The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-10-15
Local News.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 10. laO2.
A Visit to Portman.

The work OF recOnstructing the big
dam at POrtman will soon be COM
pleted- The flow Of the river is COM
pletely under control, passing through
the flood gates and penstocks, or
fumes, as desired. All Of the work is
above water, a large force of hands at
work, all difficulties are practically
passed, and it is only question rs to
how long it will take to put in the
enormous tonnage or concrete neces
sary to carry the dam up to the height
desired.
In the power house the two big dina
mos are running beautifully and 800
electrical horse power is being genera
ted; very nearly. if not quite enough,
to meet present demands III the city.
The dam is practically completed for
Il distance Of 40) feet on this side; then
there is drop::otf cxtrrndinKa distance
of 219 feet, which is within two feet OF
the required height: then there is an
other drop-oti extending lsj feet,
where the work will havctO be brought
up on an average of ten feet. These
places being brought up on IA line. the
coping only will be necessary to make
the work complete.
Work is now being concentrated ut
the lowest pOintas above stated, which
is about the center of the river. This
work is going up at the rate of about
fifteen inches day, and the flood gates
are lowered and the hcadway of water
made greater in about the same proper
tiOn. About 80 electrical horse power
is being gained with each days work.
When the dam is completed there is
another job to be done. probably not
contemplated in the original contract.
The December freshet swept across the
island separating the tail race from
the main channel of the river, and it is
now necessary to construct Il river
wall across these breaks to prevent
high water from filling tho tail race
calamity sufficient to interfere with
the proper working 0f the machinery.
In company with DR.. Sam Orr, Mrs.
Orr, Miss Mary Orr, A. y. Wing, OF
Palmer. Mass, and j. +. Serrinc, OF
Greenville, the writer visited Portman
last week and obtained the fncfs as
above stated. MIR. Wing is President
building and Construction Company,
contractors for the work at POrtmnn.
and MIR. Serrinc is the engineer in
Inarge for the Water, Light aud Power
Company.
Portman is Il rough, rugged place,
4,ut Mis-. j. G.. Sullivan, Mrs. Z. NJ.
Wing, Mrs. Mays and tho other ladies
who have their temporary homes there.
make it n delightful place to visit, and
there are many thi! rs of interest TO
see. The CONSTRUCTION Company's
plant, with rs many details 0f work AMI
remarkable facilities for obtaining and
handling the enormous tonnage of
granite. sand and cement; he great
derricks and the ease with which they
swing tho great steel buckets OF
crushed granite and snnd into
exact position; the trnmwa.s and
gravity cars which. OF their own
momentum, bring to the cr,shcr great
loads Of granite. stopping and dump
ing their freightage mt the exact spot
it is needed. This, together with the
vast excavations made in the hill sides
in the effort to obtain suitable granite,
one of which resembles IN nu,ptit hen-
tire 500 feet in crruln ference. affords
interest quite sufficient to make the
day pass too rapidly.
Mrs. Sullivan, " no. n short time ago,
was 40 very i'll, is convnlcsciny and is
bright, cheerful and entertaining. Mr..
and Mrs. Wing came in from Port
man with the father. Mr. 4. T. Wing,
and left at 2.20 for their home in the
North. This young couple had made
many warm friends in Anderson, aud
their departure will be much regretted.
They will be greatly missed ut Port
man. where they were sU highly ap-
preciated as an addition to the little
colony there.