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  n May 1931, eight white circles 56 feet in diameter were painted on the dark canyon walls. Like giant bull's eyes they marked the upper and lower portals of the four tunnels. Work began at both ends of each tunnel. Drillers bored holes deep into the white circles. Dynamite was packed into the holes and exploded, shattering the solid rock into rubble. "Muckers" moved in with shovels, bulldozers, and trucks to clear away the rubble. Then the drillers returned to drill another set of holes, and so the tunnels pierced deeper into the rock.Digging the tunnels and diverting the river through them was a big job. Bureau of Reclamation plans called for it to be finished by October 1, 1933. After that Six Companies would be charged a penalty of $3,000 for every day they were late. With that much money at stake, "Hurry Up Crowe" hurried, and when he did, everyone who worked for him did, too. Speed was often valued more than safety. Carbon monoxide gas from truck engines lingered in the poorly ventilated tunnels. Clearing the fumes from the tunnels would have wasted valuable time, so workers were expected to work alongside the trucks. Many were poisoned by the deadly air. Tunnel temperatures rarely went below 130° and men collapsed from the heat. The seven-day work week was exhausting. The nights were too hot for sleep, so the men couldn't regain their strength after a punishing day's work. Because there hadn't been time to build a hospital, some died for want of basic medical care. By the end of July, at least 20 workers had died, and many others had become ill or been injured. |