Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-11-01
ENGINEERING FEAT.
ENORMOUS POWER DAM BEING BUILT
AT CHlTTENDEN MEADOWS.

Chittenden Power Company to Secure Four
Thousand Horsepower by Imprisoning
3.75O,OOo, 900 Gallons of Water at IA Cost
of $500, OOO-work Being Rushed.
The dam which the ChIttenden Power
company of this city is building at Chit
tenden meadows is one of the largest
works of of its kind in this country, says
the Rutland Herald. There is nothing
of this nature in the New England states
to compare with the huge dam, which
will cost the company over $500, 600 and
will furnish power; sufficient to run all
the industries in this section. The work
on the dam, which has been going on
steadily for the last two months, Is
progressing rapidly.
The reservoir back of the Chittenden
dam will contain $3.50, 100000 gallons of
water, which will furnish, at con-
sentative estimate, between 5000 and
1000 horse power every day of the year.
The dam is located about two miles east
of the village of Chlttenden. The reser-
vor will be in natural basin made by
the Chittenden mountains, and will be
water will cover over 500 of the 1000 acres
owned by the company in the vicinity
of Chittenden. The basin will be cres-
cent shaped, one point resting on the
dam itself. and the other near Letlert's
mill, about two miles above the dam. The
water for the reservoir will be supplied
by the immense watershed which en-
braces about 20 square miles.
The dam will extend across the valley
from east to west about 500 feet. The
core wall, which is now about finished,
Is six and onehalf feet wide at the base
and two and one-half feet wide at the
top. The wall extends about twelve
feet below the bed of the stream and at
its deepest point is 80 feet high. The
wall is massive structure which will
stand for hundreds of years. The stone
used in its construction is obtained from
the company's quarries in the nearby
hills and Is brought to the dam on q
temporary railroad. There are stones in
the wall weighing over four tons. The
material is manipulated by derricks aDd
other modern appliances for heavy work.
The gate house will be near the center
of the dam and made of brick, the inside
dimensions being II by 6 feet The gat'
will be surrounded by heavy masonry,
which at this point is about 20 feet in
width. The masonry will be lined with
brick. There will be over 5000 cubic
yards of stone masonry, 5000 cubic
yards of rock filling and 1000 cubic
yards of dirt useu in the construction
of the dam.
The core wall will be faced on the
north or upper side with half-inch coat
of Portland cement, which will make ii
water tight. Over 5000 barrels of
cement will be used in the dam. The
dirt and rock filings on the upper and
lower sides of the core wall are now over
half completed. The dirt for the filling
was spread In Pinch level layers, each
layer being packed soldly by heavy iron
rollers. The dirt filling is 100 feet wide
at the base and 10 feet at the top. The
rock filling below the core wall is i've
feet wide at the top and 40 feet at the
base. The earth filling will have sur
face of stone paving to prevent any
erosion by. the water. The dam whel
completed will be water-tight and OF
enormous strength. F. ii. Henderson
the resident engineer, said to a Herald
representative yesterday: The core
wall is being made unusually strong ever
for so large dam. The rock filling a
the back will give it still greatel
strength, and the dirt filling will protect
it from the water. These filings arr
being made with the greatest care. W.
We do not expect the dirt to sink an incl
when the water is let in upon 1t. ThC
mortar used in the masonry of the dan
is made of the best Portland cement
one part of which is mixed with tive
parts of coarse sand. This mortar, whel
it sets, is stronger even than stone. ant
the core wall, when completed, will b.
practically ledge of solid rock extend
ing from one hill to the other"
About $50 feet from the east end of tn,
dam there Is wasteway 100 feet Wild
and built so that stream of waste fiv'
feet in depth can run from the basin
In case of sudden flood this wastewa,