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Show ' - " ypULDER 5ULDER ULDER DAM PROJECT B BECOMES COMES REALITY tQ N H t # l By WILLIAM C . UTL.EY30ULDDn UTLEY'r UTLEY UTL.EY . OULDER dam is 1s ready to begIntt beginoperation begin 'r r 'rOULDER ' 30ULDDn tt operation within about a as ; \ ) month's months ' timet timei time t The Tbe gigantic project , , , one ofghtlest of of\nlghtlcst of nlghtlcst \i i \ ! ghtIest ghtlest engineering cngmecring Jobs ever un un- un unken un-taken un taken - . t ken en by man , once the subject of ofiJEnds ofsands ofIksands iJEnds sands of columns of newcpaperFent newspaperrent newspaper newcpaper ; yent Fent rent throughout thrJughout thrpughout ) the land , his h\s h s has ' \ been beenl beenut beenIlut beenjmt Ilut | ut forgotten with the new inteiestst interestsj Intel interests ests [ j l have bave attracted attractcd public attention attentlon- attentlon attention- attentlonepre attentiondepression - 'depression depression ' epre slOn , the New Deal and nnd othlbut oth othbut , ibut lbut but for five years since the undcr- undcr under- under underpg undcrng - 1pg under1pg ' ' ng pg was be begun un In 1930 H)30 H30 ) , . 5 COOO 000 work workr work&have workhave r & bave ave tollc tolled toiled night and da\ da day da dauntil \ until unUl now nowgreat nowYgrcat great dam nm is a rcillty rC'lllty rClllty reality realityhe rC'llltybe rcilltybe ' be he project Is costing America $165 165 $165-,000 $165 165 ,000 000 $ l 5 ; , - . 51000 ( , and other otIIer projects directly directJy as- as asj asted as3lated as-iiated as iiated - j 3lated ted with It account for anotherl'OOOOOO another another.OOO.OOO l'OOOOOO lOOOOOO ; .OOO.OOO OOO.OOO OOOOOO 1,000,000 1000000 . ' , . , With the job so little re reiced re\ed re ed iced \ Ied fiom flom from completion , engineers ofRtbureau of ofbureau Rtbureau , bureau of reclamation pronounceea pronounceready pronounce pronouncesady ready ; ea sady Y to eliminate the two great grcat dan 3 ? . confronting the territory which Itres ites It res es es . . They are the mad , , deadlyof deadly deadlye s . sot e of ot the giant Colora Colorado o rn river riser er and andarching andITiarching archlng arching drouths caused cnused by lack of ofgatlon ofgation ofration gatlon , gation When entirely completed completedt , dam will also a1so furnish po power " er to to.crate toierate toicrate .crate crate ierate . more electrical energy th'ln thln than thanother thinr ' ( other water power development In InK IntS + g gk gv K tS- tS tSyt - - . - < yt : k ; ? ' - v kc > r t < \ u u1k A 1k . t\.i t.i t .i i . \ . & . CT a sufficient suiliclent water for the operation openUon operatlon of ofthe ofthe ofthe the power house , which w s ' \ 111 III Ill be finished finishedabout finishedabout finishedabout about July 1 , with five flve of or the se\ se ses seentecn seventeengenerating \ entecn enteen entecngenerntlng enteengenerating generntlng generating units Installed , the rest to tobe tobe tobe be put In 0\ 0 over 0cr otter \ cr a peilod pellod of n a few years yearsThe yearsThe yearsThe The greatest of these tI1Cse units , to be the thelargest thelargest thelargest largest of Its kind klDd In use nnywhere anywhere anywherewill , will generate gpner'lte gpnerlte ' 115,000 115000 , , horse po power poser " cr . Built Bullt In the shape of a horse shoe shoewith , , wIth wings wines 62 625 ; ) feet long and the sIde sIdeagainst sideagainst sideagainst against the dam 300 feet wide wiele 5ride , . the If 15- 15 15story 15-story 15 story ) . - - story power house houcc : \ will \ 111 be the seat scat of ofone ofone ofcue one more of the tIle fedCl fedcial federal al government's governments government'snumerous government'snumerous government'snumerous governmentsnumerous ' numerous ventures Into the clectrlc electric clectrlclight electriclight electriclight light an and power business buslnecs ; of lite hte late Un Unl11.e Unlike UnULc l11.e l11e like . ther.rYA the TVA r.rYA