The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-25
THE WORK COMMENCED.
The Missouri River Power Company
Let the Contract for the
Operations.
The Enterprise VIII Now 90 Ahead
to a Successful Con-
clusion.
Douglass & Co. VIII Begin to Drive the
Header Under tho River Bed
at Once.

The Missouri River Power company il
getting its project into working order. Yes.
terday morning a contract was let to Doug
lass 81 Co., who reftted the Mullan tunnel
to drive header under the bed of the river
in order to establish the character of the
rock formation within tho vicinity of the
site of the proposed dam. This work was
commenced yesterday afternoon and will
be under the supervision of Mr.. Robert A.
johnson, an expert engineer, who will make
his headquarters near the works. The
header is also to be run for the purpose OF
ascertaining the feasibility of tapping the
water at the river bottom and conducting
it through pipes directly to the turbines for
the purpose of generating power. The con-
sulting engineer of the company was here a
few days ago and examined the river. He
returned to New York last Tuesday, entire
ly satisfied with the work that has been
done, and will return at such times as his
presence may be necessary.
The question of the right of the company
to enter upon the river and erect dam
there has been thoroughly looked into by
competent legal Authority and the COM
panv has been assured that there is no. OBJ
stacle in the way of proceeding with the
work at once. There seems to have pre-
vailed in the minds of good many that
the company was getting beyond its depth
in undertaking such a enterprise, but the
consulting engineer says emphatically that
there is no difficulty in placing a dam in
the river at this point at = minimum cost,
and that there will be no difficulty at all in
developing all the power that the river is
capable of giving and that its transmission
to the city will be an easy matter.
This is one Of the greatest enterprises
ever undertaken by citizens of Helena. The
works to be erected at the Missouri river
GUS power to transmit to the city
for the purpose of manufacture,
running street car lines and the many other
uses to which it can be put. The company
was organized some time ago for this pur-
pose under the laws of Montana.
The incorporators are the following we'll
known Helena men: A. J. Davidson, g. G.
Stubs. A. Lambeth, William Muth, T. H.
Kleinschmidt, H. M. Parchen, o. H. Allen,
and j. II. Lawrence. The preliminary
surveys resulted in showing that by raising
a dam to the height of thirty feet above
the water mark practically no overflow
would be caused beyond Stubbs ranch. The
river at a point about one and-one half miles
below Stubbs is 225 feet wide fanked on
one side by wall of rock about eighty
feet above the water, while on the other
side the ground recedes at a slope of about
six feet in every hundred, underlaid with
bedrock near the surface. The volume
of water at this point measures an average
of ten feet in depth, with a width of 200,
flowing at velocity of four miles per hour.
It is estimated that this volume of water,
elevated to 3O-foot head, would deliver at
the top of the dam 10000 horse power.
With turbine wheels of improved pattern,
with the best class of electrical machinery,
at least $4,000 horse power can be de-
livered i'll Helena for any mechanical pur-
pose whatever. The elevation of the water
of the river to height of 30 feet will cause
an overflow, and form a lake one mile wide
at its widest point and seven miles in
length from the dam up the stream. This
lake will most likely be used as pleasure
resort for the people of Helena and vicin-
ity. If this is done, a railroad will be built
from the city to the artificial lake, which
should afford considerable revenue above
the cost of its operation, and if properly
fostered and conducted would soon invite a
permanent population, and create an estab
lished business along Its entire length.
Several of the gentlemen interested in
this enterprise were seen yesterday, and ex-
pressed great confidence that it would not
be long before the company would be in a
position to deliver power in Helena for any
purpose for which it may be required.
The development in the transmission of
power by electricity in other localities since
the enterprise was started has been SO sat
| isfactory that the promoters of this schem Q
feel increased confidence in their ability to
transmit all the power that can be devel-
oped at the dam with a very small percent
| age of loss in transmitting it over the dis
lance required. A number of reliable
electric companies stand ready to put in the
necessary electric equipment and will guar
antee entire satisfactory results to the pow
er company.