Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-09

tyne Of construction presents several very advantageous features.
The trash racks are on the upper face of the dam and the vince
cases are connected by short intakes through these trash rack open
ings to the water. The gates are operated by electric otor AS
there are no pipe lines, canals or fumes in connection with TINS
plant the continuity of service is absolutely assured and depreciation
is reduced to a minimum. The water wheels are s. Morgan Smith
company's wheels. regulated by Lombard governors. The genera
tors r. Westinghouse, three-phase 6Ocyce, 1880 volt, revolving
field type machines. The switchboard is of blue vermont marble
and is equipped with double throw oil switches.
Power for local distribution will be used at 1880 volts This
will be used for operating the machinery of the Boysen Mining COM
the mines of this company being on the mountain adjacent to
the plant. For the distribution of power over the transmission lines
the voltage will be raised from 1900 to 10000 volts.
From its very location at the mouth of the Big Horn gorge the
construction of the dam was o most difcult feat Because M dam
's located in a narrow, rock canyon, with vertcle walls rising Soo
feet q n each side and because the river has a maximum discharge of
%. 600 second feet during the summer months, and because the
water does not reach such a stage as to permit work until late In the
fall # was necessary to do all the construction work during the win
ter months.
The severity of the winter weather made 1T necessary to heat all
tho material used for concreting. 1t was found that because the
buttresses had such extremely heavy sections it was possible by
heating the material to from 80 to 80 degrees, to place concrete in
zero weather without any percepible freezing Careful tests were
made on each section after it had been concreted.
The river above the dam is filled with loose powders TO a oeptn
- Goo ubiob mad h construction of Golfer dams, which
we're used to divert the water while excavation for the foundation
was being carried on, extremely difficult. In fact 1t was only by a
series of dams that it was possible to control the water a all II
was impossible to use sheet pling of any kind Whatever OWING I"
the character of the river bottom. Heavy log crlps Were uSeu lr
the upper sections. These were sheeted in order to take care OF the
Lighter crib dams were installed after IL the loose pos-
sible had been removed and heavy tow-flling placed between the
two lines of cribbing. Below this a sandbag Golfer dam was con
structed Il catch the seepage from the upper dam and divert 1t into
q Aume. This hume carried the seepage water down the canyon and
over the top of the lower Golfer DAM, there fortunately being enough
fail in the river at this point to permit of this. One section OF the
dam vas completed at a time, the river being diverted nrst II
side of the canyon and then from the other.
The plant will soon be ready to supply the mines whlc arr vail
ing for this cheap power before giving up their wealth copper
mountain is at this time known to possess great wealth. TWO assure
veins extending fourteen miles east of the Big Horn gorge contain
ing rich ores, running fine copper and gold, appear IN the Vry sur
face and holes sunk in the ground show these veins improve as theS
extend into the mountain. u,
At this writing the best developed mine in his seclon is Inc VII
rams-Luman mine, already sunk to a depth OF U et known
10 nossess conner running as high as so per cent. The largest vein
ON the property of this company was fortythree feet VIDE where II
VAS first struck and sixty-seven feet wide at a depth u eet' N
additional shaft to one side of this vein has SUNK 4o 20
further down and cross-tunnels will soon be run
The story of the Winiams-Luman mine shows what may b e done
IN this section after cheap power