Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-09-17
HARNESS ON RAPIDS
Millions to be Spent by Associa-
ton of Keokuk 3 lsiness
Men.
POWER FOR NBIGHBoRING TOWNS
Can be Transmitted Economically
Distance of Fifty
Miles.

the great river that flows By it uu-
hGrnessed toward he gulf, it should
be interested in what other cities are
doing toward utilizing such power.
Keokuk has been investigating the
satellites that lie in the rapids at
that place. and Lyman Z Cooley a
Chicago civil engineer, has just COM
pleted plans for the development of
the power so as to give 10000 horse
power, or more, than is to be devel-
oped at Niagara.
The Keokuk and Hamilton Water
Power company, an association of
business men of the two towns. has
undertaken the work of developing
the power. Charles p Birge is pres
ident of the company, Il K Wallace
vice president, and + imund Jaeger,
secretary. The company intends to
develop the power progressively as 1t
may be needed, and the plans have
been made to allow of this without
costly charges.
Before reaching Keokuk the riv. L
flows swiftly through gorge II miles
long. nearly mile wide and from 120
to $50 feet deep Bet Reen Ksokuk
and Montrose, where the proposed
mprovements are to be made. the
river has a width of three-iourths of
mile In a stretch of about six
miles long there is an available fall
of 16 10 20 feet depending on the
season
Opposite the upper end of the & ~
eminent canal the water power
company proposes to build a wing
dam extending out into the stream
from the eastern or Illinois side of
the river. This dam will divert 10 =
QUO cubic feet per second flow of
water into a canal to be constructed
along the east side of the gorge The
canal will be five miles long and will
conduct the water with only ? g feet
feet fall to basin three quarters of a
mile long and one-quartar of mile
wide.
At the lower end of this basin will
be a group of power houses with tuT-
bine water wheels and electric eener-
ators. On the river side the plans
provide for a bear-trap da IL similar
TO the one in use at the lower end of
the Chicago sanitary canal TO be 100
feet long and to have q vertical rang
OF 10 feet. The bsac-trap is Intended
to regulate the pressure on the wheels
by securing nearly a constant flow
through the canal, outstanding
the great variations of the natural
supply.
Big Sum to be Spent.
With the wing dam alone construct
aA r. ,Ho No
horse power can be had cons antly
The cost of this work, exclusive OF
power houses and machinery, j. esti-
mated at 50, 1856 233. or $2ls 81 per
horse power. But the wing dam is
only the first stage of the projected
construction. By extending 1T across
the river as a concrete structure 6, 900
feet long and ten feet high, the water
surface can be raised so as to provide
20, 600 cubic feet continuous flow
through the power canal and 27.5 fees
head on the wheels, thus securing As =
600 effective horse power. To carry
the development of the rapids 10 this
stage will cost 81 443 rs or 3 81
per horse power.
Eventually a deep tail race will be
cut out below the pc yer house secur-
ing so 600 horse power at total
cost of S. 504, 693, or $40 90 per horse
power. The normal capacity of the
three power houses contemplated for
the final development will be more
than 20, 900 horse power, assuring The
so, 900 power counted upon as con-
slant supply despite all variations
Project Approved by Congress.
The wing dam project has already
been authorized By congress; the dam
must be begun by February. 1902. and
com pleted within three years there
after. 1t is believed by the officers
that there will be little or no objection
to extending the wiDgdam across the
river. since navigation can at all times
be carried on through the government
canal. At the power plant it is in
tended to use groups of turbine water
wheels, each wheel being 43 to Al
inches in diameter. For the wing
dam stage of development the power
plant unit will be eight such tur-
bines, coupled on a horizontal shaft
and delivering LIPS effective horse
power Two of these units will be
with one 2. 000-horse power
generator With the carrying out of
the high level or completed dam pro-
ject each unit will develop double its
former efficiency, or $50 horse
power, and will be connected with a
single generator. The power, it is
said, can be transmitted economic |
ally 40 to 80 miles. thus making it
available for Quincy, Burlington,
Fort Madison ana other towns.
Shocking Calamity.
"Lately befell rail way laborer,"