THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



313 



which is being constructed by force account. The first mile, 

 or one-sixth of the tunnel was completed on November 17, 

 1906. The first of the present month 13,767 feet had been 

 excavated, 1,321 feet having been completed during the month 

 of June. Night and day unceasingly the drills are breaking 

 their way through the granite wall and the world's record in 

 tunnel excavation has been established on the work. 



The Secretary of the Interior has restored to settlement 

 the SW J-4 SW J4, E y 2 SW y 4 and SW % SE ft, Sec. 25, 

 T. 34 N.j R. 77 W., Wyoming. This land was withdrawn in 

 1903 in connection with the North Platte irrigation project. 

 It now appears that the land is valuable for its minerals, 

 and as this action will not interfere with the irrigation proj- 

 ect it has been restored to settlement. The tract will not 

 be subject to entry, filing, or settlement, however, until ninety 

 days after notice by such publication as may be prescribed by 

 the department. 



A contract has been awarded to Hughes & Olson, of 

 Butte, Mont., for the construction of Division 3, main canal, 

 and high line canal, Huntley irrigation project, Montana. 

 This work, \vhich consists of about ten miles of main canal 

 and seven miles of high line canal, involves the excavation 

 of about 350,000 cubic yards of material. The bid of the 

 successful contractors was $77,610. 



On the fourth anniversary of the formation of the 

 Reclamation Service from the Hydrographic Branch of the 

 Geological Survey, it has definitely broken away from the 

 parent body and moved into new quarters. During the four 

 years of its existence the organization has increased from 

 less than a dozen men to over four hundred engineers and 

 assistants, carrying on work throughout widely scattered lo- 

 calities in the arid West. Contracts have been let and work 

 is under way involving the expenditure of upward of $25,- 

 000,000 and other contracts are being prepared which will 

 necessitate the expenditure in all of nearly $40,000,000. There 

 are now working for the contractors about 10,000 men, and 

 the Reclamation Service has working directly for it over 2,000 

 men, including day laborers and mechanics. The monthly 

 expenditures aggregate about $1,000,000, having gradually in- 

 creased until they are now practically at the maximum. It 

 is not probable that there will be further expansion but, on 

 the contrary, a considerable consolidation and reduction of 

 force as the larger works are completed. The rapid growth 

 of the Reclamation Service is indicated by the annual expendi- 

 tures. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903, these were 

 a little over half a million dollars ; for 1904, one and one- 

 half millions; for 1905, three and three-quarters millions, 

 and for the year ending June 30, 1906, very nearly eight mil- 

 lions, the greater part of this amount being expended during 

 the months of May and June, when the expenditures reached 

 over a million dollars each. 



The officials have temporarily withdrawn from any form 

 of disposition whatever the following described lands in the 

 State of Oregon, for use in connection with the Payette- 

 Boise irrigation project : Willamette meridian, T. 23 S., A. 

 46 E., all sees. 15, SE Y 4 sec. 16; E ^ sec. 21; NW 54 sec. 

 27 ; all sees. 28 and 33. T. 24, S., R 46 E., N Y 2 , sec. 4 ; W l / 2 

 sec. 5; all sec. 6; N y 2 sec. 7. These lands embrace three 

 reservoir sites on Succor Creek. 



The Secretary of the Interior has granted an extension of 

 forty days from June 5. 1906, to the S. Morgan Smith Com- 

 pany, of York, Pa., in which to complete certain work upon 

 their contract for furnishing water wheels for the power 

 plant in connection with the Salt River project, Arizona. 

 The request for extension of time was necessitated by reason 

 of the failure of the mills to supply structural steel. 



The board of consulting engineers of the United States 

 Reclamation Service recently convened at Portland, Ore., to 

 open bids for the construction of Schedules 1 and 2 of the 

 storage feed canal, Umatilla project. Oregon, reports that 

 four bids were received on Schedule 1 and six bids on 

 Schedule 2. The bids of the Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging 

 Company, of Seattle, Wash.. $112,796.50 on Schedule 1, and 

 $48,592 on Schedule 2 were the lowest received. 



