The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-07-08
WILL BUILD ROAD
And ERECT PLANT

One OF the largest mortgages ever
recorded In this section of the
country was fled with County Clerk
Frank r Angle this morning when
the Wasco County Electric T. Power
Company gave first mortgage to the
Carnegie Trust Compny ct New York
City to secure bond issue by that
company which is not to exceed
SIS, 200, 900.
by the terms OF this instrument,
pursuant TO contract heretofore en-
tered into between the Electric com.
pany and the Portland, Baker City
and Butte Railroad company, the
Electric company is authorized to
sell one half OF all the electric power
created or produced by the Electric
company. The maximum amount OF
power to be produced is 60 600 horse
power.
The two companies are separate
corporations, different eastern cap.
italists interested 10 the two, the
mutual feature OF the projects being
the contract for the furnishing OF
half the Electric company's water ia
the Railroad company for the opera
tion of It's electric lines from Port
land to Butte, Montana.
Actual work will be commenced
about August on the construction
OF IL, 900 horse power steam auxiliary
plant on the Willamette river at Poit
land which viii be fed by oil deliv.
cred direct by the Standard Oil com.
pany. At the same time, work will
Ee tegun on the construction OF III
miles of railway from Portland in
.uthessterly direction through
Claokamas county to the southw est
corner of Wasco county where it will
cross the divide ia the Cascade noun
tains and pass through the southern
rart of the Warm Springs Indian
reservation to the De-chutes river
where a water plant will be installed
to develop 60, 600 horse power. With
the aid of the auxiliary steam plant
and the 1T miles of railroad, operat
ed by steam, the tremendous amount
of material for the construction o'
the dam and the machinery tor the
development OF electrical power will
be transported from the tide water.
Springs Indian reservation was grant
ed the Electric company by the gov
ernment on April l5, 1909, when the
company was authorized TO make its
survey.
1t is estimated that the building Of
the steam power plant and the con
struction of the III miles of rail- oao
will take about one years time. Al
soon as this is finished, and materia
can be placed on the ground, The
erection of the dam will be com
menced and 1t is estimated that tt
bring the system to completion it will
take four years for furnishing elect
rical power. As yet, no contract hai
been signed for the construction o
the power plant, but an understand
ing has been arrived at with the Allis
Chalmers, of Milwaukes, Wis, where
by il has agreed to construct the SAINT
at the figures estimated by the engin
GERS of the company, and an exper
representing the Allis Chalmers con
oern is now on his way here to lcol
over the site.
The electric road will cross tn,
route of the proposed Hartman roat
at the confluence OF the Desohute
river with Trout creek. One OF th'
most remarkable features and advan
tages of the Portland, Baker City .ant
Butte road is less than two aud
quarter per cent grade has been SO
cured tn ougb the Cascade mountains
The Electric company controls 2
miles of water power on the Deschute
from the mouth OF the river at Warn
Springs to the mouth Of the M ,toliu
river.
The water power not utilized by tn
rsilroad company will be sold tor dit
ferent private and commercial uses
It is estim ted that for irrigation
aloue, more than 300, 900 acres OF Ian,
can be put under ditch by the use o
electric pumps. This means the de
yelopment OF tremendously produc
tive country which otherwise coul
not be reached by irrigation. Th
new electric railroad will tp
country wonderfully rich in miners
deposits, and in timber. twill ale
bring under cultivation millions q
acres OF land that are now too Ia
from transportation facilities to b
profitable other than for grazing pur
poses.
One OF the men interested ia th
Railroad company stated that .th
Deschutes Is the most wonderful rive
in the world, that more power can 3
developed there than at Niagara Fall
The survey OF the Portland, Bake
City and Butte railroad passes thr
the southern part OF Wasco county
central Wheeler, through GRAM
touching Canyon City and then on
Baker City. The line will then TO
Iowa north easterly course to the lei
tile Salmon river county OF ldaht
passing up the Lemhi valley to Sa
mon City and thence across the d
vide of the Rockies to Butte.
The main office Of the Electric con
papy will be located at Condor and
branch electric line will be oonstruc
ed from that po mt to the main roa
at Burnt Ranch in Wheeler count!
Branch lines will also be built
Prineville aud Burns.
The most powerful electric fieigl
locomotives, which are said to pull
mucn as three steam engines, Will
used on the new road which Can
operated the cheapest of any railroa
IN the west.
The Wascc County Electric & Pow
company 10 incorporated tor ", 0OO
QUO, while the railroad concern ls u
corporated for 81, 600, 700, nominal,
Chronicle.