The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-22


the length of dts base up and down
stream is 1872 feet. The spillway to carry
off the surplus water is 200 feet wide,
forming a waterfall, which, lying be-
tween two rugged canyon walls, is
highly picturesque piece of scenery. A
| drain tunnel 240 feet long runs around
enc end of the dam through a solid
wall of rock, having an area of so
square feet and is for the draining off
the water down to the fnrebay in the
event repairs should become necessary.
The power house is built just below
the dam. 1t is 20 by 100 feet in dimen-
sions, so feet high on the river side,
and is built of solid masonry. In this
building are located the generators and
other machinery. The water is carried
from the forebay of the dam to the
water wheels by two iron penstocks,
one II feet in diameter and the other
u feet, Each is connected to two
water wheels and are so arranged that
fifth wheel may be connected when
it is needed. The generators are direct
~ connected to the wheels, which
means they are operated without the
use of belts.
The power is transmitted by six No
l copper wires leach about the size of
lead penciD in two circuits of three
wires each, so that if one circuit should
get out of order the other could be i'm
\
rent is generated at the power station
at 800 volts and is raised by means of
step-up transformers to $1,000 volts. at
which voltage it is carried over the
wires to Butte, and at the power sta
ton in South Butte is reduced again
by step-down transformers to a press
ure of 1900 volts. At this pressure 1t
is distributed to consumers. The trans
formers are provided with connections
so that at any time the pressure can
be raised to &c. 900 volts, which would
enable the sending of four times the
power over the same wires.
The current is brought to Butte over
pole line that is 20 4-10 miles long
and traVerses an air line from the
power house on the Big Hole to Butte,
or as nearly an air line as possible.
The wagon or railroad distance be-
tween the two points is so miles. The
pole line crosses the continental divide
and in places the erection of the poles
was a most difficult piece of work,
In connection with the pole line Chief
Electrician Max Hebgen has employed
most original scheme of his own to
protect the wires from lightning. In
the place of the lightning arresters
commonly employed, Mr. Hebgen has
strung a line of barbed Wire two feet
over the tops Of the poles. which is
grounded at every eighth pole, and he
cacious means vet adopted for the pro-
lection of long pole lines for the trans
mission of electric power from light
ming.
An interesting fact in connection with
the big enterprise is that the waters of
the Atlantic slope are utilized for in
dustries on the Pacific slope. This is
true. for the reason that the waters of
the Big Hole flow to the Atlantic,
while the industries which the plant
furnishes power are on the western
slope of the main continental divide.
Aside from the means that will be
brought into requston by the every
day operation of the plant, the COM
pany has built big storage reservoir
on Wise river 20 miles above the Big
Hole dam, for the purpose Of storing
water for use in the event of a water
famine and consequent lack Of suffi-
cient water in the Big Hole to operate
the plant, A huge dam stretches
across the Wise river at the point mem
toned, which, when closed, backs up
the water of the Wise and a natural
reservoir is formed, which has a stor-
age capacity of 650,O00,O00 cubic feet of
water, or sufficient to run the plant for
80 days if there should not be a drop
of water in the Zig Hole. The Wise
river flowing into the Big Hole the
stored water, when released would fur
All the electric genera tors, air blast
transformers lightning arresters, those
used at the power house, exciters, etc,
employed in the operation of the plant
are furnished by the General Electric
company of Schenectady, N. Y. The
work of the construction of the dams
and all the other engineering outside of
the electrical was done by Harper &
Mcdonald of Butte. and the electrical
engineering was in charge of Chief
Electrical Engineer Max Hebgen,
who has an able assistant in George
Kessler Aitkin, formerly city cleo
trician.
The enterprise which has now become
successful realization was conceived
in 1897, when the Montana Power COM
pany was organized, and operations
We're begun that fall on the conStruc-
ton of the dam on the Big Hole. The
dam was completed, but the spring
freshets of 1898 so damaged it that it
became necessary to reconstruct it al
most from the bottom. The great ex-
pense this entailed brought financial
embarrassment to the company, and it
became necessary to ask for the APP
pointment of a receiver. Fred r. Ster-
ling was appointed and under his SUI
pervisiOn the work was begun again
and carried to completion. Early in
the present month the company was
tana Power and Transmission company
and is now ON a solid financial foot
ing. 1t is expected that in short
time the receiver will be discharged.
The company is now capitalized for
$1,000,000 and a bonded Indebtedness Of
SITS 900. The officers of the company
are: Fred T. Sterling, president;
George II. Barker vice president; c.
H. Mcleod secretary and treasurer,
and Max Hebgen, manager The power
that is now being delivered in Butte
was brought in at a cost of almost a
million of dollars.
The officers of the company are i'm
mensely pleased with the success that
has attended the beginning Of opera
tons, Engineer Hebgen said yester-
day that the tests made showed that
the water power was much in excess
of what was expected of it, and that
the machiner-- was capable of produc-
ing 25 per cent. more power than was
calculated on. Vice President Barker,
who has had wide experience in ope-
rating long transmission electric power
plants stated that If was the first time