Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-09

above a point on the stream before 1t
begins to shoot down the mountain
gorge with a fall of nearly 800 feet.
The grade for the fiume is cut out OF
solid rock. The descent is made on a
1901 900 grade. The flume rises to .
height Of about 800 feet above the stream
before it makes a fall to the pressure
pipes to the electric plant. which Is
erected in the valley below. On the
route of the fiume there are two tunnels.
One is 375 feet long. a quarter Of
a mile from the DAM and a second one Is
$50 feet long, three-quarters of a mile
distant. 1t took SOC, 900 feet or more OF
lumber to build the flume. The timbers
are 6x6 and two-inch plank dressed upon
one side.
The fiume carries 200 inches of water.
capable Of generating by electricity over
1000 horse power.
At the dam and along the route Of the
are several safety and foodgates.
whereby any quantity of water desired
can be run into the fume. or 1t can De
emptied at a moments notice. At GER
tain points where the safety gates nave
been opened the force of the water has
torn down the whole side of a mountain,
and for this reason a large hume TOT
waste water has been constructed just
above the reservoir and is run over into
another gulch to avoid tearing down the
mountain near the reservoir and above
the electric light plant. The distance
from the reservoir to he electric light
plant is about 1850 feet, with a fall OF
between 700 and 500 feet. The receiving
pipe is Sc inches in diameter, laid in Sec
tions 251a feet long, the heaviest sections
Weighing four tons and the heaviest pipe
at the base of the mountain being nearly
an inch in thickness. At a point above
the electric plant for a distance of about
1000 feet the pipes are laid at an angle
of nearly IS degrees, and are securely
nchored in the sid with
clasps and pins laid in concrete and ce-
ment and covered with rocks n earth
to prevent the sun from striking it. At
the base of the mountain and running
the full length of the rear of the power
house is Il mammoth receiving pipe.
Two huge water valves near the main
pipe regulate the water in either end
of the receiving pipe at the electric
plant. Water can be turned in one end
of this pipe and off in the other, or both
ends shut off at the same time, and still
have the pipes leading down the noun
tain full of water. Two mammoth
Westinghouse dynamos and two eXciters
will be propelled by two large and two
small Pelton water wheels. Each dy-
namo and one EXETER will be III indie
pendent of the other. Each water wheel
has a governor so perfect that the oper-
ator can in an instant cut the water Off
ollN1 olop N"S AAASS AA N0AN ~ NAS
| thing being wrong. The plant has al
| ready two mammoth dynamos, and suffi-
| cient room for another if at any time
| more power is needed. The initial test
will be made with the Bi-Metallic mill,
where a force of electricians are MAX
| ing things ready at that end. No ex-
| pense has been spared to make the plant
perfect in every detail. and the trial run
will be watched with great interest, for
| the reason that it is an enterprise of
large proportions inc will mark a new
! epoch in the history of Montana's water
falls and the uses to which electricity
can be applied as a motive power.
Mr.. Frank Dumont of San Francisco.
representing the Pelton Waterwheel
company, laid the last section of the pipe
during the time the Inter Mountain re-
porter was present. His work., the fin
ishing touches on the waterwheels, will
be completed Tuesday.
A telephone line u to the Bi-Metallic
Office at Philipsburg. Some day soon a
message will pass over the line that all
is ready at the mill. the water will
touch the Pelton wheels and the man at
the switchboard at the foot of Flint
creek falls will the e instant cause
the wheels in the big silver mill to go
with a regularity hat will surprise the
natives of Granite county.
The consolidated Granite-Bi-Metallic
company is to be congratulated.