Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-14

ter wheels outside to the generators
and exciters inside. There Is a good
deal Of noise, of course, but nothing
like as much as might reasonably be
expected from the operation of so
much and such tremendous machin-
cry.
On a level with the tunnel; but sep
Grated by a thick wall Of concrete, are
the generators, eight of them, side by
side, and each capable of generating
5000 electrical horse power. Between
the two gangs Of generators, which
are arranged four on side, are two
tremendous exciters in the middle.
On the same floor are a number OF
great transformers, each large enough
and heavy enough to load freight
car, and throughout the building Is
placed any number OF electrical ap-
pliances of different kinds, and of the
uses of which this writer has little
knowledge. 1--WE are not on as large
a scale as Niagara" said Mr.. Leland,
"but we are more modern. We have
Appliances and improvements that Nj
agara hasn't got" A very important
feature Of the equipment is the light.
ming arresters. These represent all
the best known improvements, and
are very complete. The only damage
that Is now anticipated from light
ming Is the blowing out of fuses, ana
this can usually be repaired within
very few minutes and without serious
delay. Up to the present time. there
are still thirty or forty men employed
about the power house, placing ma
chinery and completing details or Ia
terror construction; but after all mas
once been perfected five or six men
will be able to look after the whole
plant.
The Neely's Ferry plant of the ca
tawba Power company was a big
thing in its day. The reference Is 10
the time when 1t was the only one OF
its kind in this country. The plant
lust completed at Great Falls, with
four times the power capacity or the
Neely's Ferry plant Is so large as 10
make the latter look like something
to play with. But as large as are
these two plants, the outlook Is that
they will both be eclipsed by the Dig
plant now under construction at the
mouth of Rocky Creek, down below.
The site of the new plant Is at the
lower end Of the island, where the
stream that was divided three miles
above, comes together again. 1t Will
be remembered that one division OF
that stream Is now dry, the water
which formerly ran through 1t haV-
ing been diverted around part OF the
old canal route, and after being used
to turn the wheels at the power house
above, comes back into the river py
way Of Rocky Creek, just below the
point of the island. The island itself
Is now about four times as large as
1t used to be. The railroad now Hol-
lows the tail water from the power
house down across Rocky Creek, and
along the bank Of the river below the
island to the point where the new
works are being prosecuted.
Already a great deal Of work has
been done. There Is temporary
suspension bridge across the river.
Down below, a hundred yards or so, a
Golfer dam extends out into the stream
and below that line Of rock piers is
being pushed across for the railroad.
ALREADY the dummy engine can make
| its way to the middle Of the river.
Still further down there Is big ma
chine shop and brass foundry. In be-
| tween the upper suspension bridge
and the machine shops below there Is
scene Of busy activity, suggestive OF
| the idea that the workmen are not
there for long. Several hoisting en-
gines, located on the high bluffs above
are constantly putting and straining al
the great derricks, which lift i'm
mense boulders out Of the excavations
that are being made for the new pow
er house and for the foundation OF the
new dam. The boulders are carried
high up on the hillside, to he brought
back later on for use in foundation
work. Great steam drills are at work
boring into the immense rocks and
at frequent intervals there are tre-
mendous discharges Of giant powder
These tear up holes almost deep
enough to hide a freight car. Just
now, or at least last Monday, they
were installing a great air compressor
It was being put on a substantial con-
crete foundation the same as IL 1t was
intended to stay there forever; but
Is only for temporary use instead OF
steam in operating the derricks, drills
and other machinery. It OF course,
will be operated by electric power.
Up on top Of the mountain above, less
than three hundred yards away, but
not even in sight Of the river bank, Is
a large hotel like that at the upper
works, the home Of the engineers and
bosses in charge Of the works. The
| laborers occupy very comfortapie
shacks along the bluffs. Everything
moves along with an order and system
suggestive almost Of military preci-
sion.
But as suggested before. 1t is almost
impossible to give a satisfactory de-
scription Of what is being done down
there. This writer frankly admits
that the task Is beyond his capacity
1t Is easy enough to write Of millions
of money. The amount invested and
to be invested here Is somewhere be-
tween two and three millions. From
forty to one hundred thousand cleo.
trical horse power suggests ideas that
are almost astounding. But even with
all this, the individual who would take
in the whole work and surroundings
in a way to comprehend them thor
oughly. must visit the locality In per-
son, and he must go prepared to stay
several days.