 Loose rock and dirt will be carted away by thousands Of trucks. Koek bottom must be reached and worked over to insure clean Illness and no cavities. Trenches will be cut just as the dentist undercuts the tooth to prevent the filling slipping out of place. The final operation will be thorough cleaning by brushes water and compressed air. Then layer after layer of concrete will be laid and the dam will start to rise block on block When half completed the cofferdam above will be blown out and the immense lake started. Work on the U-shaped power plant at the foot of the dam will also start so that power may be generated during the latter years of work. What job! We could go on describing it for column after column. But let it suffice to say that Uncle Sam is creating mechanical wonder ar which the whole world will marvel. Inasmuch as transcontinental highway will go right across the top of the dam many of us should plan to visit it in the dim distant future.