Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-18
HUGE DAM PROJECT
TO START SLOWLY
Only 1000 Workers Will Be
Needed When Project
Is Begun.
BY J. G. ROYLE.

ment have been awarded, must occasion
severe hardships and disaster. This
has become thoroughly evident as the
plans for work are more nearly COM
plete. Only about 1000 workers will be
needed at the time the work is in
augurated and for some time thereafter.
THE successful bidders are taking
most of the workers required into the
country with them. The bidders are
contractors of large and varied ex-
perience, with permanent working forces
at their disposal. The men required
will be, to a certain extent, specialists.
A good many of them will be hard
rock" men, thoroughly familiar with the
use of explosives, power drills and other
equipment.
The climate at Boulder Dam is
thoroughly healthy but extremely
severe on those unaccustomed to it.
Only those who have served an APP
premiership in the Nevada Desert can
realize how extremely hot it is in the
Summer and how bitterly cold in the
Winter During the great Goldfeld-
Tonapah rush in 1905 thousands died
of pneumonia because they were unac-
customed to the climate. The medical
facilities at Boulder Dam undoubtedly
will be far better, but the climate will be
none the less severe.
Health PrODIemS.
The building of Boulder Dam, says
DR.. ElWood Mead, commissioner OF
Bureau of Reclamation, has certain
conditions to meet that are reminiscent
of Panama. Fortunately, however. they
are comparable from the standpoint Of
comfort only and present no health
problems, but in the Summer the wind
which sweeps over the gorges from the
desert feels like a blast from a furnace.
At the rim of the gorge where much of
the work must be done there is neither
SOIL grass nor trees. The sun beats
down on broken surface of lava rock.
At midday the rocks cannot be touched
with the naked hand"
Dr. Mead adds, that better conditions
are obtained at Boulder City, the con-
struction town, planned 5 miles away
It is expected that about 1000 people
will have residences in Boulder City
during the construction period. 1t is
made plain that lots for residences or
business purposes in this town will be
leased with rigid restrictions as to use
1t is a Government town and number
of stores, shops, motion picture theaters
and other business houses will be strict
ly limited
Independent engineers declare that
the resemblance to Panama does not
end with the climate. They cite the
location, the size of the project and the
stresses which will be brought to bear
on the dam as difficulties to be over
come in carrying out the work.
Capacity Of Dam.
Edwin Gruhl vice president and gen.
eral manager of the North America Co,
that every dimension is super
lative. He pointed out that the dam
will be 100 feet high, nearly twice the
height of any dam yet built, and that
it will be $50 feet thick at the base He
also SAYS that If it should be overturned
1t would still be the highest dam in the
world
The Boulder reservoir will contain
over 100 times as much water as de-
stroyed the lives Of nearly 500 people
when the st. Francis Dam near Los
Angeles went out. The river has a
velocity of 20 feet a second and there
have been extraordinary foods Mr.
Gruhl declared that there are ire
mendous stresses to be accounted for
in the mass Of masonry higher than the
Washington Monument
He adds that Gen. Cocktails builder
OF the Panama Canal, has advocted q
rock-filled dam rather than a concrete
dam under conditions such as exist at
Boulder Canon.
Silent Films.
Not all Of the world has gone "talkie."
The idea that the so-called silent drama
was passing out of the amusement pic
ture is shown by recent reports to Gov
eminent departments to be thoroughly
erroneous.
The sound film productions exhibited
in this country probably will be larger,
better. more artistic and more expen-
siye than ever before, but there will
continue to be a tremendous volume of
silent films produced and exhibited
throughout the world. There is an ex-
pectation that American motion picture
concerns viii make renewed efforts
completely to dominate the foreign
field of both silent and sound film pro-
ductions. This activity seems to hinge
on the return of prosperity abroad, in
event Of which, some concerns are pre-
pared TO make their productions in the
countries where they will be exhibited.
There are at this time, according to
the Department of Commerce, 82,260
motion picture theaterS in the world.
Out of this total nearly e. 400 are de-
voted to silent pictures, while less than
10000 are equipped to produce sound
films There are over 10000 silent pic
ture theaters in countries other than the
United States which must be supplied
with films. Many of these films are
made by companies organized abroad,
out the greater bulk of the demand must
be supplied from American studios.
Limitations Of language are bound to
have q depressing affect on the sale OF
the American "talkieS" abroad and in
consequence it IS likely that productlons
for foreign theaterS will be made under
American directors, who will use loca-
lions and actors in the countries to
which the films will go.
Increase In Houses.
The success of the recent Chaplin film,
despite the comment which IL caused,
was net the first indication that the
silent drama still maintained its appeal.
In the last year the number of silent
motion picture houses in the Near East
has increased nearly 30 per cent. the
Far East also showed an increase as has
Europe, Latin America and Africa.
In the last three months 1t Is true
that more theaters have been wired for
"talkies" in Europe than for any SINH
lar period but, the gain has amounted
to only around 1900 in the quarter
year. The silent pictures will continue
to be as big a business factor as they
have been in the past.
Over 1000 corporations in the United
States are using motion pictures Tor
some business purposes. One OF the
main uses is the promotion of operat-
ing efficiency Another purpose has
been the creation of good will and in
creasing the safety of plant operation.
The majority of these films are of the
silent variety, but in England the port
able daylight talkie has been used for
purposes with distinct sue
cess.
Trucks equipped with these daylight
talkies are sent throughout the country,
and while the pioneer equipment Is
crude, it serves the purposes admirably. |
1t has been especially successful in the
case of some of the larger oil COM
panieS and of restaurant chains.