The Washington times., 1901-09-22
A BIG POWER PLANT.
Nebraska River to BE Made to De.
veIOp 10000 Horsepower.

One OF the biggest wafer power piti!tS
in the United States is soon TO be built
at Fremont, Neb. The waters of the Loup
River will be tapped at Linwood, forty
six miles from Fremont. and carried
through a canal to turbine installation,
whence the waters will pass to the Platte
River. Thirty thousand horsepower will
be developed.
The effects of this power plant upon the
commercial prospects of Eastern Nebras-
ka are expected to be very great. FIRE.
mont is a busy town, thirty-six miles
from Omaha, possessed of every natural
advantage except cheap power. Steam
power-or, rather, to reduce it TO its ori-
gin, coal power-is the only force at
present available for manufacturing pur-
poses. All coal needed for the production
of power must be brought from dis
tance, the nearest practical fields being
those of Wyoming, against the product of
which some prejudice exists.
For three reasons the plans for the
construction of the Fremont power canal
have created the greatest enthusiasm in
Fremont. Water power is notoriously
the cheapest form of power. and as the
projectors plan to instin n powerful sys-
TEN Of turbines for the production of
electricity it is expected that factories
will be attracted to the town from all
over the West. 1t is practically certain,
too. that the new power plant will have
one sure and large field for it's power in
Omaha. thirty-six milas away. Then,
too there is South Omaha and Couacil
Bluffs. both of which have large manu-
featuring interests. AT Omaha there are
located some of the largest meat-packing
plants In the country and cheap power
will greatly add to their profits and out
put.
There seems to be little doubt that the
promoters will be able to obtain all the
power they are likely to need, for nature
has provided 1t for them. The surprising
thing. indeed. is that no one has utilized
the supply before this. -i
Linwood is thirty miles from Fremont,
on the Loup River. Fremont is on the
Platte The plan is to construct a canal
thirty miles long; to tap the waters of
the Loup and bring them to Fremont,
where a power station will be built. After
the water has passed through the tur-
bines at the powerhouse IL will be dis
charged into the Platte River.
The explanation of the production of
power is to be found in the fact that in
goini; from Linwood to Fremont the water
falls $50 feet. This will form what engi-
neers call the potential head At Messena,
n. Y, where a gigantic plant has been
built, the working head is less than forty
five feet, but it is able TO develop a force
of more than $1,000 horsepower 1t is
true, however, that the power canal at
Messena is several hundred feet wide and
is navigable stream
The power canal 1T Fremont is to be
only twelve feet wide and will be of no
considerable depth, but 1t will discharge
into and fill sort of natural reservoir
known as Elm creek which is three miles
long From this the water will pass
through the ''penstocks." or conductor
pipes, to the turbines. The actual work
ing head is likely to be about fifty feet,
or even less; the promoters demanding a
potential output of 10000 horsepower.
Those who are interested in the project
have had no difficulty in interesting peo-
pie who will utilize the power Already
the company has obtained an option on
all the Omaha Street railways. as well as
those of Council Bluhs. 1t is expected
that the output of power from Fremont
will be used direct for the running of the
cars and that it will render useless the
electric plants from which the present
working current is derived.
plant for Fremont are r. NJ. King * Co,
of New York The firm manufactures
turbines The power company has been
incorporated under the title of the Ere
mont Power Canal Company.
West from Omaha there is no nearby
manufacturing town of any size, and, as
has been said in the foregoing. problems
of fuel and transportation have operated
somewhat against Omaha in the matter
of attracting outside manufacturers 10 the
town. If Omaha and COUNCIL Bluns are
a ble to offset this by providing unlimited
mower cheaper than ii can be obtained
{ elsewhere in the West. it is quite likely |
that the manufacturing Importance OF
both places Will increase ENORMOUSLY. fre-
mont is already feeling the Impetus of
the coming canal, as real estate values |
have Increased very largely since the plan
was first proposed.
Very little work will have to be done in |
order TO cut the canal. most of the |
land through which it will pass is level
Indeed there is only one place on the en- |
tire route where any heavy work will /
between the two ends of the ca |
nal-there is a good sized hill. 1t was gen |
orally supposed that it would have to be |
bored for the canal, but the engineers |
an open cut. In another |
place. too, the water will have to be car |
ried for a short distance on an aqueduct
The work of surveying has all been done |
and options have been obtained on most |
Of the land which will be required. Some |
will be condemned by legal procedure. |
The engineers declare that the canal can |
be completed in little over year as !
the climate permits work to be done the |
year around. Final plans for the power
house have not yet been made. but it is |
expected that the. first installa- |
ton will be at least of six turbines These |
will probably be of the horizontal type |
Eagle.