Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1903-09-24
Hoods JdrsGpGriHd
ENTERPRISE is CONSIDERED
A VERY GOOD THING.


"a q. Stewart of the Stewart Estep
window Glass company. has lust re-
turned from a trim through Southern
Colorado where he Inspected the pro-
perty OF the Animas Canal company,
an organization which proposes TO
manufacture electricity by water pow
or. Considerable Marion capital IL
Interested In the project and from the
report Of Mr.. Stewart and others who
have visited the property IL would APP.
near thas the investment is an UNI
usually good one. The possibilities
are practically unlimited. The terri
tory is rich OF mines. Gold, silver
iron and copper ore being produced.
The only drawback has been expen.
siye power to mine the ore. At pres
ent many rich mines are closed he
cause steam power made from coal
is SO expensive that It eats mp tho pro
Mt of the best producers In many
instances coal has 10 be taken into
the mountains by mule pack trains
and steam power in this manner costs
from $3.50 to SITS per horsepower
per year II doesn't take an expert
mathematician to see that at this rate
q mine must be an unusually rich one
to operate mt profit. But with cleo
trio power at from $40 to $50 per
horsepower the situation would be
so materially changed that The idle
mines and mills would be running full
force and operating at good profit.
The property OF the Animas Canal
company lies in the mountains half
way between Durango and Silverton
and the country contingent is as rich
with ore as the noted Cripple Creek
region. For several years expert en-
gineers and power plant men have
been attempting to work out plan
to utilize water from the mountain
streams for the manufacture of cleo
tricity. But 1t remained for Henry
Henderson. the civil engineer of the
Animas Canal company. to discover
the spot made by nature for just such
q plant. He and ]. w. Adams, now
president of the company, had search
ed these hills in vain for a storage
basin and after giving up. an article
In Durango newspaper describing u
basin which the Durango Water
Works company intended to store the
citys water in gave him the tip which
he had long searched for. He at once
began negotiations for the property
and soon had purchased and secured
by grant the territory needed. This
territory extends several miles up and
down the country between Durango
and Silverton. The basin is a nat
ural one and all that is necessary to
store millions OF gallons of water Is
the erection Of dam at the lower end
OF the basin. This dam at the high
est point Is but seventy feet high
and In some places but seven feet.
The length of the dam will not be
more than three city blocks, and the
material to make it---stone and tim.
ber---is on the ground Thus the stor-
age basin will be placed in readiness
for work with but little cost. The
water to fill this basin is brought from
the Cascade creek up In the mountains
by a fume or canal 1t is sent
through the basin or lake and at the
foot of the lake Is straight drop OF
1000 feet where the power station is
located. The water sent down this
incline through an immense steel tube
and turned onto an over-shot wheel,
To this wheel are attached dynamos
for the generation of the electricity
When the plant will be placed in run
ming order the first capacity will be
5000 horsepower, but arrangements
are being made to increase this ca
pacity from time to time as demanded
by the consumption and eventually
60, 600 horsepower will be generated,
When needed the Animas river. a
stream that carries n larger volume
Of water than the Mississinewa river,
can be turned into the storage basin,
thus guaranteeing a perpetual water
supply sufficient for the greatest de-
mand.
Mr.. Stewart speaking of the pros
poets of the company said: Il con
slider 1t one Of the best investments
have ever seen. There is no ques-
ton but that the company has at its
command Just what the people down
there need the most. Power is ev-
erything to that country. The mines
are almost without number, but here
tofOre many have been idle because
nf aynauGiva npwar To illustrate