New-York tribune., 1902-08-31
THE BIG 900" CANAL.
DEVELOPMENT OF ENORMOUS WATER
AND ELECTRIC POWER AT OUTLET
OF LAKE SUPERIOR.

SAINT ste Marie Mich, Aug. % (Speclap.- -,
before last saw the realization of the dreams u -
naon,e of the Saut Ste Marie. winch ii't
tended over period of almost century, anu ..a
successful completion of one of the ereatese no,
neerne feats of it's kind in the world On IuesodS'
August r. water for the first time tuihs re- =,
the great power canal of the Michigan Ian =
nerior Company and it slowly hlied Ior 4''
first test -. faa+
Th ua+er was let in through sluice three 1est
,a and four feet deep and when once hiieo
the water was allowed stand for fe" odS :
after which it was pumped out so 'ha' any
IN construction might be remedied- ,.s
The canal is two and one-tnlru hhio' " 49,, p
,d ao1 feet broad with depth of z feet Inc NJ
take has an area of more than l9'Voo souhi ,,'
through which will flow volume OF "a's ~, =
is estimated to be 10000 cubic feet second VIZ" -
velocity of about two feet a second OF aoo" V aot
- ,,,f miles an hour The entrance Is ''
fset wide and IS feet deep. and in It's eAcd 49,
,ohra than 500 600 cubic yards Of soma sai'''
removed .4 Of the
entrance the intake merges into the eandi a p'opel
o-osc cection of which at this point neds''iV @
4 425 square feet For distance OF 4'lo lee' - -
this point the solid rock formation continues -
was cut through in the process OF eSca' -
covered with Portland cement. Inc Ueu "
canal was similarly treated and nerore 'iie
no. turned in was as smooth as the exterior Oh d
stone building. .o,,ar.es
For the rest of the distance the canal traverse9
PJav
m excavate but required hard work TO heep III
ha,. From the point where the rock formation
leaves off TO the entrance of the power mus 80.
the sides and bottom were pianked VIII" IN
her,Iock timber to be found in Northern Niioiiie'
Tho lower 1000 feet of the canal is one continuous
,o ~ about three degrees The construction OF
t,a+ mart of the canal which traverses earth re-
o,tred the removal of and half million CUBIC
wards of material, and fifteen m1Iloh lee' VI ~
Der were used in the panl1ing of 1t
+btrtaer streets five of which are now spanned
nv steel single span bridges and the rest VIII De d
soon as possible. 1t makes of the do"hto"h us
trict of the city an island ,
At the lower end the canal wfdenS into a IoreodS
for the purpose of giving equal distribution OF
the water to all the turbines in the power mousse
1t is estin1a that the water will enter tne tur
hines at a rate of feet second. and the Cd
pacitv of the powerhouse Is estlna1eo a' soiiie
thing over 5000 horsepower.
Tho nowerhouse itself is not duplicated in the
United States. is constructed of red sandstone
is forty-eight feet over a quarter OF Hliie Ia
length is 100 feet wide and 12o feet hlgh- Inc
s,,perstructure consists of eighty penstocks ana
ono subway to carry off ce logs and other refuse
which may come through the canal The rest oil
the building is taken up with dynamos and mill
floors.
The penstocks are each 90 feet long. Is feet wide
and 20 feet high. The energy to be developed Will
not he less than 5000 horsepower developed by I'D
turbines of the Mccormack type The electrical
equipment of the power house consists OF eighty
single place dynamos constructed by the Wesun6-
house company After converting the water power
into electrical power it will be transmitted to the
various plants which have been waiting only for
the successful completion of the canal and test
to begin building. One of the first to buy power
was the White Metal Company, which has con-
tracted for 500 horsepower, 800 of which must be
ready for delivery by December l.
Nearly all who have seen the canal have predicted
failure for It. and many have held off with the