Daily inter mountain., 1900-11-15
.EN[ARG|NG
THE PLANT.
PROGRESS WITH THE POWER
PLANT AT CANYON
FERRY.
PROPOSE TO TRANSMIT
ELECTRICITY TO BUTTE.
Tie Powerhouse Is Being Enlarged
and Many Improvements
Being Planned.

Pending the enlargement of the power
plant at Canyon Ferry, 10y the addition
of watemwheels and generators to pro-
duce 5000 additional electrical horse
power, large force of men is employed
in building the new double pole line of
seventy miles to Butte.
Work is going on, not only in the
way cf setting posts" said Mr.. H. Ger
ry, chief engineer and superintendent of
the Missouri River Power company,
Tuesday to the Record, 'Fbut we are
building substantial masonry for the ma
chnery. We are making large additions
to the power house and shall put in
dyrramnos similar to those already in
place. 1t Will take about five months to
build the line before the machinery is
ready for erection and work will continue
as long as the weather permits The line
will so by way of Boulder, and a sub
ST alton will be built in Butte. When COM
pleted, it Will 'be the longest transmission
Of power in the west, aid one Of the long
est and largest in the world
THE present plant has now been op
Grating for about two years and is in
every way a grand success. We have
been running almost without Interrupt
ton ever since we started The dam is
stable and perfect in every manner, as
is shown by the way it Withstood the
high water in 1899, which was the highest
on record. We have furnished all the
power for the lighting Of Helena, "a for
the running Of the street cars. Besides
that, we have furnished power for the
running Of the Peck Montana concentra
tor and the snelter at East Helena, and
everywhere that it has been used it has
been reported a great saving over the
steam power formerly used.
There is no reason why Canyon Fer
ry and the vicinity of the lake formed
by the dam should not make one of the
best summer resorts in the west, for al
most every attraction necessary to make
such is to yEe had there. There are the
cliffs and a lake that will make the finest
boating in the country, Oct alone the at
mos,phere and scenic surroundings.
'Ancther thing, that lake would make
the finest fishing i'm the country, II 1t
were only stocked. The United States
government should take hold of it and
stock it with a couple of million fish, and
in three or four years not only the lake
would he stocked with an abundant sup
ply, but all the small surrounding trio
utarv streams would be bountifully sup
piled, There Is no reason why it would
not make the finest fishing place in the
world. I would recommend north
ert1 lake Write efish and a salmon trout.
Both those fish want deep water for a
good wintering place and they would get
it at Lake SeWall, the water being in
some places thirty-five feet deep. The
fish could come down the mountain
streams and winter in the lake and
spread out to all the northern mountain
streams in the spring. No fish can get
UP the river now, on account of the dam.
"Besides the fishing there is as good
duck hunting at the lake as can be
found anywhere in the country. People
who live at the seashore go to the Twin
Lakes near Leadvhlle, Colo, for good
mountain air, and there is no reason why
the vicinity of the dam should not make
as good a resort if sufficient capital were
invested"
.'The additional power at the dam, "
| said Dr. A. P. Thatcher, assistant secre-
tary of the Missouri River Power com.
| pany should act as an Incentive fN per.
sons to come to Helena and makeS-it 9
| manufacturing town. Heretofore one 81
| the main objections was the cost o.
| steam power. but this has been done
away with Why is this not a good place
| for the eata blishment of a securing mill
| We are right in the center of a wool
growing district and have the power
handy This would be great saving t.
the wool grower in freight rates, which
are very high from here to Chicago, New
York or Boston. When We get the pow
| er to Butte great many smelters
| mines and the electric light and stree
car companies will use the power. Th'
route to Butte is difficult, at least tn
getting in of the poles. "A road has t.
be built alongside of the pole route ant
poles and material hauled. In som
| places the post holes must be blown ou
of solid rock. The holes must be eigh
| feet deep.
speaking of Canyon Ferry for sum
mer resort" continued Dr. Thatcher, .
think it would be an ideal spot. col
lege would be fine thing there, for ther
is boating, hunting, fishing and all tn
chance possible for scientific investiga
tions. The atmosphere is so pure and in
vigorating in this country that it woul
be the exact place for sanitarium. L
fact, 1 think it will be a busy place som
day and the time will come when 1t Wi
be a paying proposition for the stree
cars to run out there"
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