The age-herald., 1902-03-30
Whining by Electricity

Helena, Mont-what was ten years ago considered dream is today reality. Electrical power from dam across the Missouri River twelve miles north of Helena Is being transmitted to Butte a distance of sixty-five miles, and is taking the place of steam in operating the hoist Ing plants of the Boston and Montana, Butte and Boston, Anaconda, Never Sweat, St. Lawrence and other mines of tne Amalgamated company. as well as hose of Senator w. A. Clark and smaller properties.
 Not only does the electricity thus trans mitted furnish the motive power for the Butte mines. but it is utilized in a number of other enterprises, such as the East Helena plant of the American Smelling and Refining Company, the Peck concen- trator at Corbin, and the lighting and street car systems of Helena and the lighting plants of all the Butte mines of importance.
 In fact, so great is the demand for cheap power that options have been se- cured on adjacent land and second dam will be built this year five miles below the present one. It Is the intention of the Amalgamated company to extend the power lines from the second dam to Ana conda, distance of ninety-seven miles, h having been demonstrated that the actual loss in transmission between the dam site and Butte is slightly more than 6 per cent
 At the rate at which the power Is de- livered to the mining companies In Butte 1t has been found that a saving of from 50 to 60 per cent can be effected as com pared with the cost of producing similar power by steam When 1t is considered that hoisting ore from the deep mines is one of the chief items of expense, The saving thus effected becomes matter of much consequence to stockholders of the copper companies.
 Extended to Anaconda, where the smelt- CTS are located, the new power Will be the means of still further reducing the cost of treating the ore, as is the case In East Helena and Corbin. In these places coal Is used only for the rosting furnaces.
 For the purpose of transmitting the power to Butte, the Missouri River Power Company, which owns the dam, construct ed one of the most efficient pole lines in existence, providing against any possible Interruption from storms, snow or ice, Each pole Is protected by a new form of lightning arrester. as well as static tn- .terrupters, to protect the line and ma chinery against lightning.
 Specially devised insulators nine inches in diameter and a foot in height, com posed of two pieces of glass are also feature. NOI only lnlS, Dul lle llic 10 ei double one. Should one line be inter- rupted the other would be ready for in- stant use
 More than 100000 pounds of copper wire was used in the construction of this line, which has still another distinction fin that it crosses the main divide of the Rocky Mountains in reaching it's destina- ton. The amount of potential transmitted Is at present 5000 horse power. The dam, power house and pole line represent an outlay of about S2,000,0 GOO.
 The dam across the Missouri River is located at picturesque spot-between two solid walls of rock which forces backwater for five miles, thus insuring a never-failing supply In addition, an i'm mense artificial lake, covering 5OO0 acres, has been built as a storage reservoir.
 It Is stated that the Butte line conveys the greatest amount of electrical power ever carried for like distance. and this amount will be virtually doubled when the intermediate mines and the Anaconda smelters, which are now applicants Tor power, have been supplied.