The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-01-16
FLOOD CONTROL TUNNEL
ON YOUGH Is FINISHED
Excavation Work on 1,760-FOOt
Tunnel Completed During Past
Week-Prelude to Big Dam

tunnel which is the prelude to the
construction of the new dam on the
| Youghiogheny river, was completed
during the past week when two crews,
working from each end, met about the
middle.
| The work was to have been COM
pleted December 6, but a breakdown
in the machinery caused over a
months delay.
The tunnel is 1850 feet long and
twists like a big aal.hworm rs-uga
the hill, according to an art j.
pearing in the Meyersdale Republi-
can One end meets the river where
the Boy Scout camping ground used
to be, in the Ringer Grove. 1t winds
through the hill and energies again at
the site of the old slaughter house,
formerly used by John Fisk, a Con-
fluence butcher.
The boring of the tunnel and the
ultimate erection of the dam is of in
terest to Garrett county people be-
cause the water from the dam will
cover a portion of the county around
Selbysport.
The tunnel is bored to % feet in
diameter Steel ribs were put in as
the workmen excavated, to carry the
load and protect the workmen. Then
it was lined with cement lining two
feet thick, making the completed tun-
mel Is feet in diameter. In the middle
of the tunnel, room somewhat
wider than the tunnel has been built,
and divided into three compartments.
These will split the water into three
channels and for each compartment
there is a gate feet by 20 feet. From
this gate chamber a shaft passing
through the top of the tunnel will ex-
tend 120 feet upward to control
house in which will be located the
electric cable hoist used in operating
the gates.
1t is not expected that the gates
will require much attention, as they
will be adjusted to the regular water
high water would they need read
: justing.
!; 1t is not expected that water will
: be flowing through the tunnel before
next September.
Although the dam is not being
constructed for the protection of
Confluence, yet the engineers say that
the holding back of the Yough waters
will prove to be great protection to
Confluence in flood time.
r $757,415 Government Project
;, The work is being done by Herman
Holmes, of Crystal Falls, Mich, under
$757,415 government contract,
which calls for construction of the
outlete tunnel, the control shaft and
the control tower for the dam and the
installation of control tower mech
anism. In the meantime, Army engi-
neering forces at Pittsburg are COM
pleting plans and specifications for
: the construction of the dam itself,
which will be built under separate
contract.
Near the tunnel entrance the steel
ribs, which look like curved I-beams,
e are six and one-half inches wide and
e are placed on 18-inch centers. Deeper
n in the tunnel they are only four
I inches wide and on three-foot centers.
0 Each rib is made in four sections.
These sections are bolted together
!. and each rib is fastened to adjoining
S ribs by other bolts.
: Vast Quantities Involved
: According to estimates made by U.
-. S. Army engineers, construction of
: the tunnel and control shaft will ne
- cessitate excavation of BLOC autic
yards of material, the placing of L.
100000 pounds of bracing and tim
: boring and 1900 cubic yards of con-
crete.
Other excavation, most of which is
in the open cut and intake portal, will
u include $4,000 cubic yards of common,
{ $500 cubic yards of rock and 1,080
u cubic yards of special rock, according
II to the estimates. Fill will amount to
e 1890 cubic yards.
$ An estimated 500 cubic yards of
e concrete will be required for the in
II take and outlet structures and 1,400
" more for the control tower. In all,
- $4,000 barrels of cement will be
% needed for the entire project.
d Weight of metal equipment to be
II furnished by the government and in
q stalled by the contractor is estimated
u at $4,000 pounds.
. Largest on Flood List
" The dam itself will be 1000 feet
4 long and 1874 feet high at the highest
N point, making it the largest of its
kind started to date in western Penn
sylvania. Over 100000 cubic yards
of fill material will be required in
building the dam, according to the
last available estimate.
II The "Yough" dam will inundate
- over $500 acres of land in both Penn
, sylvania and Maryland, backing up
: water almost to Friendsville, Nd The
y villages of Somerfield in Somerset
- county and Selbysport, in Maryland,