, 1889-05-16
THE WATER POWER.
THE MIGHTY TORRENT TO BE COM
PLETELY tanned.
Immense improvements to be Commenced
Tomorrow at AN Epor'
nous Cost.

Many of the citizsns of Spokane Falls
are not aware of the fact that very little
| will remain of the beauties OF the falls
after the present year. The grandeur OF
nature l. falling befoie the ravaHes OF I'M
provement, and the dasbinR waters, where
th-ee y, ars ago the Indian threw his line
TO hook the succulent fsn, are nov being
| tanned and diverted 10 that nature herself
will not rtcogDize her hapdiwork.
The Washington Water Power Com.
pany has now commenced upon the i'm.
prove ment of,tts i'm mense property on the
river. The company controls all the water
power of the Spokane river lying west Of
Pvst street. on both sides OF tue stream,
with the contiguous land, inc udinY the
business frontage on Monroe street,
Bridge street. the C. K c. mill and the
Post mill. The upper 20 yer on the prop.
erty is already improved, and the com.
psny are how cont rsctiDR for tho improve.
niept of the lower power from Post street
west.
A REVIEW reporter yesterday visited
the offices OF the company and was shown
the plans and specifications OF the con-
tenn plated in provemepts. They are ct u
most permanent and expen,ive character
and viii be- u credit to this city, to the
company, and to the engineer. MIR. Philip
b, u ner, who has designed them.
| he river will be damned beneath the
Post street bridge by an i'm nense circular
dam, on each end of which will be- the out
side wall Of the fumes from which water
will be carried out. On the north side
water will be taken out in iron fumes,
the first of which has been ordered and
will be 10 operation in three months. This
hume IL iorty-four ieet 10 diameter Of No,
10 and IL iron, and will carry some 600
horse power. The Spokane Cable Com
panv, whose power mouse Will be located
beneath the Monroe street bridge ap-
proaches, will take their water from this
hume. Active preparations will COM
mence Monday next in the way OF
clearing the ground and preparing for the
reception Of the pipe. Power will be
available for consu merr very quickly.
The wheels of the Cable Company are al
ready on the road.
The chief improvements of the property
will be on the north side Of the river.
The plans and specifications call for six-
ty foot Aume, some $50 feet long, which
can be extended as required. This Hume
will be blasted in solid rock, and where
walls are needed, the base OF the rocks are
twelve feet ana at their heads four feet.
The depth OF the bume Is eight feet and
its capacity will be 5000 horse power
which can be increased as required by add
ing TO the height of the western wall.
The immense dam across the stream is
designed horsesbos shape. The precipi.
t0us oasaltic bluff on the southern banks
of the stream, below the G. G. mill and
the Post mill, will form one wall Of the
hume and a channel will be blasted
through the rocky reef below the Post mill,
Carrying the hume thrOugh to the
sloping banks beyond. The work
in this hume will also be commenced im.
mediately. The work on the dam will be
delayed until the low water In the sum.
mer.
The chief consumers of the poweNon
this large hnme work will be the Edison
Illuminating Company. The reporter was
also shown the general design for the sta
tion which is NOV beibg planned in X X.
Cutters Office. Philip Buehner has charge
OF the water power development This
company contemplate using lOOO' horse
power. The building is plain substan-
tial structure 50xl00. The total cost OF
the improvement now contemplated will
be In the neighborbood of 800 600. The
Cable Railway Company's improvements
on the property will be in the neiRbbor-
hood of $25 600, and the Improvements Of
the Edison company, including machin-
cry will exceed $50, 600
Philip Ruehuer has charge OF the works,
and the officers of the company are Frank
lockwood Moore, president; J. W. Chap
man, vice president, j. Z. NJ. Richards,
second vlce-president, j. ID. Sherwood,
treasurer; w. S. Norman, secretary. The
directors of the COM npany, In addition TO
The above named gentlemen are ID. c..
Corbip, William Pettitt, H , Bolster, Jules
Prickett and Cyrus X. Burns.