Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-06-06
TO DAM THE WISCONSIN.
Senator Spooner and Brother Will Dam the
River at kiibourn City.
Chicago American.

| SUNDAY thlcago American.
Philip L. Spooner, a brother of
Senator John G. Spooner, has pur-
chased the magnificent water power
at Kilbourn City, Wis. on the
Wisconsin River, fifty-one miles from
Madison, and will transmit the
power to Madison. The magnitude
of the undertaking and what it will
mean for the Wisconsin Vally can
scarcely be estimated.
| Seven thousand horse power, gener-
ated without the cost for fuel, by far
the biggest item in the generation of
electricity, will be poured into
Madison and the surrounding country
and rendered available for any and all
purposes. 1t means that the city will
be lighted, the street cars run and the
factories supplied with this practically
unlimited, cheap and never-failing
power. Already there is talk of put
ting in an electric road to extend
around the chain of lakes and make
Madison one of the most attractive
pleasure resorts in the country.
Factories and manufacturing plants
will be established here and Madison
will assume place in the world of
commence hitherto undreamed of.
The project is no visionary fancy.
but an actual fact. The deal is
entirely consummated and the plans
all outlined. In the closing DAYS of
the Legislature bill was passed
authorizing the construction of
Seventeen-fOOt dam across the Wiscon-
sin River at Kilbourn. 1t is estimated
| that it will cost between 100000 and
81, 100000.
In an interview Senator Spooner
said:
Eyes, it is true that l have pur-
chased the water power at kilbourn,
and work will be commenced at once.
We hope to have the dam built. the
wires strung and the plant in opera
tiOn by December at the very latest.
The Madison Street Railroad, which [
recently bought, will be supplied with
power generated at KilbOurn.
"Will the city, university and
capitol be supplied with this power?
Well, that depends. We will have
the power here and can furnish it
great deal cheaper than any one else.
The project is entirely feasible To
certain extent it will entirely revolu-
tionize affairs. 1t will take the place
of all power now in use for milling,
lllululudUillS dllu Manufacturing
purposes and means that many fac
tories and manufacturing establish
mentS will be attracted to Madison
and the other places enroute. We
have plenty of money and shall see it
through.
'The feasibility of the project is a
settled question. Electric power is
transmitted to San Francisco from the
Yuba River 40 miles distant. with
loss of only per cent. The same is
true in the transmission of power
from Niagara to Buffalo, distance of
about forty miles. The distance as
the crow flies from Kilbourn to Madi-
son is about forty miles, and following
the railroad through either Portage or
Baraboo it is about ffbJ-fve miles.
"As this is the only dam authorized
to be built on the Wisconsin River no
other concessions can be had until the
Legislature meets again, in two years
Already companies are forming to get
concessions at the next meeting of the
Legislature and develop power farther
up the river. It is known that there
are places where all the way from 5000
to 25,OOO horse power can be had.
This can be transmitted to all places
within radius of 100 miles, and the
result will be boom to the towns and
cities of the Wisconsin Valley that it
is hard to estimate at this time.''