rrYA . and other projects busi busi- business business business - ness outlook Is particularly partlcularl good here herefor , for all of the po\\ po power poer poser ' \ er has been becn contract contracted contracted ed for In a advance adsance \ 'lnce lnce ' Income from the thesale thesale thesale sale of electrical enel cneigy energy gy Is e expected pectc to toexceed toexceed exceed ceed $7,000 7000 $7.000000 7.000000 7000000 $ . , 000 a ycir ye'lr yelr year ' . . The water In the tbe resen resenoir reservoir olr will wUl be beready beready beready ready long befoic before belot e the machinery machlner The Thefour Thefour Thefour four intake Int'lke Intlke ' to\\ to towers toers \ \ ers through " which "hlch hlch the thewater thewater thewater water enters entcrs the power plant phnt punt , , check checkered checkered checkered ered in des'gn desgn design ' ' , are ate tlie the principal con contr'lst contryst contrast tr'lst trlst tryst ' to the bro'l brol broad ' white expanse exp'lnse explnse ' of ofthe ofthe ofthe the dam Itself , which rises rlsl's rlsls . ' In a gre'lt grelt great gre'lttrIangle greattriangle greattriangle ' trIangle from the bottom of the C'1n C1n canyon canyonTo cannonTo ' on onTo To assure obtaining obtalnmg of clear cle'lr clelr ' water waterthey , they begin 2 250 2,0 20 ; , 0 feet abo\ abo abo\e abo e aboe above \ e the Colo Colo- Color'ldo Colorado Colorado - rado r'ldo rldo ' s bed bcd , and will Win e extend tend 3SO 380 3S0 feet feetabo"c feetabove feetabove feetaboveWorld abo\"c abo "c c above abo"cWorld aboveWorld \ " World of CavernsWith CavernsWith Caverns CavernsWith With no water W'lter Wlter ' running over the tlle top topthe , the face of the dam on the downstream downstreamsIde downstreamside downstreamside sIde slopes In a steep and graceful gracefulcurve gracefulcurve gracefulcurve curve , , bracing br'lcmg brlcmg ' Itself ' against 'lgalnst lgalnst the weight weightof of the tremen tremendous ous wall of water w'lter wlter ' on the theoU1er theother theother oU1er other sI sideInternally side sideInternally e eIntcrn'llly Internally Intcrn'llly Intcrnllly ' , the dam Is a mngic magIc sub subterranean subterranean subterranean terranean world of C'1\ C'1 C1 caverns C'1erns ' \ erns , , boring boringtheir boringtheir boringtheir their way W'lY WlY ' Into the rugged mountain mount'lln mountlln ' tit Lu : : : p i k R " \ l lR > : R . ' ' - y + " . * . X ; < Xx.aC + . . : , d ' 0 0v 4 v ) ; / < " x.aC xaC rp 0a a \ n o . "w w a " . TR " . % { = a . axR - < Ai4 t- t - th'N . h'N hN ' , % < . . 1 ' " , q- q - qv v ; ' xR . . x wtv'ID wtvID wtv'IDwx.w ' wx.w wxw . . v VRiver < River Harnessed at Boulder Dam country countr ; , , 1,73G 173G 1,735 1735 1,735000 1735000 , 000 horse power . It Itt It1 t 1 become the source of water w'lter wlter ' supplyse supplyseeriil supply supplyseveral several seernJ seeriil se\ se \ % ernJ large Jarge cities dUes , notably Los Losgeles Losgeles LosSCles geles . . 3ven cen en more Interested than Los An Anes Anes Anes es In the neaiing nealing nearing of the end Is the therd therd therd rd largest I1rgest city of Ne\ Ne Nevada Ne'ld'l Nesada \ 'ld'l ldl ' ' , Doulder Boulder Bouldery Douldery y . , Built In the desert , , , six sly miles milesm milesm m the dnm dam Itself ltse1f , for the homes ofemplo ofemployees of ofemployees emplo employees ees and their families familles , Its Its1uhUon itsmlation Itslulation 1uhUon mlation of approximately approxlm'ltely approxlmltely ' 5000 5 000 souls souls1 soulsI I 1 begin to dn dvv dwindle Indle until probably probablyy y the ghost of this comparative comp\ratL\ comp ratL compratLe comparatrs ' \ \ e a me- me mepoBs mepolls me-polls me polls - - poBs polls will wl11 remain rem'lln remlln ' when all the con conaction e.tion etion . tlon w ' \ work ork is over . ' ffsing 'nSlDg nSlDg Tsing ! like a gargantuan g\rgantu'ln g rgantu'ln rgantuln ' \ ' monument monumentm m the bed of the Colorado up the theep theep theep ep