Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-11

ect Is being built, were present for the
signing.
wilbur used an old, heavy personal
pen. which he refers to as his i'm
portant PEN" to sign the award of
bid" the technical term applied to
accepting the low offer.
With the same pen he signed the
agreement putting the rich Kettleman
Hills oil field of California on the unit
plan of operation and other important
contracts Of the Interior Department.
Reclamation Commissioner Mead.
whose bureau will supervise the con-
struction of the dam and other parts
of the project, and other officials Of the
Interior Department also were present.
Central Part Of Project.
Opening the way for actual construc-
ton of the great dam, which will rear
its crest 727 feet above the bottom of
the Colorado River in Black Canyon,
near Las Vegas, New, signaliZes the
beginning of the central part Of the
Boulder Canyon project.
The dam, which will be 1,1e0 feet
long, spanning the river between Ne
vada and Arizona, will be the largest in
the world. It will be $50 feet thick at
the base, of the arch gravity type, or
curving between the two ends, and As
feet thick at the top.
Between 1000 and 1000 men will be
employed in building it when work
gets into full stride. Most of them
will live in Boulder City, the model
town to be constructed 8 miles from
the dam site and connected with the
dam by railroad and highway. now
being built.
From the city inhabitants will be
able to see the huge reservoir backed
up by the dam. which will create q
lake ITO miles and ranging from 800
feet deep downward TO around 100 In
the channels Of the various small trib-
utary canyons.
Town 10 Cost 100000.
The model town will cost about "a
600, 900 and be ready for occupancy
within a few months.
The power house and appurtenant
| works, TO cost an estimated $3s,200,-
900 of the sos, 900, 900 for the dam
ward Of 100000 horsepower. From
the sale of this power the Government
| will be repaid for the project within
so years.
The power will be divided among the
lower Colorado Basin States and for
the time being it will 60 to the South
ern California Edison Co., the City OF
Los Angeles, the Metropolitan water
District and other California centerS.
Upward Of $25,000,000 will be spent
as the result Of construction of the dam
in addition to the Governments share.
Los Angeles will spend n huge amount
in building an aqueduct for her NUM-
cipal water supply: other millions will
be spent in industrial and power de-
| velopment.
Canal Final Link.
The final link in the Governments
program will be construction of the
All-American Canal, to pour water for
chella Valleys of California. This will
cost approximately 3S,50O,Ooo.
Millions of gallons of water will be
supplied for irrigation purposes in the
desert country along the Colorado, in
addition to that made available as
water supply for the cities and towns Of
the Southwest
Power for constructing the dam will
| be supplied for time by the Southern
Sierras Power Co. Of California, which
Is nearing completion Of a 240-mile
transmission line from Los Angeles to
the dam site. BY 1886, engineers esti-
mate, power from the dam itself will
| be in use. The Government will start
generating current before the dam is
completed.
Huge Cranes Required.
Installation of the power generating
machinery will require larger cranes
! than ever have been used in similar
projects, and other mechanical aids will
be built for placing the machinery in
the power house.
Golfer dams above and below the
dam site will hold back the river and
turn it aside into four great diversion
tunnels, each so feet in diameter and
approximately 5000 feet long, while
the dam Ia being constructed. Approx
imately 4,500,00 barrels Of cement will
60 into the dam and power house.
Two of the diversion tunnels will be
used for power channels when the
dam is completed, while two will be
parts of the spillway system. Two Of
the tunnels will be on each side of
the river. Construction Of these will
be started first, with other parts to be
started Immediately after.