Bids for the construction of the Cold Springs dam, Uma- 

 tilla irrigation project, Oregon, were recently opened at 

 Portland. Two proposals were received, the lowest being that 

 of Sweeney & Holmes, of Portland, Ore., for $383,415. 



Only one bid was received for the construction of stor- 

 age works and main canal in connection with the Okanogan 

 irrigation project, Washington. The contractor who sub- 

 mitted proposals was Matthew P. Zindorf, of Twisp, Wash., 

 amounting to $164,153.75 on Schedule 1 and $85,750.50 on 

 Schedule 2. 



The officials are advertising for bids for pumping ma- 

 chinery for the Buford-Trenton irrigation project, North Da- 

 kota. The work calls for the installation of three trans- 

 formers of 300 kilowatt capacity, and eight motor-driven 

 pumping units of capacities of 16 and 30 cubic feet per second 

 under heads of 50 and 33 feet respectively, with necessary 

 electrical apparatus and water pipes, in pumping stations near 

 Buford, N. D. The proposals will be opened on September 

 10th, at Williston, N. D., and detailed information may be 

 obtained from the chief engineer, United States Reclamation 

 Service, Washington, or H. A. Storrs, electrical engineer, 

 Williston, N. D. 



The board of consulting engineers of the United States 

 Reclamtaion Service, recently convened at Chicago, 111., to 

 open bids for pumping apparatus for the Garden City project, 

 Kansas, reports that eleven proposals were received. The 

 lowest formal bid was that of Henion & Hubbell, Chicago, 

 $13,750 for ten 5 second-foot centrifugal pumps with bronze 

 impellers, each combined with a twenty-five horsepower 

 motor and vacuum pump. 



An investigation was recently made by the cement experts 

 of the United States Reclamation Service to determine the 

 existence and availability of raw materials for the manufac- 

 ture of Portland cement in the vicinity of Havre, Mont. An 

 area exceeding 355 acres convenient to Assinniboine station, 

 on the main line of the Montana Central Railway, Great 

 Northern system, was found to contain an unfailing supply 

 of natural cement rock. Suitable clay for an admixture, if 

 needed at any time in the preparation of cement, is abundant 

 on the ground, and the bituminous coal mines throughout 

 the section furnish fuel adapted for the burning of the rock. 

 A mill site and town site were located and large springs 

 furnish an abundant water supply for domestic and other 

 purposes. The Reclamation Service has four large projects 

 in Montana which have been approved by the Secretary of 

 the Interior. Upon two of these work is well under way. 

 The estimated cost of these four great works is $12,600,000, 

 and upon their completion depends the reclamation of ap- 

 proximately half a million acres of land. Thousands of bar- 

 rels of cement will be needed in their construction, and the 

 service is naturally gravely concerned in the output of this 

 material, as the present unprecedented demand for cement 

 all over the West is already taxing the capacity of mills 

 throughout the country to the utmost. It is believed that in- 

 vestors will embrace the opportunity presented by the known 

 existence of materials suitable for cement manufacture in vari- 

 ous localities in the West. The great profits arising from the 

 successful conduct -of the cement business is now too well 

 known to require comment. It is not the policy of the Gov- 

 ernment to go into the cement business unless through the 

 inaccessibility of the works the success of a project should 

 become jeopardized, as in the case of the Salt River project, 

 Arizona, wtiere the great distance from existing mills and 

 the long wagon haul made the cost of cement prohibitive. 



The department is advertising for bids for the construc- 

 tion of canals and structures in connection with the Buford- 

 Trenton project, North Dakota. The work involves the ex- 

 cavation of about 410,000 cubic yards of earth, and furnishing 

 labor and material for a pumping station and various struc- 

 tures requiring about 140,000 feet B. M. of lumber, about 

 2,000 cubic yards of concrete and about 25,000 pounds of struc- 

 tural steel. Detailed information concerning the plans and 

 specifications may be obtained from the chief engineer, United 

 States Reclamation Service, Washington, D. C, or H. A. 

 Storrs, electrical engineer. Williston, North Dakota. The 

 bids will be opened at Williston on September llth. 



