The Fort Peck press., 1935-08-15
Missouri River Flood Water for Next
2 Years will Submerge these Rocks
in Spreading from the Channel but
will be retarded and Spare the Dam

$50
to the toes of the dam is now 90
ing On in sucn quantities as tt
assume a position of major import
ance among the many activities
involved on the Fort Peck Project
Gravel alone has averaged over 1876
carloads per day since Aug. 1, as
against a July average Of 173 cars
per day. Since last Oct, when
shipments commenced $4,000 cars
have brought in approximately
100000 cubic yards of toe gravel
The average time of unloading is
less than 2 minutes per car, the
gravel flowing out of the bottoms
of the cars through openings 10 the
trestles.
Boulder dumping has been more
Of a problem, since the stones must
90 over the sides of the trestles. How
ever, by removing the hand rail on
one side and making other slight
changes to the trestie structure the
air dump cars can now discharge
their loads Of boulders without in
reference. At the present time,
most of the boulders are BEING de-
posted On the west bank near the
steel truss bride over the main
channel of the river. In this
area no gravel has been dumped.
The boulders are being placed there
to form a sill or low weir over
which hoodwaters may flow. Dur
ing high water, this barrier will be
submerged, but will sufficiently re-
tard the velocity Of the water thru
the channel TO reduce the erosion
of the fill TO a negligible amount.
Boulders will be placed in main
channel of river after it has SCOUT
ed to a sufficient depth.
The bulldozer, that indispensable
& efficient tool of modern construc-
ton, is spreading boulders to form
a blanket averaging 10 feet thick
over an area about us it wide by
500 fit long.
The Tomlinson. Arkwrieht Co. of
Great Falls, contractors Tor loading
boulders have nearly finished bad
ing out the Malta STOCK pile & are
preparing siding near the pile at
Strater. These contractors have
done well in holding up their cad
of the work, having loaded about
S., 900 Gu yds. of stone to fill over
1000 cars since July 13, when load
ing commenced.
Except for the sill mentioned
above. the bouiders will be utilized
for facing & topping the upstream
toe, where a r. R, trestle is availa-
Bile for unloading purposes. Plans
call for upstream toe to be carried
for some distance up slope OF west
abutment. RI. track has been ex
up this slope or 1917 grade.
A locomotive used for moving the
boulder cars gets behind 6 loaded
cars & takes "a run & a jump" at
grade, the engineman setting
the brakes at the instant the train
Needless to say, this is a
of railroading not met with in
usual practice.
1928 LOADED CARS TO / ENGINE
The extent of gravel and rock
jumping is reflected in weekly re-
port of operations of govt raj
Last week was busiest in history of
he Project, a total of l63,620 net ,
:ons having been handled. Week
when 15l,905 net tons were -,
moved, was just below the previous +,
peak of 154,893 net tons for the !
ending May 8. 1885. Aug :
net tons requiring about
5000 car miles Of railroading q
veJe handled IN 4 oay. {
Lone trains are TIE rule between e
Mote and the damsire. AS many .
IS 1913 loaded cars have been bro't v
n & $50 empties taken on, i'll single