1940-12-10-sr-p1-basin-reservoir-work-is-rushed
December 10, 1940 Spokesman-Review Page 1:
BASIN RESERVOIR WORK IS RUSHED
Huge Job Ahead of Schedule —Roads Nearing Completion.
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,
