Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1894-11-22
A "WHOPPER."
A Gigantic Scheme to Utilize The
M'ssoIri River
For Power Purposes, 10 DO Csed By
Sioux City.
All tho Details a. Outlined by The
Projectors.

Citizens hercabouts for the past
week have been discussing a vast pro-
ject now under consideration 10y Sioux
City parties. The scheme briefly tod
is to construct a canal for creating
motive power, from Pat Cailahan's
farm on the Missouri river following
the section line to the Big Sioux enter
ing the Kline ditch ut 4 point adjoin-
ing J. S. sTalcott's farm. The Sioux
CITY Journal gives the following dts-
cription of the scheme:
The scheme is to run n canal from
the Missouri river, beginning at Il
point on Pat Cullahan's farm, III Union
county, and emptying into the Big
Sioux river. two miles northeast vi
ELK Point. The distance is eight and
IL halt miles, and the fall %. SIS ieet.
The mouth of the canal will be
twenty miles above Sioux City.
by the proposed plan 1900 horse
power will be created. Tnat would
rum all the machinery in Sioux City,
and there would be nearly 1900 horse
power to spare.
The projectors Of this enterprise are
| Aaron Halsetn, contractor; H.. >
holmes, boot and shoe dealer; L. ii.
johnson, formerly city engineer, and
! two or three others who have the
money to back up what they believe
to be great scheme, Il paying scheme.
Ii the canal is constructed along the
| plans laid down, it will be built rs fol-
lows: The width will be IL .eet. At
the upper end the depth will be ~
/ feet, ami will gradually approach the
level until some little distance from
, the Big Sioux, where the water will
| have the natural surface for its bed.
Here, of course. bikes will be built to
contain the water.
Three lock gates will be put in, so
that the water from the big Missouri,
with its tremendous power, can be
shut off at will. A great amount OF
care has been taken in the preparing
OF these lock plans, and conclusions
have been arrived at and decisions
made only utter the most minute in.
vestications and the closest scrutiny
into ever detail. It has been est
mated that the Missouri river at this
point near C%allahan's ordinarily has
capacity OF 50, 900 horse power. En-
tritordinary lrecaution is to be takef
to prevent this awful io,ce from dom.
| the damage which might be possible
were the entrance loosely constructed
specifications for the locks were
drawn ~ by MIR. Halseth assisted
somewhat by Mr.. Johnson. BY then
it may he seen that where the waite
| from the Missouri flows in, heavy pill
ing is to be driven on either side o
the lock. Concrete is to be run in he
tween the piles to make the whole
more substantial and give it the SO
lidity OF u wall. The floor directl!
under the gates will be a row OF square
o,k timbers. These timbers will b.
groved on the under-side and inter
laced with heavy :,iiiny, which will b.
sunk to the depth OF l5teet II the laye
is OF clay, and il OF quicksand 90 fee
below the sand. Just back OF tn
gates. on the canal side, piles will b
driven, the dirt removed and concret
!, pOureti in rs Indicated above. Th
|, reason for making this area back Q
| the gate thus imPregnahle, is that !
[ high water time the water here wi
Loil like cauldron and tumble owe
) and over with tremendous velocity
This piling will run back rs far as
is deemed necessary to Ike, y the can;
: from digging on the inside. The side
will be protected by masonry. Th
. gate itself is to be OF iron aud stee
strongly braced. The second gail
0 will be n half milo distance from I'll
first and the third one another hi
;. mile. The second aud third are to
4 be built for use in case the first OF
should give away.
q The entrance viii be clean cut ar
the water will rush in with a ear.
. is thought that when il r aches Il
r Sioux the current will be stror
enough to keep the channel clear.
. will be remembered that the Sioux
a sluggish stream. while the cure
. or the big Muddy goes with IA WHO'D
The principle cause for the slOwne
. OF the big Sioux current is that =
r bed is too high ut the mouth. II tt
v old trouble has to he connected wi
after the canal Is built it will not
N for long. The mouth will be 9
y II would be impossible to tell q
!. extent OF the COOL which would follo
!. the completion OF this canal II 1t q
n ates the power its projectors say
"a viii. It would snppy power for r
Point md Sioux CITY, III we'll as II
- nish water for the irreKhtion OF &C
). tiuous land. The gentleman Int
!, este,l have received n bill from {
n Westinghouse Electric company as
: the cost OF the machinery for traI
- hitting power to Sioux City. tn
d ask CSC ,OO0 for each 1000 horse pow
Il transmitted, and Nj. Holmes says {
= 4,OOO horse power could be brought
"a Sioux city for t0On 900. This aTnaa
8 includes the building Of the canal.
s Power can be Mtilixesl r. - -.
q ways that the valties q euf1 x.1s.
sion - eytdsnt. Unk1eg 1&seeo6 =