The record-union., 1896-05-21
AN ELECTRICAL EXCURSION
Continued from Sixth Page.)

waters but when barred for the recent
| work were found intact. Upon this
| basic masonry and extending beyond
| it the foundations Of the dam were
| laid in solid granite eighty-seven feet
wide, and upon a natural granite bed
twelve feet six inches thick. From this
base the dam rises eighty-two feet to
| the level of the moveable or hinged
| shutter spanning the width of the
overflow opening 1SO feet, the width or
| the crest of the dam being 2Io feet to the
turn or opening leading to the massive
headgates, which curve-the tech
1 nical name escapes us-Where1n the
waters are assembled that move on
through the headgates, is 145 feet SIX
inches in length. The dam contains, 1t
was explained, no less than 10000 Gu
| bic yards Of masonry, and the mead
works $4,000 cubic yards.
| Inquiry being made concerning the
capacity for emptying the basin Of de-
| tritus, Engineer knight explained in
detail the effect of the lower sluice
openings in the dam proper and also
of those in the approaching wall to the
| headgates and the hydraulic rams
which operate the headgates and the
| lifts that open and close the lower
| sluice gates in the side wall. 1t was
shown how each gate operates to clear
out by downward suction a given out
| ward space, one extending beyond the
other in effect, until the one nearest
| the headgates clears to the extreme
| further side of the way.
| So. too. the operation of the hinged
| shutter on the crest of the dam was
explained, how it is by hydraulic rams
lifted so as to increase the high water
| elevation, as needed. These eXplana-
| tions were listened to with profound
| attention and were interrupted from
time to time by intelligent comments.
| Concerning the canal proper there was
nothing calling for extended descr1p-
ticn. It's construction, capacity and
splendid equipment were too apparent
to need it. The Judgment OF all in the
party was that for completeness, mas
| siveness and exactnesS Of detail they
| had never seen or read Of any better
construction for hydraulic purposes.
AS the party returned down the canal,
the method Of floating down logs to
! the several reception bays below,
upon it's line, was explained, and some
| explanation given as to the extent and
character of the timber supply fairly
within the jurisdiction Of the canal and
the boom above it, and some remarks
also were entered upon by engineers
and proprietors concerning the inten-
ton to forward industries in lumber
upon the banks of the canal so soon as
it is possible to turn attention in that
direction. The high value Of such an
industry to Sacramento County, when
entered upon, was conceded by all and
generally remarked upon
AT the prison power-house the COM
pliments for the works were sincere and
profuse, not mere flattery but, as in pre-
ceding comments, the incisive, cold but
earnest expressions Of calculating and
experienced business men, who measure
the capacity of such works by dollars
and cents, as well as by demonstrations
of power. The visit to the prison was
great surprise to the visitors, the ma
jority Of whom it must be remembered
had not before seen it. The massive
ness of the buildings, the fine char
acter of the masonry, excited the warm
est expressions of respect for the de-
| signerS and the men who had overseen
| and directed the work The Scrupu-
lous cleanliness and orderly character
| of the domestic arrangements Of the
| prison won for it's officers compliments
of the most flattering order.
| AS the guests went from the prison
down the canal, their attention was
| drawn to the State rock-crushing plant
| near by, and what it promises in the
way Of good road-building. There was
not man in the entire party that did
not commend the plan of the plant, the
wisdom that originated the idea and the
| legislative judgment that made the
| thought reality The emphasis with
| which these business men expressed
themselves upon the good roads ques-
| ton would have delighted the hearts of
| the Commissioners of the Bureau of
Highways and Of the highway improve
ment enthusiasts all over the country
| The current of the comment was
! threaded with the thought that if Sac
Iramento does not improve to the utmost
the opportunity this splendid rock
crushing plant gives her, she deserves
to be sunk in mud and go backward
along the path of prosperity. There
| was much earnest comment at this
time concerning the wisdom Of employ
ing every State prisoner, that the in
dustrious man may not be taxed to
support the idle one.
Company there was a fresh burst Of
surprise and new expressions of graft
fication. The great turbines and the
electrical machinery geared to them
were examined with great interest 1t
was here noted by the experts present
| that never before had they seen dyna-
mos SO closely related to turbines, be-
| ing coupled directly to the armature
shafts. In this case they are practical
ly in contact, since to all intents and
| purposes each set is upon the same
| shaft. There is no intermediate belt
| ing, gearing or connecting appliances.
it may be explained to the non-techni-
CAL and thus there is no loss of motion
| or energy in any set Of turbines and
| electrical generators.
| Here the operatives, the engineers
and the proprietors explained, in re-
sponse to requests for explanation, that
each of the four pairs of turbines is
| thirty inches, and each has a capacity
of ,260 horse power. 1t was explained,
| Also that the wheels make 300 revolu-
| tions a minute under fifty-fve feet
pressure, and that the inlet pipes feed
ing the water are eight feet in dame
ter or, as said one of the tall men of
| the party, II could stand erect in one
of these great pipes and barely touch
with my fingers the top Of the tube
The entire party went in behind these
| mammoth pipes feeding the turbines
| and passed close to the four 10000
pound steel fly wheels coupled directly
to the turbine shafts, to give steadiness
These whizzing fly wheels have a