The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-04-04
MOUNTAINS YIELD IN
SAVAGE DAM PROJECT
Completion OF Undertaking
Slated In About Two Years;
Work Has Continued Despite
Severe Winter

Rugged and rough, and hardened by
the freezing temperatures of a Sc
we're winter, the sweeping, forested
mountains, near Bloomington, this
county, are losing a battle to an army
of men and machines.
That army, despite winters on.
slaught which sent the steel fingers
of frost deep into the earth, is dig
ging its way inch by inch into the
Garrett county mountainsides. 1t is
doing the biggest engineering Job in
Maryland. 1t is preparing to thrust a
dam across the valley from noun
tainside to mountainside and bring.
Savage river under mans control.
Includes Other Projects
That is the project-to dam Savage
River in Garrett county between two
mountains near the little town of Luke.
But in building that dam this army of
some $50 workers is taking in its
stride projects sizable in themselves.
1t is building roads, building them
through the forests and over rough
mountainsides to carry heavy trucks
which will make hundreds of trips a
day in the next two years this lob
will take.
1t is digging and operating a quarry.
1t is operating a stone-crushing plant
to provide the concrete and stone re
auired for the $2,8OO000 dam. 1t al
ready has done considerable construc-
BODYBUILDING four structure to house
equipment for the main job. It has
put up and is operating a water pump
ing station.
To Take About 50 Months
The work, which started last Octo-
Der 8, when the first consignment of
cighty-nine men was put to work
with picks and shovels, will REQUIRE
an estimated thirty months. When
completed Savage River will perform
as desired-its flow into the Potomac
river under strict control.
That operation will insure dozens
of industries in Cumberland of a
steady water supply from the Potc-
mac-and therein lies the value of
this mammoth project into which AL
legany county will put $1,O0O,0OO and
the Federal Government, through the
WPA, the remainder.
The severe winter has hindered. but
not stopped, progress on the job.
Operations TO Date
"Of course it has hurt, it has put lis
behind, but we've pushed ahead as
much as possible and we hope to off
set the delay by speeding up progress
in good weather." said C. f. Borne
field, WPA's State director of the di-
vision of operations.
He drew this picture of operations
to date:
Nearly 150 acres of the reservoir
area have been cleared. Excavation
crews have dug out 5000 cubic yards
of earth; 1901 cubic yards of road
have been constructed (probably ten
miles of road will be built before the
job is done); 500 tons of stone have
been crushed and stored for future
use; 1856 barrels Of cement have been
used in preliminary work; and 1868
pounds Of dynamite have sent tons Of
earth and rock skyward.
Work Started On Tunnel
Work already has started on the
first major phase of the project-the
digging of 1,160-foot tunnel 140 feet
below the earths surface. 1t will go
through solid rock and carry the
rivers flow down the valley, while
the dam, itself, is thrown up between
the mountains.
Wins First Big Battle
1t will cover $50 acres. Not all in
one big pool, either, but lingering back
into the spreading mountains, into the
heart Of an area already noted for
scenic beauty.
That day is distant-at least two
years if things go even better than
expected. But man has moved in on
the job. The mountains are losing
their isolation. Spring is near and tn,
army has won the first big battle.