The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1892-12-15
rHg GREAT xIeAnA rUsNEl..
Two Turbine Wheels of &, Horse poss-
CIR to be Put in Operation.

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The month of July, 1888, is expected to
mark new era in the manufacturing
world, fer the Cataract Construction
company hope to have their mammoth
turbine wheels and monster dynamos at
work for those who may desire to usa
their power. More than s2,0U0,G0O and
many lives have been sacrificed to this
gigantic undertaking, this Harvesting Of
the mighty Niagara to serve the manufac-
turing world, and the enterprise is now,
after nearly two years. work, drawing
near completion. No where else are
wheel pits 16O feet deep and whocls caps
BILE of developing 5000 horse power, says
a Niagara Falls dispatch to the New York
Sun.
An important move has taken place
this week in the awarding Of tho contract
for the water wheels. Tho building of
two of these immense turbines has been
placed withsthe j. p Morris Company of
Philadclplria. .-Thc contract calls fortwo
superimposed turbine wheels OF 5000
horse power each, to cost in the neiShbor-
hood of 100000. They are to be set up
and III operation eight months from Nov.
/. They will he built after the designs of
Mcssrs. Faesyh s. Picard, of Geneva,
Switzerland. Each wheel is composed OF
two supcrimposed turbines, supported OH
an hydraulic pivot The water Is fed be-
tween the wheels in conduit pipe, and the
discharge is exterior. This 5000 horse
power is an immense unit for n turbine,
for tho largest heretofore known in this
country is 1000 horse power. Nothing
has ever before been built to equal these
contemplated monsters. The moment the
wheels arc set and ready for the water the
dynamos will be ready to he connected
and electrical power will he produced, the
transmission ofwhich is to form one of
the chief features of this great undertake
ing. Cities at a distance arc to bc sup
piled by these immense turbines and
dynamos. A glimpse at the wheel pits re-
yeals the magnitude of the work. The ones
now in process of construction are 10 feet
wide, 40 feet long, and lG0 feet deep.
The company is constructing wheel pits
for three wheels, and another will be add
ed to these just ordered. The contracts
for the dynnmos will lie let within sixty
days, and they will combine features OF
tho best over constructed with now de-
vices.
A view of this great engineering work
reveals the fact that tho main Tunnel has
been driven and entirely bricked in. The
large inlet canal from the river has been
constructed. This is 800 feet long, 200
feet wide at the mouth, and tapcrs up to
l25 feet wide at the end, with Il depth of
from 4 to Is feet. There are ten inlets
or gates for the wheel pits Of the Cataract
Construction Company, over which their
power house will be constructed.
There arc two gates for. the Niagsra
Falls Paper Company, which has the
largest plant in the world here. There
are two more inlets between the paper
company's works and the power house.
These fourteen inlets arc on the west side
of the canal. On the cast side arc six
inlcts, and two more will be built. Thus
the canal ut the start provides for the
gigantic sum total of 10000 horse
power.
That work Of the portal of the tunnel is
not yet completed, but is progressing
slowly and surely. A story was started
last week that an additional tunnel or ex-
tension was to he built of over 800 feet.
This is not so. 1t is simply an old con-
tract LET a year and a half ago in conmrc-
ton with the construction of the inlet
canal. When this piece OF work is driven,
the original 1000 feet of tho tunnel will
he completed, The contractor has now
bctwoel. 800 and 400 men ut work, and the
excavating and construction arc going on
steadily
On the other side Of the river, or the
Canadian shore, duplicate Of this great
work will be constructed. No work has
been commenced on this as yet, but it is
expected that operations vii! begin in Tie
spring. Some lOO,0 00 horse power can lie
developed there at one quarter OF the ex-
pense required on this side. With this
enormous amount Of power ready for use,
the dcnzens ofthis locality are expectnnt
that in the future it will not only he the
manufacturing center of this country, iu'
the manufacturing metropolis OF the
world.
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