The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-25
INVENTION OF NORMAN 3. SMITH
INSPECTED BY BUSINESS
MEN OF PASCo.
No Limit to the Power That Can Be
Developed With the New Process
Now in Operation.

PASCO,, Wash, May 5.-(SpeciaD-
Leaving Pasco Sunday morning at 9
o'clock, more than 20 business men.
together with newspaper representa-
t1ves, of every large daily paper In the
northwest, journeyed to the works of
the American Power company. 20 miles
up the Columbia. The party was ac-
companied by Norman r. Smith, chief
engineer for the American Power COM
pany and inventor of the power plant
which may irrigate the fertile acres of
the Columbia
The party reached their destination,
in the company's gasoline launch, Nav
| B., of Seattle, shortly after l o'clock.
Mr. Smith lost no time in showing
| the plant to the party, who have been
anxiously waiting developments since
the project was launched late last fall
Nothing but surprise was in store
as the developments that have been
made in constructing the plant, as
we'll as digging bitches, were far great
er than the party expected to find
Description of Plant.
Mr.. Smith does not like the idea of
calling his plant a current motor He
says that he is simply Harvesting the
power in the river and the amount of
power that can be developed in this
manner depends solely on the size of
the harness used.
The plant as it now stands consists
| of power belt, composed of parallel
endless cables, passing around drums,
that may be placed any distance apart
from 500 feet to one mile Attached
to these cables are blades so poised on
the cables as to keep them at the prop
er depth in the water. In the plant
now constructed these drums arc $50
| feet apart, while the 8 IA inch cables
are 8 feet apart. One hundred and
! forty-four blades, containing 16 square
| feet surface are attached to the cables
at intervals of IL feet. The lower
half of this power belt is submerged
in the river and passes along with the
stream, leaving the water at the lower
end passing around the drum and up
| over an idler on a cantilever support,
| to keep it out of the water and around
| the upstream drum which Is the
power drum. The power drum is sup
ported OIL a four-inch steel shaft, to
which may be attached a gear for
running any kind of machinery. AT
the present time the initial plant is
! developing so horse power. This
amount will be increased eight times
when the current raises two miles per
hour.
Mr.. Smith says that there is no limit
! to the amount of units that can be
; built in this manner.
The piers are supported on a cement
! foundation and moored with heavy steel
cables, to deadmen upstream.
Immediately above this plant, the
! company has started a ditch two and
one half miles in length. The head
| of the ditch is 225 feet above the level
! of the river. A large reservoir will be
! built at the lower end of this ditch and
water piped to lands under the 200 foot
level in cement pipe lines.
! While the plant is only a beginning
to demonstrate the possibilities, it has
been examined by expert engineers and
pronounced a success. The tests that
have been made were actual and severe.
| George L. Lapp of Seattle, recently
from Chicago is president of the COM
| pany. w. 2. Shackelford OF chicago,
one of the leading horticulturists in
the United States is a heavy stock
holder.
The fact that this company came
| here and began it's operations without
making any fuss about its intention,
coupled with the fact that it has al
ready spent thousands of dollars, is
| considered a good indication that it
means business. Practically every
| member of the party was convinced
that the proposition was feasible.
| The company has offered to guaran-
! tee to place water on all the land near
Pasco, coming under the 100 foot level
| by March 1910, providing the people OF
| Pasco agree to purchase small
amount of stock in the company. Tine
stock may be turned back to the COM
pany in lieu of water rights.