mountain mount'lln mountlln ' sides , Boulder dam Is Iseady iseady Iseady eady the highest dam clam In the world worldfar , tar far , although workmen will wlIl still be beBY beay BY 57 completing the top of It when it itins Ititns ; Ins opera operation tlon Taller than any sk sky skyaper skv-aper skv aper v - . aper west of Manhattan Mnnhattan , with the thessible the5sible thesslble ssible 5sible c exception eaceptlon ceptlon of one or two In Incago inicago InIcago icago ( cago , , It toners to\\ers to ers towers ' \ 581 feet above the thettorn thettom thettom ttorn ttom of Black BIach canyon When the.ervolr the theervolr ervolr .ervolr . ervor ! la Is fille filled a 50 story building buildinguld buildinguld buildinguld uld merely poke the tip Up of Its to\\ to toer tower towereve towerove ' \ er eve ( ) ve tlic the surface surCnce of or theater the ' water \ater ater \ . Seen Seenthe Seenthe Seenthe the perspective of the lofty peaI peaks peakstt peaksit s .t t tt . cleave clea'fe cleafe ' the clou clouds s above the dam damwould , woul would seem as the tip of a reed thatizes that thatlZ thatizes lZ izes S the bottom of your boat in 1n a aling aling aMng ling ! pond pondfr pondHuge Huge Artificial Lake . to o huge is the reservoir that will willpp3 willTO : pp3 pp3one one of the world's worlds ' largest nrtl arti artiI artltl ! . | I lakes hkes , Itn1ll It - will -n1ll n1ll take tal-ce tal ce - three years to toIt toIt toIt p,1 p1 , | | It ' \ will 111 be 125 miles mllcs long . , , with a aline aline are line of more than 500 miles , , and andt andI and.cover andcover t I . , .cover cover . . 227 square sqU'lre sqUlre ' mlle miles < : At pres- pres pros-Jthe pros Jthe - the presthe canyon above the dam is being beingoed beingned beingned oed ned out In preparation prep'lratlon preplratlon ' for the cre- cre crc- crc cre0 crcof cre-n cre n - - - crcn ' " n 0 of the lake lnke Leaving the cnnyon canyon cnnyonver canyonPer canyonTer ver Per are a railroad , an old cone cone con e mixing mbeing plant plaut and a large camp camp.10 camp10 . e o Colorado Is one of the most tern ternment'll ternmental ternmental ment'll mentll mental ' and Inconsistent rivers 10 in 10United inUnited InUnited United States , . It drains approd- approd approxl- approxl : - ly approxl-ly approxl ly approdly approxlly one thirteenth of the country , s 2,000teet 2,000feet flow varies from less than 2,000 2000 2,000.feet 2000.feet 2000feet , periodfall erlod'all . teet feet a second at the lowest I period periodall > erlod 'all all ' all time high of 210000 cubic teet feet teetcond feetcond 4,500rill 4500rill cond feeticond Ihe 'lhe lhe The ' flow fiow now Is about 4,500 4500 , , 11 not be until the spring fioo floods floodsthe floodsthe s sthe , the reservoir in 1n back baci . of the dam dams damis s to fill up . Sille Ue lie the dam has been built , engi engl englhave I engiI have diverted dt'ferted dtferted ' the flow fiow of the CoIaround Colaround Col- Col CoI- CoI Colaround - around the project by means of ofclal ofclal ofclal clal river beds cleft through the thetalns thetains theitalns talns tains . . . One of these tJJCse tunnels tunne1s car- car carthe carthe ear-the ear the - the whole flow now , but at timesare timesare times timesare bedown are neede needed They cannot all nU be be.down bedown . down at once to begin building up upeservolr upeservolr upcscrvolr ; eservolr , , because much of the wa- wa waneeded waneeded wa-needed wa needed - - needed for tor the Irrigation of theand the ' . and Imperial Imperhl valleys vaHeys valleysen vaHeysen en the needs of Irrigation have havemet havemet havemet met met , , gates being ballt buIlt in the No No- . - diversIon Ne-divcrslon Ne divcrslon Nodiversion tunnel will wlll return the theus thes theas s us threoIon threeIon to the reservoir . , The thrco threo three thrcofwa fwa Ion tuDnels tunnels are e CO W 50 feet In dfame diame diameTwo dfameTo T\\o T o Two \ wIthof of them have been filled with ; of longthe