Evening star., 1932-01-31

IMAGINE yourself trying to get along with
Just one and one-haf gallons of water a
day. for drinking, bathing cooking, wash
ing, everything.
Inconceivable-and yet the citizens of
Athens, Greece, scrmped along on that
amount for centuries Limited rainfall causes
semi-arid condition the historic Plains Of
Attica. Difficulties of bringing water from dis
tant sources seemed unSurmountable to the
Greeks.
But when the supply per person per day
threatened to drop to a meager one gallon, they
decided to do something about it.
Incapable of remedying the situation them
selves because of financial and engineering diff
fcutieS, they turned to America for help.
They found it In short time American
firm had commissioned Richard NJ. Merriman,
noted construction engineer from Bethlehem,
Pa. to take charge of the matter.
Within a few weeks he had 5000 Greek la
borers at work building a gigantic dam near
the exact site of the immortal Battle of Mara
thon and pierced the mountains with tunnel
to convey the waters to thirsty Athenians
Mr. Merriman has just returned to America
rs a here-a hero in Athens that is. For he
had blest the people there by raising their daily
water apportionment to 16 gallons per person!
THE job was done in five years, at cost of
I sl25OOOoO
When you consider the tremendous difficult
ties to be surmounted in improving the supply
for Athens it becomes clear that Mr.. Merri-
mans job among the greater engineering
feats ever to be accomplished IN Southern
Europe
The project at Athens becomes all the more
significant because of the historic background.
Mr.. Merrman supervised construction of a
dam / 900 feet long and ITS feet high 1t is
las feet thick at the base, and wide enough at
the top to carry roadway.
Built under the most modern construction
methods, it is named Marathon DAM for near
that spot, in 490 B. c.. Miltades led Grecian
army to victory the Persians in of
the worlds decisive battles. There at the juno
tion of the Haradra and Verana Rivers the
immortal PheidippdeS bearing the news of
victory started his long run to Athens, a feat
of physical endurance which moderns are still
celebrating.
Hi WAS always conscious of working on hal
lowed ground" Mr.. Merriman says.
Partially familiar with Grecian history and
mythology, I naturally had an interest in the
surroundings when 1 got there. But when
found that the dam site must be at the edge
of this historic battlefield, felt peculiar awe
toward it,
NO. I don't believe it materially affected
our work for the Athenians are accustomed to
They live and die under the shadow of the
Parthenon. All their history is wrapped around
artistic achievement, SO it is more or less
common to them.
But when I found that we Of the American
firm to Pentelic marble the new
dam I was really proud of it!
Tor old Phidias, Athenian sculptor and
architect during the reign CT PericeS and
builder of the Parthenon, used Pentehc marble
his job. too!
HIS structure on the AcropoliS still stands
rs the first pure example, the very beginning,
of Doric architecture. 1t has been the mecca
of architects fer more hon 1000 wears.
III CAN hope for no similar tribute to the
Marathon Dam, but you it
Is not hurt any IN appearance to be faced with
the beautiful cleaning marble frcm the hills
of Pentelicon. nearby
When the American layman learns that
Athens Mara hon Dam, creating a new city
water reservoir is faced with expensive marble
from the historic Pentelic Quarries, questions
as to the expenditure of money heard i'm
mediSt L.
Few American millionaries can afford Pen
telic marble in their homes. And when it is
remembered that Roosevelt and Coolidge Dams
in Arizona are of proSaic, unfaced concrete,
that Hoover Dam-biggest in all history-will
have ornamenting marble, skepticism as to
Mr.. Merrman's economy may be heard. But
the answer is simple.
In Greece" he explains "stone masons are
plentiful! and excellent artisans, while carpen-
ters few Lumber for forms and cement
for concrete must be imported from abroad and
are expensive, While the Pentelic marble Is
located but a stones throw from the site of
the dam.
1T therefore less expensive to construct
the faces of the dam of marble, and fill between