The San Francisco call., 1897-08-26
A Monster Power Plant
Opened in Amador
County.
Cheaper Light and Power for
Many Mines and
Towns.
Prospective Transportation and
Other ibilIties-Stockton
to Be Benefited.

BLUE LAKES CITY. CAL, Aug. 25. -
This nucleus of town has to-day be-
come a reality, because of the official
opening here this afternoon of the Blue
Lakes Water Company's power plant,
that is intended to furnish electric power
and light 10 all the mines and towns
along the mother lode, and eventually to
supply the city OF Stockton.
1t is one OF the largest electrical generat-
ing stations in the West, and one of the
best plants installed up to the present
time anywhere. 1t is situated near Jack
son, Amedor County, on and about mid
way OF the length OF the main gold bearing
belt of California.
The motive power is powerful head OF
water brought from the Blue Lakes, TO-
Scated at the summit of the Sierras, hall
way between Lake Tahoe and the To-
semitic Valley, and nearly two miles above
San Francisco Bay. The company owns
bout 5000 acres of land surrounding the
group of lakes and controls several hun
dred square miles Of watershed.
The Blue Lakes empty into the Mokel-
umne River, which is tapped at West
Point by a canal that runs down through
Amador County, supplying water for do
mestic use 10 nearly ali the towns In the
county and water power tor the batteries
and mines. The distributing system in
cludes lis miles of bitches and fumes.
To Utilize more of this great water power
this electric plant has been installed. In
it already are machines to generate 1900
horsepower; but the ditch, pipe line
from it TO the plant, and the buildings
were constructed for 65C0 horsepower. So
needed is 10 install more machinery. If
i should ever be needed, 80 900 horse
power, half tnat required by the whole
State, could be generated, as there is
sufficient water.
From the lakes to the head OF tbs ditch
at the river IS Ihirty-two miles, and from
the river TO the power plant here is fifteen
miles.
An advantage possessed by this water
system is lis immense natural storage res
eryoIrs that can be tapped during sum-
mer, when most California streams run
dry. There IS a telephone line from here
10 the lakes and man in charge
there OF the foodgates which, as more
water Is needed, may be opened and the
required flow maintained in the river. 1t
takes the water three days to flow the
forty-fiye miles from the lakes.
The opening exercises were informal
and were participated in by the following
persons, who are en- joying banquet this
evening:
- Prince Poniatowski; W. Frank Pierce,
president of the Blue Lakes Water Com
9psly and of the Stockton Water Com
rany; Mr.. Parker, general manaeer of the
WORKS; Hal McAliister, the company's
attorney; Mr.. Freshman, secretary of the
Sierra Railroad Company, and Mr.. Bull
lock, Its manager, ana Mr.. Doble, secre-
tary of the Blue Lakes Water COMPANY.
This evening the distributing lines fur
nished electric light for the first time in
the history of those towns to Mokelumne
Hill and San Andre2s. in Calaveras
County. But the company's water power
alone has for several years furnish ed cleo
tTic lights TO towns in Amador County,
and ii has been taken by several of the
mines.
The change TO electric lights for the
mines will avoid such fires as have proven
so destructive in the Utica mine.
The building here, ii which there are
already running three machines, each of
600 horsepower, Stanley make, is of steel
lined with asbestos, which makes it warm
and proof against dampness. The floors
are OF cement
a two-foot pipe brings water to the
plant with fall of 1043 feet, generating q
pressure OF $50 pounds TO the square inch.
The force Of the stream playing from the
nozzle against the power wheel is so
great that a siedgehammer re bounds from
the compressed steam as though it were
solid metal.
The electric power from this plant can
be furnished to mines fo- about half what
they pay for steam or water power.
In sddltion 10 supplying light and
power 10 this whole mining regIo the
plant will also be used later to operate
trans portation lines either along the
length OF the mother lode, ana connect
ing with the terminals of the Southern
Pacific and the Valley Railroad, or for the
mother lode to Stockton, twenty-nine
miles from here.
A transmission line is being extended
through Calaveras County 10 Angels
Camp.
o her propositions and possibilities are
lights for stockton and power to run all
her street railways, -four mills and other
factories.