The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-02
Tacoma, " asllingtoll,
The Leading Manufacturing and Shipping
City Of the Great Northwest.

capped and glacier buttressed dome of
Mount Tacoma. The mountain from
which Tacoma takes her name is, an
inexhaustible reservoir Of power whose
efhc1ency is, immeasurable..' Tacoma
lies at it's feet and is the natural out
let and market for it's harnessed ener-
giles. Capital has been enlisted and Is
being freely expended In the work of
generating power for Industrial and
transportation purposes, besides cur
rent for heat and light. -
The first important work of. this
character undertaken in western
Washington was at Snoqualmie falls.
There is at this - point a natural
cataract 270 feet in height. A power
plant is installed which generates TO-
600 horse power, a large share of
which is being delivered at Tacoma
for use in city lighting and nAnufac-
turing purposes. The plant cost
$1,750,000, but its product Is in use
up to the limit, and it's owner, Charles
II. Baker, is engaged in a far. more
important and gigantic undertaking.
He and his associates have begun the
construction Of the largest, power
plant in the United States, which
will be capable Of developing 100000
horse power within ten miles Of Ia
coma.~ ...- - - 80
Largest in United States. -
The plan which is being carried out
by what Is known as the White River
Power company Is to divert the White
river about half a mile above the
| town Of Buckley into canal, begin
| ming at this point and extending a
| distance Of about five miles across the
| tableland to Lake Tapps. Dams are
to be constructed so that the lake can
be raised to a level thirty-five feet
| higher than the present, which will
cause the lake to overflow and merge
with kirtley lake, Crawford lake and
Kelly lake, covering all the interven
ing bottom lands and valleys so that
| the total area thus submerged and
| Overfiowed will exceed 1000 acres Of
| land. This lake&mays be- drawn down
thirty feet This reservoir, will be
supplied by the flood waters Of White
river and will: be drawn out thru
the water wheels during the season
of low water, and by thus equalizing
the flow of the: river will make the
power plant capable of a continuous
development Of 100000 horse power
or double the present capacity Of the
plant at Niagara Falls. >, ,....
The water from this enlarged lake
reservoir will be led thru a channel
into a masonry penstock whence
pressure pipes will conduct it down
declivity to the site of" the power
house, within ten miles of Ia
coma, giving a fall :ofk+485 feet. A
short transmission line will conduct
the power to the Tacoma Cataract
company building in this city whence
a large share of the present output
Of the Snoqualmie Falls power plant
is now distributed to consumers, pub
| lie and private, in Tacoma
The Works ait Election.
Another colossal undertaking for
the development of other water power
resources tributary to }Tacom Is the
installation by the Puget Sound Power
company of Tacomaiof a 10000 horse
power electric generating plant at
Electron, twenty-eight miles south
east of Tacoma. The enterprise in
and owes it's inception to the discern
ment and energy Of, 8. q. Mitchell, for
several years general manager of the
| Tacoma Railway and Power company,
and its execution to the capital and
enterprise of his principals, Messrs.
Stone and Webster of Boston,: Mass.
The work will be completed early in
1904. '.5F = |E@> 1"@ ~
The water for the power plant is
to be taken from the south fork Of
the Puyallup river below its junction
with the Mowich, thirty-fve miles
from Tacoma and 1900 feet above sea
level. The river at this point drains
five Of the largest glaciers of Mount
Tacoma.
| The Puget Sound Power company,
will have a surplus Of from 10000 to
10000 horse power above the require
ments of its own electric railways,
which will be supplied for use in in
dustrial purposes. The company an
nounces that it will furnish power to
manufacturers at Tacoma at a lower
price than that at which power can be
obtained at any other tidewater port
in the United States. ~ =: .
The Tacoma Industrial company Is
making preparations to- Install a
l15,OOO-horse power plant on the White
river twelve miles from Tacoma. The
Nisqually river, which flows into the
sound south of Tacoma, has enormous
undeveloped power resources. - -.2
Near Eatonville, and within thirty
miles. Of Tacoma, is an available and
accessible water power capable of
generating 10000 horse power. It
thus appears that Tacoma commands
J the use Of from 10000 to 100000
horse power as soon as required. No
other seaport in the world has such
: abundant resources of cheap power
for manufacturing purposes.
. Tacoma is the electric city Of the
Pacific coast. %, :.f--%,'
t Raw Materials at Hand. =
Another important factor in Taco
mas industrial development, is it's
proximity to the natural products of
raw materials employed IN manufac-
turing. The resources are manifold.
r The products Of Mines of the forests,
: of the. farms and ranches, and of the
t waters, are Of untold value. Taco
/ mas geogra phical position is such that
she commands these products as does
t no other point in the Pacific north