Some Magic and a Dam

Today is the birthday of Mozart's The Magic Flute. It was one of the last operas that Mozart composed and was first played on September 30, 1791. Here is the Magic Flute Overture, which I happen to really really like: =D



September 30, 1935 was the dedication of the Hoover Dam.

This Dam took about five years to construct and 112 deaths occurred related to the building of the dam. There were 112 deaths associated with the construction of the dam. Included in that total was J. G. Tierney, a surveyor who drowned on December 20, 1922 while looking for an ideal spot for the dam. He is generally considered to be the first man to die in the construction of Hoover Dam. His son, Patrick W. Tierney, was the last man to die working on the dam's construction, 13 years to the day later. There was also a 5 day period where 14 deaths occurred due to a heat wave.

In spite of the death toll of those who helped to build the Hoover Dam, this giant structure has performed it's duty well for over 70 years. There are controversies surrounding the dam, however, and it has had a negative impact on the Colorado River Delta and on several species of animals who had been dependent on the yearly flooding that the dam stopped.