View source for 1940-12-10-sr-p1-basin-reservoir-work-is-rushed

'''December 10, 1940 Spokesman-Review Page 1:'''
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[[file:1940-12-10-sr-p1-basin-reservoir-work-is-rushed.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]'''BASIN RESERVOIR WORK IS RUSHED'''
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'''Huge Job Ahead of Schedule —Roads Nearing Completion.'''
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GRAND COULEE DAM, Dee. 9.—Intensive
operations are in progress in
the Columbia basin reservoir,
a bureau of reclamation report
of activities indicates. The
huge job, apart from the WPA
clearing project, is ahead of
schedule, with every indication all will
be in readiness for the high stage
of the river in late spring and early
summer.

Relocation of the road from Kettle
Falls to Williams is 57 per cent
complete, with but 46 per cent of
the elapsed time of the contract
past. From Kettle Falls to Boyds,
the job is 32 per cent completed
with 31 per cent elapsed time.
Piers and abutments on three
bridges over the Kettle river are
87 per cent complete, with 60 per
cent of the contract time elapsed.

The American Bridge company
has men at work on the new railway
bridge at Kettle Falls and the
state highway bridge has 700 tons
of steel on hand, with 150 tons
already placed. The labor trouble
which stopped the work of the L.
Romano Construction company of
Seattle has been settled and the
men have gone back to work.

'''Spokane River Span Under Way.'''

Spokane river bridge, below old
Fort Spokane, is well under way
with the work now 24 per cent
complete. This contract is held by
the Angeles Gravel and Supply
company, Port Angeles, Wash.

It is reported that the state
highway department has ordered
work suspended for the winter on
roads under construction from
North-Star to Bockemohle canyon,
Bockemohle to Spokane and from
Fort Spokane to Lancey mill pond.

Contractors on projects of the
reservoir, exclusive of CBI at the
dam, which include fish hatcheries,
relocation of roads and railway and
the construction of bridges, are
employing approximately 700 men
daily. The number will be
increased as the work progresses and
bids on additional projected jobs
are called.

'''Installs Traffic Signal.'''

At a cost of $100 the city is
installing a safety traffic signal at
the corner of Main street and
Speedball highway, The light, hung
overhead above the center of the
intersection, will blink a caution
amber light at night and a red
light when the fire siren sounds,
stopping traffic until the fire
department trucks have cleared the
dangerous corner, When the fire
alarm sounds during daylight
warning bell will sound.

L. D. Leisinger, general contractor
and builder from Casper, Wyo.,
with Mrs. Leisenger were first-time
visitors to the project and viewed
the dam with bureau of reclamation
officials.

As a part of the national
defense program, engineers at Grand
Coulee dam will be afforded the
opportunity to take courses in
college engineering subjects, it is
announced, Under the plan, colleges
having the prescribed courses will
furnish professors. Washington
State college has been designated
the college to teach students at
the dam.

Providing enough enroll, classes
will meet one night a week and
college credits will be allowed those
completing the course. The
subjects are elementary hydraulics,
advanced hydraulics, irrigation
engineering, steel structures,
reenforced structures and mechanics of
materials.

'''Cold Weather Returns.'''

Cold weather returned to the
rea with a minimum reading for
the last 24 Hours of 22 degrees and
a maximum of 40. River flow
reached 37,500 second feet today,
according to government record
with the entire stream passing
through the dam by means of 12
tubes. Upstream elevation at
1138.7 remained stationary.

With a daily average of 1002 men
at work during November the
bureau of reclamation safety
department reports but seven accidents
with only 120 days lost time, The
record covers migratory fish
control work at the hatcheries, basin
survey, reservoir work at Kettle
Falls as well as the payroll at the
dam. The record is exceptional.

Machinery parts of the first big
generator to be installed in the
west powerhouse are beginning to
arrive, according to Day Reynolds,
Northern Pacific representative at
the dam, Principal incoming shipments
which are moving to the
project at the rate of 15 cars a
week are loaded with structural
steel to be used in the base.

The big generators will require
35 to 40 cars to move them. At the
present rate, 1,250,000 pounds of
machinery and structural steel are
arriving weekly, The material
comes from Gary, Ind., Sidney,
Ohio, and Newport News, Va,
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