The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-10
Stevens Pre-
sents to War Department
Plans for Installation of
Plant to Supply Govern
ment Buildings and Fort
Smelling With Power and
Electricity.

If Congressman Stevens can inter-
est the war department in his scheme
plans of which, dispatches from Wash
ington say, he submitted yesterday, the
big dam now in course of construction
across the Mississippi river just above
the Marshall avenue bEidge will be
utilized by the government for fur
nlshlng electrical power and light for
the several buildings and reservations
controlled by it in the Twin Cities
The plans propose the establishment
of a big electrical plant on the St.
Paul side of the river, on land now
owned by the government, and the
transmission from it of electricity for
the lighting of Fort Smelling and the
custom houses in st: Paul and Min
neapolis Thousands of horsepower
will be going to waste when the dam
is completed, and it's utilization, Mr..
Stevens has explained to the war de-
partment, will materially reduce a
lighting bill that annually costs the
government thousands of dollars. Fort
Smelling especially would be benefited.
Would Yield Vast Power.
While the big lock at Meeker island
is practically completed, the dam is
yet in the earlier stages of construc-
ton, and Mr.. Stevens idea is to have
turbines and other machinery neces-
sary to furnish the motive power If
done now the cost would be much less
than if left until the dam is fully COM
pleted.
Mr.. Stevens activity will probably
be received with i'll grace by certain
interests in the two cities that have
had eyes on the dam at Meeker island
and the one that will be built several
miles below. The street car company
was at one time credited with the de-
sire of turning the waste of waters
that these two dams will create to it's
own benefit; and again, a corporation
having for its end the same scheme
was spoken of.
One engineer says that when the
dams are fully completed there will be
enough power at their base to light
and furnish electrical power for st.
Paul and Minneapolis, and this has
prompted the hope of more than one
city laWmaker that the time would
come when the two cities could come
together and use it for their own ben
eft.
Congressman Stevens is credited
with saying that his proposition has
been received favorably by the war de-
partment, and that it will be acted
upon without delay. His idea is to
have the plans for the dam so arranged
that when an appropriation for the
work becomes available there will be
nothing to hinder the installation of
the necessary machinery. The need of
electricity has long been felt at Fort
Smelling, and with it's area and gar
r1son yearly increasing, this need be-
comes the more pressing
Maj. HoXsie and the corps of en-
gineers in charge of the local river
dams are said to be much in favor of
the scheme to use the power produced
by the dams for electrical purposes
and to have furnished Congressman
Stevens with the necessary data and
figures for presentation to the depart
ment.
The dam at Meeker island will have
a length of 521 feet and a breadth of
81 feet. 1t will raise the river at that
point thirteen feet above it's present
level