concrete 3 350 0 to 400 feet long the river rher riser has h'lS hlS ' risen to n a heIght height0 heIghtfeet heightp p whichns wlIcbl'1s whichIvs feet , the third channel , wlIcb which } l'1s l1s Ivs ' gates to regulate tlie the wlUthe willthe flow fiow , wlU will willr hugenes the p pr permanent ' rmanc.nt rmancnt . structures , huge nes " 0 feet teet In diameter dl'tmeter dltmeter ' . rill m ill be June Juna or July before betore there is 1 .rt rt . . \ 1 1 sides of ot . volcanic .olcaDic olcaDic rock rocIt cast up from fromcrnters fromcraters fromcraters crnters craters In prehistoric prelustonc days Lntrance Entrance Entranceto Lntranceto to the tunnels Is effected through n a ncave acave acave cave opening of heroic proportions proportionsHere proportionsHere proportionsHere Here Is the first of the 30-foot 30 foot - - pIping pIpingthat pipingthat pipingthat pipingthat111 that ' \ \\111 111 will \ \ 111 feed water to the tlIe turbmes turbines turbmesrrom turbinesfrom turbinesFrom rrom from this the water , rushing ruslung with all allthe allthe allthe the force of Its long fall hIl , enters the thepower thepower thepower power house through secondary pipes pipes13 . 13 ] 3 feet In diameter d1arneter . . Ne\ Ne Ne\er Ne er Neer Neser \ er has h'ls hls his ' a n construction job been beenspeede beenspeeded beenspeeded speede speeded so swiftly More than 3 3000-000 3000 000 000 000- 000 000000 - . 000 cubic yards of concrete have been beenpoured beenpoured beenpoured poured from the huge 10 16 ton buckets bucketsI bucketsIn I in strips 5 feot feet high It Is nearly a ayear ayear ayear year and a half ahead of schedule , the thecontractor thecontractor thecontractor contractor saysGone saysGone says saysGone Gone no no\\ no nos noIs " \ \ Is the terror of the flood floodperIods floodperiods floodperiods perIods of the Colora Colorado o Each E'lch Elch ' of the thetwo thetwo thetwo two spillways splliways of Boulder dam could couldaccommodate couldaccommodate couldaccommodate accommodate a rush of water of a rob- rob vol . - - - - , , . ; 1 bx r 5 " r 1 1s 1Y W yr yrW yrr yrR s Y/ Y Y7Ay / 7Ay , , pyl pylyao yao " . r y yyr ) r R h 'ri ri ' dJ dJoy'JLA oy'JLA oyJLA ' , 1 1 1rt rt , r Q4 . ay di0r di0rf di0rr f r , a Y 4 4a 4iii d t F ff ffY a r iii ' ? Y ' { Y YRMx . . , . . r , RMx ? LT/.rM.MM4 LTrM.MM4 LT .rM.MM4 rMMM4 / . hMN hMNr ' Y Mr4 Mr4M M tf VIew L.ooklng Looklng Looking . Down Stream From the Creit Crest of Boulder Dam . ume greater than the tbe ordinary flow flowover flowover flowover over necessary.for necessaryfor Niagara falls This Is necessary . , for peakflood when the rivor river reached renched its 1ts peak flood flow of ot 210000 cubic feet teet a see seeond seeand second ond and 30 years ago , , lading laying la Ing waste vast vastareas vastareas vastarcaa areas In UlelId the Ule ' \ v.l\d v.ld v.l vl d \\lId lId wild . \ antics of Its most mostwanton mostwanton mostwanton wanton spree , . It was more destructive destructiveIn In its rage than even a Niagara turned turnedloose loose to batter the country countr countr&lde countrlde ; bIde side & at ran random random random dom . Now California's Californias ' rich ImperIal ImperIalvalley Imperialvalley Imperialvalley valley theriver , lying below the level leel lesel le\ le \ el of at the therh theriser rh riser or and further protected by levees levees leveesmay , , may rest In relief rellcf from its age old fear fe'lr felr ' . . meltingsnows Floods rloods are caused by the melting snows on the many man mountains of the theregion theregion theregion region . . . After ACler the record break brenk of 1000 1006 , 1006It It took 18 months of labor on a It vast vastscale vastscale vastscale scale $2000000to 2000000to and the expenditure of $2000000 2000000 $ to return the th13 river to its 1ts rightful rIgbtful bed . . . t . Jt ] { - - - There will wUl still be floods on the Colo Colorado . Colorado theColorado , rado rndo , but now then the ; can cnn be held in cbeck |