Evening star., 1936-03-01
::]B;;S. IN POSSESSION.
OF BOULDER DAM
S115, 900, 900 Colorado Con-
troll Project to Provide Both
Water and Power.

a. "Another milestone has been passed
: Ia the history of the West" Secretary
of the Interior Ickes proclaimed yes
terday as the United States finally
took possession of the completed Boul-
der dam, built at cost of Sis 900 900
to control the riotous Colorado River
and provide irrigation and electric
power for q huge area in the South
west.
Five years from the time work was
started on the dam under the Hoover
administration, the Six Companies,
Inc, the contractor, turned it over
without fanfare to Ralph Lowry, Blu
reau of Reclamation construction
engineer All work is completed on
the dam, the power house and other
appurtenant structures, except install
lation of power machinery and few
minor jobs. The transfer was made
simply by the contractor paying OH
400 of their employees, who were added
to the bureaus force of $50.
!. Formerly known as the Hoover
Dam, Secretary Ickes restored its
original name of Boulder" soon after
assuming Office. 1t had been renamed
for former President Hoover by DR..
Ray Lyman Wilbur, then Secretary of
the Interior, and in changing it back
to Boulder DAM" Mr.. Ickes merely
restored the name given 1t in the act
authorizing its construction.
Enthusiastic over its completion,
Y1ly ssyIyifh fnot nrpnlofinr nf
Boulder Dam, man has asserted his
mastery over great and dangerous
river, the Colorado, one which endan-
gered tens of thousands while it was
unregulated, but which will be an
active benefit to millions now that it
Is harnessed.
1.-THE people of Southern Califor-
i1ia, Arizona and Nevada are to be
Congratulated today, for their security
has been vastly increased. Regulated
water supplies have been guaranteed
for their farms and cities. A source
IF a tremendous amount of cheap
power has keen provided for use in in
creasing then comforts and develop
ing their industries"
oUuluCl OdI1l ~ HNdlCo tAAC 4SioSh
Canyon, one shoulder srainst the Ari-
zona wall and the Other AGAINST the
Nevada wall.
When the dam was taken over,
Lake Mead, the safety valve it :re-
ated for the Colorado River, contained
100000 acre-feet of water, little
more than one tenth of its capacity
oh Mood
was named in honor of the late DR.
Elwood Mead, reclamation commits
sioner, who supervised the construc-
ton of the worlds highest dam. It is
estimated the food this year will ado
at least 100000 acre-feet to the
water stored in Lake Mead.
The generation of power will be
started later this Spring or in the
early Summer. Work in the power
house is going on rapidly with in.
stallation of three of the giant gen.
orators and units.
Meanwhile, it was announced, the
power transmission lines, which event
ually are to carry 1880 900, 900 kilo-
watt hours of primary energy each
year, are in various stages OF con-
struction. The 250-nile line to Lo'
Angeles is nearing completion. Tht
Metropolitan Water District of South
ern California, which will supply
water from the Colorado River to cit
les on the coast through a 5000 900 .00(
aqueduct, has begun construction o
its transmission lines.
DAM HIGHEST IN WORLD.
BOULDER CITY, New, February
% R).-Two big, hard-rock mer
shook hands tonight and with nj
more ceremony one of the world!