Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-05-09

a great tank. 80 feet in diameter, and
as the water flows in or out Of this
tank it viii serve to take care Of sud.
den changes in pressure when the
load under the water wheels is dimln-
ished of increased An interesting
detail of construction at this point Is
found in the arrangement by which the
water in the standpipe and tank win
be kept from freezing. This will be
accomplished by bringing hot air from
the heating plant in the power house,
500 feet away, and allowing it to rise
between the standpipe and its tagging,
or covering.
The redwood pipes end here above
the power house. where they are
Joined to pipes of steel. These plunge
Down the declivity TO enter the base
ment of the concrete structure in
which are the water wheels, the zen
orators and other necessary machia.
cry, The $4,000 horse power wheels
are in capacity the largest power
units ever built for high heads, and
! are as large as any built unde. anv
! 80 = 'AAAA' % N+e- 4 &AE CT tsAdl 6udALSs
by which the wheels are connected to
the generators on the floor above are
designed for a speed of 375 revolu-
| tons minute. AS each generator is
Of 10000 horse power capacity. 10000
horse power represents the ordinary
production Of The present station: but
with the water available FIVE other
pipes may be laid to supply water to
five other wheels and thus give the
station a total Of $4,000 horse power.
In other words. this power station on
the bank of the st. Louis river, with
its present machinery, will supply
three times the horse power which suf-
fees 10 run all the great mills in the
manufacturing city of Lowell; ana
Lawrence, near at hand, has likewise
grown wealthy from about the samA
amount of power.
The electricity generted on the St.
Louis river viii be flashed to this city
Ia miles away over lines of wire sup
ported on tall steel towers. In the
city there Will be a sub-station where
the voltage viii be stepped down" for
distribution through the cities of Dull
nth and Superior, which Is across the
bay and which viii probably be
reached by submarine cables. In the
sub-station will be placed the mac
cry which will operate the trolley cars
in the two cities. Not only can such A
plant as this provide cheap power for
the industries big and little of a city
of $4,000 inhabitants, but the electric
ity can be carried to the great iron
mines on the Massage range, 20 miles
north, and to the cities of Minneap-
oils and st. Paul, 120 miles away
The work which has been done so
far is only the beginning Of the gen.
| eral scheme which includes a develop.
ment to be made later further down
! the ST. Louis river and also a plan by
means of which a portion of the st.
| Louis river water would be carried
over fail of 740 feet directly into the
centre Of Duluth. If all these plans
are carried out there will ultimately
be de geloped 100000 horse power.
What is being done in this section
of the country is an evidence of the
emo, nous possibilities which are hid
der in regions where numerous water
courses finding their way over sharp
/ descending ground are awaiting the
coming Of the engineers with their
! armies of workmen to put the streams
in bondage and make them do the
work of producing power to be usef
1 thr0uohOa1f 1aroa contiope ~ +Io oc,,-
| try roundabout