The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-02-22
WORST WINTER IN MORE
THAN TWENTY YEARS
"'NOt A Single Day Could Be
Classed AS A Good Working
Day." Is Report Made
ELEVEN DAYS OF SNOW

ployed on the Savage River Dam pro-
ject in January, D. S. Pelletier, gen
eral superintendent, reported last
Thursday to the commission.
"Not a single day could be classed
as a good working day." Pelletier de-
clared in his monthly report to the
Upper Potomac River Commission.
"There were eleven days of snow
and the temperature ranged from II
degrees below zero to 20 degrees
above. All in all we are experiencing
the worst winter in twenty two years"
he said.
Progress Fairly Good"
Despite the inclement weather,
progress during the month was fairly
good" the superintendent states.
Every effort was made to maintain
q regular working schedule and in the
tunnel outlet channel, excavation was
carried on through three shifts. How
ever, conditions were so bad that work
on the night shifts were discontinued
except for a small crew of drillers, the
superintendent said
Surveys for the road relocation were
continued in January and this prelim-
mary work has been completed around
the head of the pool up Crabtree Greek,
back to the river, and is now pro-
crossing up the west bank of the river.
Ten Acres Cleared
An additional ten-and-a-half acres
of land in the vicinity of the dam was
cleared in January, the report con-
tinued. A force was also employed
burning brush over land which had
been cleared previously,
Stripping operations were carried on
at West Abutment until such work had
to be stopped.
The superintendent comments, with
thirty inches of frost in the ground,
it was just not possible to continue
dragline work"
Excavation Activity
One 1h C. Y. shovel was used thru
out the month on the tunnel outlet
channel and a total of 1892 cubic
yards of common excavation has been
moved from this cut. Rock has been
uncovered for a distance of about 800
feet below the outlet portal and exca-
walton is being carried on in this area.
A total of 1,704 cubic yards of rock
excavation was completed during the
month.
A Ia C. Y. shovel was employed
continuously on excavation for the
service road which is part of the pro-
posed county road relocation. A total
Of 1883 cubic yards of earth and 1000
cubic feet of rock was removed from
this cut during the month.
Buildings Completed
All the principal utility buildings
have now been completed, and the ma
chine shop equipment has been in
stalled. The stone bins were completed
at the quarry and the crushing plant
was placed in service on January Is.
Approximately 500 tons of stone has
been crushed and placed in storage.
The superintendent report was
submitted to John J. Mcmillan, chair
man of the commission, and Owen E.
Hitchins and George Warwick, men,
bers.
Some Interesting Data Given
At a luncheon of the Chamber of
Commerce, Cumberland, given at the
Central YMCA at Cumberland last
Friday, Owen E. Hitchins, member of
the Upper Potomac River Commission,
told guests that the Savage River Dam
project, now almost three months be-
hind schedule, will make up for lost
time when a crew of 1900 men begins
throwing dirt sometime this summer.
Mr.. Hitchins stated that the delays had
been caused
1. By difficulties in acquiring the
land which is to be flooded;
2. By the hardness of the State
Forestry Department in recognizing
the right of the workers to work on
their land;
8. By the worst winter in twenty
two years.
Eight billion gallons of water will
be imponded in the dam, which is
scheduled to be completed by March l,
1912, Mr.. Hitchins told an interested
audience.
532 Men At Work Now
At the present time the crew of 532
men is concentrating on the tunnel
through which the water will flow
while the dam is being built and which
will be used later as an outlet.
Once the tunnel is completed, work
will start on the dam proper, which
will be one of the largest earthwork
dams in the United States.
Twelve hundred feet thick at the
base, the dam will have various layers
OF different types of soil all laid in to
obtain the greatest possible stength
and durability The dam will be 178
feet thick at the top.
Dam Has One Purpose
LLo Jar, Mr. |