The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15
Is TIRED OF HIS JOB
"FATHER OF WATERS SEEMS TO BE
RUNNING OUT COMPLETELY.
Unusual Condition of Affairs at Min
neaPoIis-HiIIs Use steam, Traction
Lines Are without Power.
Minneapolis Journal.


wheels of giant industries at MINNEAPOLIS
have been anxiOusly asking each other
during the last week.
While the sources Of the Mississippi may
be in no danger OF early exhaustion, the
extraordinary low stage OF water in the
river at this season has caused serious
Inconvenience to the milling companies
whose immense plants cluster about the
falls. and to the street-railway system,
which for several years past has been de-
pending wholly upon the power generated
below the falls to the street cars of
the two cities.
Already the large milling companies have
been forced to employ auxiliary steam
plants IN five large mills at the busiest
season Of the year or TO close down. This
emergency developed Wednesday. To-day
the Twin City Rapid Transit Company
authorizes the statement that the water
mas reached such a low stage at the lower
dam that power is insufficient 10 propel
the cars in Minneapolis and St. Paul and
on the suburban lines. The street-railway
company has been forced to go back 10 the
partly dismantled steam power houses
which generated power in the old days,
which are now unable to generate all the
power needed. The resulting loss to the
street-raiIway company and the mills will
be heavy.
Several reasons have been advanced TO
explain the remarkable shrinkage in the
river Tire officials of the milling COM
panies say 1t may be due to a congestion
OF anchor ice up stream. Cold weather,
they argue. would close the surface of the
river and insure a steady stream. Another
reason. which may be a partial explana-
fEaa l1G
ar, concerned is that the Pilsbury "A
mill which has been undergoing a,tera-
tions and repairs since July a. started up
Monday. large quantity OF water would
thus have been diverted from the use VI
the other mills
With orders waiting and the mills run
ming their full capacity, the notice re-
cefVed by the mills from the power com
pany 10 shut of part of their tur pines
created a great big stir In the milling as
triGt Tgesdsy The 9rdeT %G ben if the Pii
bury-Washburn Company stopped USING
water at is b mill the
mills. the Consolidated Company at its
Excelsior and Columbia mills -
BY all odds the most serious feature OF
the situation is its effect on the uahspor-
tation facilities OF Minneapolis and St
Paul. The explanation OF the shortage
OF water; given by the milling oIDGials,
will hardly apply TO the street railway
company Conditions imposed by the mills
themselves and affecting simply the head
of water at the falls would hardly nave
the same effect below the apron The
street-railway officials while at loss Tor
any certain explanation Of the sluggish
Iiow of water believe that numbering Oper-
atioos in the north where tributary
streams are damned up for logging pur-
poses. may diminish the volume OF water 10
a considerable extent
Within the last few days the Twin City
pid Transit Company has been brought
face 10 face with condition so serious In
nished by the St. Anthony Falls Water
Power Company as materially to handicap
the company in the operation of it's cars
throughout its system in Minneapolis and
St Paul
For the first time in many years-per-
haps in the history of the city-the stage
OF water in the river has diminished TO
such an extent to furnish very little
water power compared to that winch re-
suits from the ordinary flow.
Since the utilization of the immense water
power below the falls of st. Anthony first
became an accomplished fact the street
railway company has extended its capacity
for handling cars over great distances, far
beyond that which could obtain by the use
of ordinary power houses. NOW that the
water power is being interfered with. how
ever temporarily IL may be, the company
finds itself unable 10 generate sufficient
power, by bringing every possible eXpedient
TO bear 10 run the a schedule
evenly apprOximating that obtained before
quicker service was installed. The result
IS that at the very time the public is de-
manding more rapid transit the company
finds itself suddenly forced to resort TO a
reduced schedule
effect for years.
In addition 10 the great inconvenience
10 which the public will be subjected the
low stage of water will be serious,
from a financial standpoint as to cost the
street-railway company thousands OF dol
lars.
To guard against any such possible flu
ture emergency the street-railway COM
pany has already had a consultation of
b engineers. The situation has been thor
oughly gone over and a plan agreed upon
which will prevent the slightest inter-
ference with street-rai!way traffic here
after no matter what the stage of water
Vice President C. c. Goodrich this morn
ing outlined the unfortunate position in
very moment it was making strenuous eff
forts 10 satisfy the public demand for
increased service. Said he:
The Mississippi river appears to be run
ming dry. II should not be inferred from
this that we are experiencing any perma-
nent slump in the supply of water, but II Is
great enough, however temporary II may
be. 10 materially reduce the power at the
dam Without going into any figures, IL Is
sufficient To say THAI the low water has cut
into the generating capacity of the power
house at the dam TO such extent as
greatly 10 diminish the power and force
upon us the unpleasant alternative of re-
ducing the service all lines in Minneapo-
II cannot remember when the river has
been so low before at this time of the year.
The present stage Is so entirely without
precedent that We have never even felt the
GRAFTON when the utilization OF the power
dam was first entertained. We had very
little rain last fall, and that may account
10 a considerable extent for the present
lack OF water Engineer De La Barre has
advanced another reason. He says that
Numbering operatiOns on the upper Missis-
stnni river and in the reservoir region may
b1ve ma terially affected the water supply
IL is the practice among the lumbermen 20
dam I'D all the logging streams tributary
70 the Mississippi in order 10 get a suf-
fcIent head OF water 10 facilitate logging
operatfons in the spring. As soon as the
water fills up the reservoirs thus created
an will begin 10 flow over the dams. The
water in the river will then be restored "a
lis ordinary level. and the difficulty with
which we are now cOntendtng Will then
have been overcome.
III this Is the true explanation the shOrt-
age in the water supply should be a matter
OF hut a few days In the absence of a
more plausible explanation OF the drop in
the river IL would be folly 10 say that the
present lack OF water will continue but a
few days Perhaps ~ VIII. but IL may be
that We viii be forced 10 do the best we
can with steam-pOWer houses. combined
with what power is still generated below
the falls for a week or more 10 come.
I'm the meantime i have thought best &c
acouaiut the public with the unfortunate
condition OF affairs against which fnd
ourselves forced 10 contend and TO ash
its Indulgence In the slower service
which must necessarily ensue until such
time as the ioOdgates. now closed against
D..