The Glenwood post., 1909-05-22
Big POWER PLANT STARTS
CONTINUED from Page ~

MAJ uolu open MUSE boiho tAAASo AAA
July, when everything will have been
cleaned up around the workings.
Superintendent Eldridge was sta
toned at the headgate and as the sig.
nal was given he raised the gates and
a stream of water equal to one-tenth
of the full capacity of the tunnel was
admitted. This was slowly increased
until Wednesday when the full 1850
per second was running through the
tunnel, and the 10000 horse power was
being generated.
The Iron-Silver company, of Lead
vile is the first user of the power, but
according to present plans Denver will
be using it within couple of weeks.
The tunnel is 12,600 feet long, II
feet wide and IL feet high, and carries
$50 cubic feet of water per second
of time. From the lower end of the
tunnel to the power house, the water
is carried through two pipes, which
are 1876 feet long and 9 feet in diam
eter. The drop of the water is 1So
feet. The water then goes onto the
two 10000 horse power turbines, thus
making it possible to generate 10000
horse power in electric current.
The electricity is conveyed from
the power house over the mountains
on cables which have been strung from
the tops of immense steel towers.
They have already been placed to Den
yer and the current will soon furnish
the power for the street ears Of the
capital city.
During the test, which was made
from Saturday to Tuesday, the current
was turned into the river, through
connections with steel sheets which ex-
tended into the water, but this was
discontinued on Wednesday, when the
current was sent to Leadville to be
used by the Iron-Silver company.
Although the company has been at
work at Shoshone for the past three
wears, only eighteen months of actual
work was necessary to complete the
tunnel. Strikes, tightening of money,
and other things delayed the work but
during the past few months fully l,1oo
men have been employed in rushing
the plant to completion. But there .s
vet much work to do. AT the hcadgate
a oreat cement wall is being built un-
der the lodges of rock to keep the side
of the mountain from caving in. AT
the power house the whole side OF the
mountain will be braced with CON
crete wall, and it is said that four
hundred men will be working at this
poiut within ten days. The camps are
being torn down and moved further
down the river, or taken away entire
ly. A number of men were last Sa.-
urday completing the cement floor in
the power house. The floor space IN
this building is 14Ox35, the building
being absolutely fire proof.
The electric plant at Shoshone is by
far the largest in the state, and has
but few equals in the world, and Is
the first of series being constructed
by the Central Colorado Power conf
pany to reach completion.
A number of reports have been sent
out over the state to the effect that
the present plant at shoshone would
be superseded by one of fifty thous'
and horse power capacity, and woo4d
be located within five miles OF this
city, but in speaking of the affair
to the Post reporter last Saturday, MT
West, chief engineer, said:
"The surveys have been made anc
the company has secured the rights'ot
way down the canon, and the plant
NAV be built there some time in tht
future, but nothing will be done fol
several months. We are making more
Investigations before starting tht
work. This plant will give US 3o,oo'
horse power, but we will not generate
more than 10000. l believe every
thing is all right with this plant bu'
| am going into the tunnel to be ther'
when the first water is turned in.
~. The~dam which is now in the rlve'
is only temporary, and as soon as thu
water goes down we will complete tn
permanent dam. 1t is about one foure:
finished at this time"
At this Mr.. West turned away an
} started for the headgate, and was soo'
} lost to sight as he entered the tunne
y and sought the bowels of the earth Il
} await the appearance of the stream o
y water that was turned in at 5 o CLOCK
} Lived 1872 Years
) Wm. Parr-England' oldest man
LTn