Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-18
ELECTRIC POWER FROM WATER.
Plants at Helena, Montana, ana
Other Places.
Baltimore Americana

The great Missouri-River dam, eighteen
| miles east of Helena, Mont, Whlch Las
been i'm process of construction for nearly
two wears, is an accomplished thing. III Is
q most extraordinary piece of engineering
work. ranking among the largest and most
! important plants in the United states
| The waters of the Missouri river have
| been turned into the great reservoir, ana
are now pouring over the crest or the dam
All that is now lacking are the SWITCH
| boards. by means of which the machinery
| I'm the power-house is to be connected WIN
| the transformers. These are expected
daily, and upon their arrival IL VIII re-
| ouire only a day or two TO make the pro-
per connections. Everything, says the
Boston Transcript, will then be in readi-
ness for the delivery of power to the va
rious surrounding points. The points 10
be first supplied with power are the smeit-
ers at East Helena, the Peck concentrator'
at Corbin. and the plant at the Helena
Light and Power Company. IL is expect
ed that connections will soon be made
with the East Helena smelters, as sew
enty-five tons of copper wire. OF ~ l.
per cent copper, are in readiness 10
be strung along the pole-linc TO that
town. An idea of the immense storage
cauacity of this enormous reser-
voir NAV be obtained from the
fact that with the water flowing into 1t
at the rate of $3.50 cubic feet a second,
II required ffty-two and one-half hours
TO raise the height of the water in the
reservoir two and one half feet. The
crest Of the dam is 4S5 feet across be-
tween the abutment walls, while its entire
width from shore to shore, inclusive OF
all the works, is 92S feet. 1t has raised
the river to a height of thirty feet, while
the water is backed up so as to form a
reservoir, which covers 1900 acres. In
its construction ., 5OO,O 900 feet of lumber has
been used 10000 cubic feet Of rock, 6OWO
cubic yards of earth filling. and 6,OOO
cubic yards of masonry. Work on this
enterprise was begun on July !, 1896,
since which time $4,000 has been ex-
pended for labor. No expense has been
spared in securing the finest machinery
and It is estimated that the totai net
cost of the dam and power-house VIII be
S750,0OC The supply Of water is mex
haustible. and during the high-water sea-
son this plant will easily generate 1900
horse power. At the low-water season
the power available will not be less than
lOOOO-horse power. By drawing upon the
large reserve above the dam. the amount
Of power at any time can be augmented
10 meet any Increased demands upon
It, allowing the reservoir to again fill
and the water 20 be restored TO its ac-
customed height whenever the need is
lessened. 1t is estimated that if the
water were at any time to be shut down
from above the reservoir. the machinery
could still continue running at its full
capacity for four days. The average
ultimate capacity Of the plant will be
i. 900 horse power which is said TO be
equal to that of the natural power OF
the falls at Lowell. Mass.
1t is proposed to make the most OF the
wonderful power furnished by st. Mary's
Falls. Mich 1t Is believed that contracts
for the excavation will be let by July.
but the contract for the dredging ~ be
done at the intake-which involves the
dredging of a channel eighteen feet deep
400 feet wide. and 1000 feet long-may be
let shortly. According 20 the completed
plans, the canal proper will be 200 feet
wide and twenty-five feet deep. The
work In its entirety will involve the ex-
penditure OF several millions of dollars
In addition 10 the dredging there Is a
rock excavation OF 1900 feet, an earth
excavation of 1000 feet feet for the canal.
the construction Of timber bulkheads |
2 500 feet long. the building of huge walls |
of masonry, the construction OF a pile |
dock $500 feet long. and the building OF |
a branch railway along one side OF the |
canals right Of way to connect with the |
500 Line and the South Shore roads