The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-03
THE FOLSOM WATER POWER.
Engineer Thomson on the Great Enter
prise Similar to- ~noqualmfe scheme.

City Engineer Thomson returned from
a short trip 10 California yesterday, in
good health and spirits and much re-
dreslGed by the journey. While IN Cali
forEla he visited Sacramento. and was
present at several meetings of the state
invention OF the y. p. S. c. r. He re-
ports moro than 1o0 delegates in attend
ance, audiences Of over 300 and intense
enthusiasm, making a time never to be
forgotten by those present.
While in Sacramento he was met by
Mr.. Shock, the well-known clectrfc ian.
who odd all In his power to make Sacra-
mento pleasant 10 him, and TO explain
the construction Of the electro transmits
sion plant at Folsom, which is the prop
erty of the Central electric railway OF
Sacramento and is to be operated by MIR.
Shock. In speaking Of this portion of his
trip. Mr.. Thomson said:
Folsom. once a great mining camp. is
now but a hamlet, and except for the fact
that California : greatest pen2tentiaTy is
there. and that the waters of American
river have been harvested for electrical
purposes, the place would be little known.
The town lies at the lower and western
end OF a series OF rapids in the American
river. having p total fall of about ninetv
feet in two miles Thirty years ago Mr..
LivermOrc, the wen-knoRn Californian
and father of the present head OF the
power company, conceived the idea of
90
canal which would begin at the head Of
the rapids. and Of using them for placer
mining, irrigation. and possibly for pro-
dlICing sufficient power TO run country
"a WmiN. ami in 1856 he secured the wafer
rights and caused surveys TO be made
and DID some work He was ahead Of the
times, however, and nothing of tInpor-
tance was done untn about ten years ago.
About that time an agreement was
reached with the state. whioh had in the
meantime built "a pen4tentiary on the
river, although It had - right TO use
she river. In payment for the perpetual
right 20 use the water Of the river through
a fall Of seven feet four inches. d under
took - construct a dam across the river.
pat In all necessary head gates, and ex-
caYatc a canal about .000 feet long. This
canal was - he forty feet wide at the
bottom, fifty feet VIZ on top and eight
feet deep. The state completed its por-
ton Of the work some three years ago.
About that time the idea seized the own
srs OF the water right that their power
toud be used for generating electric5i \
ana In thirty days more they export 20
see the first naturalization OF hopes of
thirty years ago.
They extended THE canal built ny the
state about 1000 feet. Al Its lower end
they have made TWO basins one basin
is intended 20 hold logs and on its banks
VIII ~ tuilt a sawTniu which will be run
10y electricity. From the second basin
enc water will be taken 70 drive four sets
OF double horizontal turbines, each sec
capable or generating about 1910 horse
power. Each set 81 wheels is directly
connected 10 and viii drive a COO horse
power electrical generator. The eleC-
Ericity IS to be genera I'd a. a pct.Dttal
OF 30 hundred volts. tfIt viii pe stepped
tzD 20 Hoo volts. The generators are Of
tht style known a trs-phaSc, using three
delivery wires. These wires are naked
copper. abcut a quarter OF an inca IN
diameter, and aTe sJTilnS On plain single
petcicoat porcelain iGsuiacurs. without
OF cups or any & The trails heretofore
c.csiler 4 u ces a y = iusulare suca D. gh
potential. Il Is expected shat in .tae
TWeu-y--txo and C1f-5aif miles, be: w6en
Folsom and SacTaTe no therv VIZ be 4
line lf--g Of only T. per cent
In order 70 make tge delivery certain
Al al tiures Two pole lines were buff.
They are ct on ghe margins OF the county
road one line following the south mar
gin and she other the north u1a gan.
These poles were ali shipped from So
a-Fls aui are a. ire ~ lot OF cedar poles
as Nere ever seen. Fer twenty-five and
"a hafF mes | drove between the two
lines - SEATTLE cellars and Yet ehere was
Uot q stamp or mark Of am kind on a
single yose so snow where j. had come
f~7yu L struck gre that THIS was great
oversight Had they beCD from Tacoma
or tsver.,t the fact would have nAen stem
C.levl ali over 7heu- Our shippers sIould
have sQcai pride ats3 every pole should
Tlve t~Ca bT-a14leel as from See rtle. and
also Nh he Name 81 the shiqIe-."