Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-04-05
MONTANA'S BIG DAM.
Completion of a Great Missouri
River Power Plant.
Two Hundred Men Have Been at
Work for Two solid Years on
the Great Under
taking.

Helena's fondest dream has been re-
,lized-the great Missouri river dam
has been completed, an electric plant
excelled only by that at Niagara Falls
has been installed and is in daily opera
ion; every industry in this immediate
vicinity is supplied with power there
from, and but four-tenths of its ca
pacity is utilized. Immense smelters,
soncentrators. mining machinery, mine
hoists. street ears. electric light sys-
TENS, telegraph and telephone batter
les, newspaper plant and in fact almos;
every power plant in Helena, East
Helena and Corbin are either now OF
will be propelled by that silent yet po-
tent fluid known as electricity, derived
prim rily from an electric plant To-
Gated at Cannon Ferry, distant l6 miles
from Helena. which in turn is supplied
by the swiftly flowing Missouri riyerin
its passage through the main chain OF
the Rocky mountains.
A few days ago. without the least os-
t~entation on the part of the company
owning the plant, the current was
turned into the network of wires eX-
tending in several directions from the
dam site, and save only those ac-
quainted with the plans few realized
that the source Of power had been
changed from coal and steam to that
of nature. So perfect were the plans
fer the substitution that not a hitch
of any kind occurred; in fact, il has
been found that the plan of level wires
Ga comparatively new theory in the
transmission of electricity has re-
suited in fully five per cent. less loss
than was anticipated, and for that rea-
son a higher voltage was achieved at
the distant end. resulting in better
lights than under the old system.
The wires have been strung to the
dixie" ldhout3 80 miles,, and as
soon as the necessary electrical appa-
ratus arrives many stamps will be OPP
Grated under the new method, a state
ment probably needing an explanation
to fully comprehend its significance.
The dixie an immense mountain Of low
grade free milling gold ore. Its loca-
ton and elevation make the cost of re-
fining the ore quite expensive, and in
some instances prohibitive. owing to
tine scarcity of water TO operate the
stamps for pulverizing the ore and the
expense of hauling coal up a seven or
eight-mile mountain road.
1t is estimated that where the pres
eut cost of treating the ore is two dol
lars per ton this can be reduced TO "a
cents. With the above for an example,
il may he seen that the claims Of the
promoters promising to almost revolu'
tionize mining in Montana has some
foundation at least, and when il is re-
allied that the mineral output of this
state is over $5o.0Ol.NOO annually, the
cxultation noted AZ the beginning OF
this sketch is at least p~ardonable.
To construct this dam the labor OF
200 men WAS required for two solid
wears, at a cot eff half a million dol
lars. In it were consumed 10000 0C
feet of timber. 5000 cubic yards OF
earth and $4,000 cubic yards of granite
luarried at the dam site.
Four large penstocks. about so feet
long and IS inches in diameter. each
containing water wheels revolving al
the rate of la times per minute, fur
nish the primary power, which is equiv
alent TO about l2.5GO horse power, but
this may be increased in the ratio OF
four to ten, or 31.250 horse power
should the occasion so demand.
1t is the sanguine hope of the com,
pany to eventually extend their lines
&c Butte, "the greatest mining camp or
earth" distant about 40 miles overland
a plan believed by electricians to be en-.
tirely feasible and highly profitable
provided the traversing of the mair
range of the Rockies does not result il
too great a loss of power.-St. Paul Dis
patch.