Gilpin observer., 1909-06-10
BIG HEADGATE FORMALLY
OPENED BY COLORADO
POWER COMPANY.
FLOOD POURS THROUGH
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FITZ-
GARRALD PUSHES BUTTON
THAT RAISES GATE.

Denver.-A Republican special from
Glenwood Springs Sunday night says:
While nearly 500 people stood in
drenching rain, Leutenant-Govern
Fitzgarrald at IL o'clock today touched
the electric button which raised the
headgate and permitted 1880 cubic
feet of water second to pass through
the tunnel leading to the power house
of the Central Colorado Power Com
pany at Shoshone. AS the immense
gates were raised a cheer was sent up
by the crowd of people who had gone
from Grand Junction, Leadville, Aspen,
Glenwood and other points to take
part in the formal opening of the big
plant recently completed and from
which electricity has been sent along
the wires to Leadville and other mining
camps in the vicinity of the Cloud
City.
Lieutenant Governor Fitzgerald
came as the official representative OF
Colorado to attend the opening and to
him was given the honor of sending
for the first time the full capacity of
water through the big canal, which is
1900 feet in length, with a width of
seventeen feet and height of twelve
feet. AS he pushed the electric but
ton, the water rushed through the wide
open headgate and started on its jour
ney through the mountain tunnel to
the power plant nearly 21a miles be-
low.
The lieutenant governor and the five
hundred people who had braved the
threatening clouds hurried to the
power house to watch the immense
turbines and other machinery in the
first supreme test of the plant. Only
ithree-fourths of the water was ad-
mitted to the turbines, while the rest
rushed down the waste flume and ran
100 feet into Grand river and rose to
a height of fifty, feet in the air as it
dashed along the rocks along the
shore.
1T is the most wonderful piece OF
engineering,I have ever seen,' said the
lieutenant governor. Il am interested
in the electric plant at Telluride but
is one of the greatest steps ever taken
since the event of the electric age,
and Just see the water in Grand river.
There is enough water passing through
this canon to irrigate every foot OF
land in this state if we could distrib-
ute it. 1t is simply wonderful, and the
Western Slope cannot estimate the
yalup of her water SuDDly,'
Owing to the heavy rain which con-
tinued to fall nearly all day, formal
ceremonies in connection with the
opening of the plant were abandoned,
there being no speeches or other for
NAL ceremony, but at l.: 80 all gathered
in the big dining room as guests of
the Central Colorado Power Company
and were treated to an excellent camp
lunch consisting of coffee, sandwiches,
etc.
1t was announced at Shoshone that
the first electricity would be sent over
the wires to Denver today. In speak
ing of this, Superintendent Eldridge
said tonight:
I'VE have nothing to do with the dis
tribution of the electricity. We send
It over the wires to Leadville, and
from there 1t is distributed to the 9TH
er places where contracts have been
made. We are now sending out 100,-
600 volts from the main plant, while
from the temporary plant we are send
ing out another 100000"
Mr.. Eldridge could not say whether
the Leadville station was sending the
electricity to Denver; but other Off
cials said Denver would receive her
first electricity today
While the company is taking every
precaution 1t is feared that the rapid
rising of the water in Grand river
will give them considerable trouble.