The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-11-29
Rockingham n. c., Nov. 16.

e ae something We call electric current
and fash il over hundreds of miles of
wire TO drive the wheels and turn the
:spipdles of manufacture is the object
now engaging the thoughts and ef-
fcrts of some of the brightest, most
Datriotic and progressive men OF this
commonwealth. The Rockingham Pow
er Co, with principal Offices in Will
mington directing offices here and
actual performances at BleWett
Falls, eight miles away, is the organi-
Zation that has undertaken this splen
did enterprise and is carrying it to
a speedy coHsummation.
The Yadkin is one OF the most i'm
pOrtant rfyers in the state. Taking
its rise on the southeastern slope Of the
Blue Ridge, it flows down the hills,
gathering strength and volume until.
crossing the imaginary line that sep
arates the CarOlinas, and having arriV-
ed at majestic size, it becomes the
Pee Dee, and as such flows into an
arm of the Atlantic ocean at George
town, down on tP4 South Carolina
coast.
At BleWett Falls t';e river bed is Il
ledge of rock thm gives it a fall o.
about 1G feet in -ndlf q mile, and al
about the middle of this fail he dau
is located. For most C. its course ne
river presents the sane conditions -
other rivers hat thread their way
through similar country, alternating
from one SIDE to the other in a broad
IoW-lying strip Of bottom land thai
rises but a few feet above he waite.
To build q dam Of any considerable
height would, therefore, necessita,e
extending it from hill to hill across
hundreds Of feet Of bottom on one side
But ut BleWett Falls the conditions are
different. There the banks take on the
form OF high bluffs that come on eth
er side almost to the waters edge,
so that while the average width Of the
stream above and below is about 500
feet here it is increased 20 1900, and
yet the length OF the dam necessary
to hold a big body Of water and furn-
ish sufficient fall for the production of
be otherwise, because it needs only to
be carried only very short distance
beyond the waters edge On either side.
Therefore the choice of this spot for
the location of the dam and the sacri-
flee of half the natural fall to a say
ing Of hundreds of teet in the length
OF the structure.
Another thing which nature has pro-
vided at this point, and which adds
to its economic strength, is an almost
complete fOrebayfi with a most eligible
location for the power house and an
easily sUooped out taiirace from that
structure to the river below the dam
On the west side Immediately above
the dam, large ravine comes down
the river, being narrow at the mouth,
but spreading out into a large area
OF low ground a short distance back
Behind the bluff against which the
western end of the dam rests this ra-
Y.ne is divided from the river below
the dam by a small natural wall OF
earth tnat falls away to low grounds
below, so that comparatively little
digging will provide for forebay, pow
e. house site and tailrace
Into the bluffs on either side of the
river ahutments have been built, with
short earth wings. strengthened by
small core walls that stand ten feet
above the crest of the dam Between
these abutmentS the length of the dam
will be 1869 feet, its height above the
average river bottom 4S feet. To
make secure the foundation for the
dam it became necessary to get the
sClld rock in the bottom of the stream
clean and dry, and as this was to be
Done about midway of the rapids, cof-
terdams had to be built on shore anC
projected into the water. Heavy rock
ballasted log cribs were constructed
and put IN place and the dam built
from one to the other around four
sides. From the area thus protected
inc water was drawn by Emerson
pumps on four and six inch guage,
with an eight inch centrifugal pump
OF four and six-incn gauge, with an
elght-1nch centrifugal pump held in
reserve for emergency service, such
as the removal of flood water. AS the
building Of the dam must be pro-
Hected from the water both
above and below, the entire space oc-
'cupled by the cofferdams up and down
The river is 152 feet. Inside the dams
The seeking for solid foundation was
carried on, and, despite the fact that
the entire bottom Of the river seemed
10 be solid rock, excavation was made
as deep as 20 feet in some places. For
be it known that the builders of this
great dam are putting it there to
stay, first cost being a consideration
secondary to impregnable strength and