The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-20
THE ivy POWER PLANT
WILL FURNISH LIGHT AND POWER TO
AShEvILLE.
IS Mammoth Lake and Dam. Blasting Site
from the Solid Rick. The Cost
Of One Horse Power.
Baskerville Gazettee of 1Sth.)

Work on the Ivy dam project is pro-
crossing satisfactorily A road has
been built from the place where the dam
is to be built to the mouth of the creek
where the Southern Railway has put in
a siding. The timber has been cleared
for a long distance above the dam, and
the construction machinery is all ON the
ground One of the four derricks by
which the huge stones will be hoisted
into place on the dam has been set up
and was tested for the first time yester-
day. The derrick carries long crane
which can lift rocks from one side of
the river to the other with great ease.
The top of the derrick is held in place
by steel cables which extend in every
direction. and are fastened i'll the sides
of the mountain on both banks of the
river.
Now that one derrick and engine has
been put in place the others can be set
ND very much easier as all the lifting
will he done by the first derrick.
One gang of men is engaged in clear
ing off the stumps and earth on each
side of the river where the dam is TO
be. After the solid rock is reached it
will be blasted in order to get rough
surface in which the dam can be keyed
in. Even the river bed, which has been
worn smooth by the water. will be
blasted.
The dam is to be 40 feet long at the
bottom. $40 feet at top and sixty feet
thick Mt the bottom, tapering to thick
ness of six feet at the top. The dam
will be as tight as rock and cement can
make it.
Another gang of men is preparing to
construct the race. which will be blast
ed ont of solid rock. This will he an
expensive undertaking, but the rock thus
blasted will be used to construct the dam.
The power plant will be located half
mile further down as the river runs. but
only about three hundred yards in
straight line, where level space will be
blasted out. BY locating the plant here
fall of twenty-four feet will be gained,
giving in connection with the eighty-foot
fall of the dam total fall of one hun
dred and four feet.
The water will be carried down in an
iron fiume. except where it will pass
through a tunnel one hundred feet long
through the mountain. The tunnel will
be cut through solid rock and the water
will be confined by the rock walls alone.
The turbines will be twenty-seven
inches in diameter. There will be two
pairs, each pair furnishing 1000 horse
power. The turbines will be geared di-
rectly to the dynamos.
There will be sufficient water power
to furnish 1000 horse power. but only
half this amount will be used for the
present.
The dam will back the water up the
creek five miles, making a beautiful lake
of that length about 500 feet wide. The
company owns the privilege of backing
up the water for six miles.
This lake will he stocked with fish
from the United States Fish Depart
ment. A steam launch will also probably
be put on the lake.
Surveyor A. A. Hamlet yesterday COM
pleted his survey of the route over which
the wires will 90 to convey the electric
power to Asheville. This shows the dist
ance to be about fourteen miles. There
will be three bare copper wires half an
i'm in diameter. M
The county commissioners have grant
ed the company the privilege OF carry
ing the wires over the public roads. The
wires will be strung partly over the
roads and partly over private property.
The company hopes to induce the
Southern Railway to establish flag
station at the siding. The dirt road
from the siding to the dam which was
built by the company and which is claim
ed to be as good as any public road in
the county, is only two miles long and
if a flag station is established it will he
far more convenient for visitors to reach
the works than at present.
Some time next fall the company will
establish offices in Asheville. 1t has
not been decided whether a building will
be built or rented.
The current will go over the wires to
Asheville at the enormously high volt
age of 10000 with an estimated loss IN
transmission of ) per cent TO reduce
this voltage to the needs of consumers
a transformer station will be established
in Asheville at a location not yet decid-
ed upon.
The first object of the company will
be to- supply power to every establish
ment in Asheville where power is reqlHr-
ed If it can do this it will not establish
any manufacturing enterprises of its
own. No trolley line will be built in
any event.
The total horse power in .Asheville, in
Guiding electrical, is estimated to be
| 900.
The company can furnish four times
this amount if necessary.
Tine price of the electricity delivered
in Asheville will be 500 per year per
horse power.