The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-06-28
ST. LOUIS INTERESTED
IN WATER POWER
CONTINUED from page IL

aDle limestone gorge, with cliffs tow
ering on each side. Underneath tht
current of the river here limestone
oHers an excellent foundation bed fol
this immense DAM The river at thi.
point Is little short of mile In width
~ is reasonably deep. There are
places just above the foot of the rap
lbs where slack water will overflow
several hundred acres, but this lana
is worth but little for any purpose
and will be bought by the company
contracting for the work. The engin
eerfng aspects of the Keokuk dan
merely require that giant dam, 5000
feet long, be constructed across TIL;
river bed on limestone bottom
Suitable penstocks for turbines direct
~ connected with the generators will
be supplied. The line of work will be
guided greatly by what has been learn
ed by engineers engaged in similar
work in the United States.
Projected government work, to pro
vide reservoirs at the headwaters OF
the Mississippi. will materially in
crease the flow at low water and les
sen the variation This is considered
Of prime Importance in connection
with the engineering phases of the
work at Keokuk. The rock floor OF
the river at the Des Moines rapids is
SO uniform that the full width is GOV
cred at low water. The normal range
OF the river at Keokuk for twenty
years has been 20.7 feet. This cor
responds to 12.6 feet at the head OF
the rapids. With the flood of about
100000 second-feet, this range re-
duces to Is feet at Keokuk and S.6
feet at the head of the rapids.
Above the actual rapids the high
water slope steepens, and the low wa
ter slope flattens in the approach to
the rapids. The range at the head of
the rapids is about two-thirds that at
Burlington, forty miles above. At
Fort Madison the effect Of the rapids
practically disappears. This is TWEEN
ty miles above.
The visitor to the site of this dam
often expects to find a roaring gorge
similar to the one at Niagara; but
this is not the case 1t must be re-
meEabered that in the space Of six or
seven miles there is only drop OF
some twenty feet, and that is gradual,
the smooth bottom not causing as
much boiling as might be expected
or force capable of running all street
cars of ST. Louis. On the shores of
the river at this point there are peace
full farms, often coming down to the
rivers brink; also various manufac-
TOPICS of differen kinds. 1t is coun-
tN Of small manufacturing towns
where coal is burned by the thousands
OF Mons, and which would help St
Lo,hs in beneftting from any oppor
tunAy offered to give cheap power.
PoweIson In Charge.
When w. v. N. Powelson resigned
from the Union Electric Company
sSme time ago he made the state
ment that he held contracts with the
North American Company and the
Union Electric Light and Power com
pany to run Des Moines falls power tc
st. Louis, If possible, for which ser
vice a comparatively low rate of pow
err and light would ultimately reach st
Louis. If power could be transformed
to st. Louis as cheap as IS or $40 pei
horse power per year, it is thought
that st. Louis people would secure
power and lighting a great dea
cheaper than they do now by the fue
process.
Mr.. Powelson worked out the details
of the Keokuk dam personally. He Is
now located in New York with an en-
gineer named Cooper, having office.
in Wall street. Assurances have beer
given that the capital has been raised
and the plans perfected to go righ
ahead with the work of constructing
tho dam.
The dam is to contain one lock fol
navigation, and have at the shore
ends waterpower plants. The limits
of location are within a half mile
above the present lower lock of tae
government canal, built to pass the
rapids.
The consideration of height in
eludes more power, greater efficiency
less variation, and less cost per unit
of power produced, for a higher dam
and the converse of these for lower
dam. The exact height will be deter
mined by an exhaustive study of the
riparian conditions above the site, but
the height of from thirty to thirty-five
feet will be found best.
The length of the dam will be ex
actly determined by the opinion o.
the constructing engineer and is con
nected with its precise location. The
long crest of from 5000 to 1000 fee
will pass floods with moderate depth
of overfall and avoid special devices
requiring manipulation, thus eliminat
ing largely the human contingency
factor.
The lock will be at the west end
of the dam contiguous to the dry dock