Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-12
Proposals Asked for the Building of
a Dam There.
The PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY
Power for New Street Railroad
and Lighting, Company
S T E A M V s.. w TER



Proposals are. being solicited by the
Great Falls Power Company for the con-
tract for the building of a dam across the
canal at the falls and canal or sluice to
convey the water to a power house for the
purpose of generating electricity. AS the
readers OF The Star are aware, this COM
pany is now owned by those who are also
interested in the Washington Traction and
Electric Company, which controls the cleo
trio lighting companies of the District and
all the street railroads, with the exception
of the Capital Traction. 1t is the an
ncGnced intention of the new owners to
utilize at the earliest possible moment the
power of the Potomac at the Great Falls
for the purpose of generating electricity
Whlch can be used both for lighting and
street railroad purposes in this District
some months ago they acquired from the
butter estate the property and franchises
OF the Great Falls Power Company. and
since tnen they have had surveys made of
the properly by engineers with the view
"a determining the best plan for its de-
velopment.
IL Is understood that in general way
the location of the proposed dam, as we'll
as OF the canal or stulceway, on the Viz
ginla shore will follow very much the same
lines as similar works proposed by the o.d
company, and also those of the old Poto-
mac canal, which was projected in me
uayS OF General Washington and under
his direction.
Large Dam.
1t Is proposed to build a dam across the
Potomac from a point on the MARYLAND
shore about opposite the hotel at the falls
This dam will be below that of the govern
ment dam and will be built nearly in
straight line to an island and then will take
a diagonal course down the river to a point
on the Virginia side. Here the canal will
start. and il Is he IIy do
one. The new power house is to be located
about on the site of the that was to
have been built by the Butler company
and the construction of which was actually
begun.
1t is said to be the desire of those in
control vi this enter prise to begin the ac-
tual work of constructing the dam as soon
as possible this season, in order to take
advantage of the state of the river, as the
water reaches the lowest point about this
time of the year. The new dam is not to be
very high, but, the river at the point
named is about half mile WIDE and the
proposed work is not to extend across in a
straight line but is to have diagonal
course, the dam is to be a work of consid-
cradle magnitude.
The Estimated Power.
The new power house is be situated at
a point down the river. which is deemed
to be best adapted for such a purpose,
and 1t is likely that the wires will be
the dam and led across that work to the
maryland side and thence to the city.
1t is not stated exactly what is the esti-
mated power of the water at that point
nor how much current can be produced,
but 1t Is thought it will be possible to fur
n1sh the greater portion of the electricity
needed for power and lighting purposes OF
the new company. When this work is COM
pleted, it is expected that the existing pow
er stations Of the company can be given up.
AT present the power houses of the Po-
tomac and the United States Electric Light
ing companies age in use, and, in addition,
the Metropolitan and Columbia and Capital
street railroads are operated by electricity
supplied from fGthe g: Independent power
houses, as was the CASE under the separate
ownership which existed few months ago.
Operating a NuIhber OF Roads.
In, addition to supplying a current for
lighting purposes thedcurrent is also gen.
Grated at the Potomac power house which
is used in running the City and Suburban
railroad, extending some nine miles out in
to the country to BerWyn, Nd The Great
rails, the Glen Echo. the Tenleytown and
the Brightwood roads are run by means of
the electricity which comes from the same
source 1t was the intention all along to
enlarge the Potomac power plant SO that
all the other plants owned by the company
could be closed up; but it is estimated that
the plan of having water power plant in
stead OF steam plant will prove to be
, much more economical