The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-09-14
he Electric Power and LIGHT
Conpany's Plans.
WORK BEING PUSHED.
An Interesting Description Of the PROPOSE
tion Which Will Mean Much
for Kalispell.
Special Correspondence of the Bee.

Special Correspondence of the Bee.
Holt, Mont, Sept. 11.-Under favora-
bic circumstances the Electric Power
company, now constructing plant on
Swan river, will have completed six
hundred horse power establishment by
January l. and as it is the intention to
enlarge its productive power upon COM
plction OF the present work, the near
future will witness an electric power
house having thousands of horse power
and almost indefinite life.
The completion of the work taken up
by this company will mean far more to
the city of Kalispell than is generally
imagined. Houses and streets will be
lighted at a cost below that now existing
while factories and mills will be able to
operate at an expense less than that of
coal or wood.
While the gentlemen who are the tinan-
cial backers of the company look upon
the investment from business stand
point only, they will be placing the city
in position to offer locations to manu-
featuring concerns where, at nominal
cost they can operate and have no fear
OF coal or wood becoming exhausted or
difficult to procure. Swan river will
continue to dash over the rapids with as
much force and grandeur, while only a
small portion of natures power will be
utilized
About one mile above the bridge cross
ing Swan river and the location of the
power house, is the head of the upper
rapids. Here nature has constructed al
most natural commencement for the
fiume which will conduct, gradually de-
cending, rushing current day and night.
The fume, which will be fifty seven hun
dred feet in length, will have fall of
about three feet in that distance. At the
mouth of the flnme the water will plunge,
abruptly, through steel pipe one hun
dred and four feet, over and into the i'm
mense turbine wheels which, in turning,
will start into motion the generators.
Some idea of the power equipment will
be had by the statement that if all the
steam engines operating in kelispell
were combined they would not furnish
as much power as the plant under con-
struction on the south side of Swan
river.
The buildings of the plant, which will
embrace the construction of two resi-
dences to be occupied by electricians,
barns, power house, transformer build
ing, fifty seven hundred feet of flume.
seventeen miles of poles, the stretching
of forty eight miles of copper wire and
the building of the Office and story rooms
on First avenue between Second and
Third street, will be under the direct
management of Messrs. l.. and Fred
Tinkel.
Mr.. IL. b. Fish, the hydraulic engineer
in charge, is a gentleman of wide ex.
perience and resident of Dayton, Ohio.
He Will be assisted by Mr.. G. p. Smith,
as civil engineer, who has just completed
running the line for poles into the city.
The contract for setting the poles has
been let to Marshall Sanford.
Mr.. Shriyer, of Chicago, will be the
electric engineer, and the contractors
and graders, Fair Brothers, firm of
railway contractors, who have complete
outfit.
The building to be constructed on
First evenne will be modern two-story
brick and stone structure twenty-five by
sixty feet, fronting east.
There will be used in constructing the
plant 100000 feet of lumber, $1,000
pounds of wire and one hundred and
forty feet of fifty four inch steel pipe.
The plant when complete will have a
capacity of 1000 horse power; four thous-
and volts of electricity will be generated
aud eight generators will hum day and
night.
During the construction about seventy
men will be given employment each day,
who will receive weekly about $1,000
salary.
Three thousand cubic feet of water
will pass through the four turbine wheels
per minute, or 100000 cubic feet every
twenty four hours.
The gentlemen who style themselves
the Big Tork Electric Power and Light
company are Messrs. L. Tinkel, Fred
Tinkel and c. Z. Conrad. 1t is now q
partnership but it is the intention to in
corporate soon with capital stock of
perhaps 100000.