Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-07-31
CHANNEL RAPIDLY
FILLED BY CREWS
100000 YARDS PLACED SINCE
CLOSURE OF FORT PECK
DAM

Recent visitors to Fort Peck have
found tt almost unbelievable that
the old river channel Of the dam
could be filled so rapidly. The four
suction dredges Of the army en-
gineers, all pumping into the clos
ure section, have placed 3,000,0
cubic yards ina that area In the
brief space Of time since the river
Was diverted through the tunnels
June 24th. The result is that the
fiji Is now well above the level Of
the steel bridge along the down.
stream toe of the dam and an ap-
preciable area of finished slope is
to be seen above the upstream
gravel toe.
Downstream toe gravel is close under
the bridge floor and the work of dump
ing more gravel from the bridge and
moving it away with bulldozerS to form
the gentle downstream slope Of the toe.
conforming with completed sections on
both sides of the channel section, is
continuing day and night. However,
toe gravel is not coming in as fast now
as at the first Of the month since one
Of the screening plants of Becker
county-Shiely company at Cole, Mont
has been shut down. With one plant
in operation, gravel can be produced
fast enough for blanket placement on
JA4I GkNotA CcN4AA AcANE Va tic UdA4l anu lDL
completion OF the downstream toe sec
ton this season. The upstream toe was
completed some time ago.
Survey made July is shows that 64,-
100000 cubic yards of dredged material
have been deposited in the Fort Peck
dam. Placement during the month of
June was lows, TIC, 900 cubic yards as
against 4,Sl5.000 cubic yards for May
but this was. due to unavoidable delays
incident to plant moving from upstream
borrow pits and to necessary operations.
for the first half Of July
was up again with 2,214000 cubic yards
deposited and output is again on the
increase as the four machines get into
good digging areas in the downstream
borrow pit.
In order to work into the best ma
5erialS available in the downstream pit
It has been decided to send two dredges
through the Wiota-F'ort Peck railroad
and excavate a large area to the west
ward of that line Additional land has
1een acquired for the government in
hat vicinity.
To avoid any interruption of rail
raffic, a new roadbed has been con-
'tructed in wide, sweeping Semi-circle |
vest Of the straight line north of the |
yards Trains will swing |
lround this detour on their way to 1
Fort Peck. This viii permit the Jeffer- /
on TO make q dredge cut through the |
Existing line. AS soon as this is done, |
he dredge will back away and continue |
utting north from her present posi-
ion. Arrangements are being made to
INSTALL swing bridge across the dredged
ut for the railroad.
Ingenuity of the army engineers is
Tell demonstrated in the construction
1 this swing bridge. without buying
ew materials, except piling. movable
teel bridge is being built. -Four 60-foot
teel plate Orders were removed from
he old Missouri river bridge where toe
ravel now supports the loaded trains.
he gtrrierS were set UP in pairs end to
nd, standard railroad gauge apart. on
r-booSter ferry barge. In this po-
ltion they are being connected rigidly
ogether by welding splice pilates across
he adjacent ends. The result is q 100
Dot steel beam.
Three clusters Of long wood piling win
e driven to form piers for support of
ne beam. One large pier in the center
{ the dredge cut will mount four
owerful Jacks and a turntable The
Their two piers will support the ends
the bridge near the banks Timber
on piling win join the end
iers with solid ground This viii give
70 60-foot pasSagewayS for boats in
he waterway on each side of the center
Ter when the bridge is swung open.
he oil jacks viii serve TO lift the
hole steel frame free Of its end sup
orts so it can be swung with tractors.
AS soon as the bridge is completed
, as to carry rail traffic, the detour
ack viii be torn out and dredges JEFF