Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1909-10-29

Shepherdstown, has been practically
completed, and last Saturday 70. the
first time the machinery was started
up and the mysterious electric force
sent over the copper highway to light
the streets Of Martinsburg and iiium-
mate the homes and the business
places OF that city.
Three years ago work was COM
menced on this enterprise. A com pany
had been organized principally by
Martinsburg capitalists, to build
plant on the West Virginia shore at
Dam No. 4. This dam had originally
oeen built as feeder TO the Chesa.
peake q Ohio canal, and later was re-
constructed when the late A. p. Cor
man was president OF the canal COM
paay. Ash now stands II is one of
tie largest md most substantial Of all
the dams across the Potomac. 1t is
aboutll 100 feet in length, from shore
to shore, and % feet high II is built Of
heavy blocks Of stone, quarried from
the Virginia cliffs, and seems likely
10 endure for ages. 1t backs UP great
body of water nd the only purpose IL
served up to The present was to pro-
videla supply Of water for the canal.
Byfa curious provision in the charter
OF the old canal company, certain RI
parian rights were preserved to the
owners of land on the Virginia shore
they were allowed the privilege Of utll-
izlng all the water mpounded by the
dams that was not actually needed to
feat boats upon The canal. Having
acquired contiguous land along the
West Virginia side of the stream. the
Martins burg company was able to
make satisfactory arrangements with
the canal company and THE work Of
establishing the power plant was COM
inenced
Work was commenced more than
three years ago, but the job was too
big for the firm of contractors. Scboaff
" Brubaker,of Pennsylvania, and after
working In desultory sort OF way for
about year, they gave it up. The
contract was awarded to Kefauyer a.
5hreeve, OF Baltimore, who have car
ried IT to "a successful completion
There has been wonderful transfor-
nation Of the topography Of that see
ton. The great cliff of limestone that
formed the southern shore has been
blasted away entireIy,--an enormous
~ tedious and costly work-.to give
room for the power-hopse and forebay
while the rocky limst0he ribs below
the dam have been blasted out to form
a tail-race for the discharged waters.
Where once were great Jagged lodges
OF rock and stunted willows are lengthy
walls combining the waters 10 the an
pointed place.
/ The power-house proper is a massive
structure. SO by 100 feet in size, rising
TO a height Of so feet above the water.
Its foundations are enormous walls Of
stone and concrete founded upon the
solid rock. The walls of the building
are OF heavy blocks of limestone. set In
Portland cement, four to ten feet in
thickness, while The girders of iron
ana the heavy framing of the struc-
ture'give it the appearance of fortress
impregnable even to the mightiest as
saults CT the Potomac. The forebay il
90 feet wide and l20 feet in length, The
water being taken from the river
above the dam through gates set in a
heavy wall Of stone and concrete. The
taii-raee is 40 feet wide, 20 feet deep
and 800 feet in.Iength, fanked on eth
er side by massive walls that carry the
water to the river far below.
The equipment represents the very
best and most up-to-date machinery
for the probation OF electricity by
water-powar, and there are few, if any
superiorsplants in the United states.
There Ehaye been installed two 900
horse power turbine water wheels,
/ with room left for third when il may
be needed, making the ultimate ca
pacity Of the plant 5000 horse power;
two 500-ki;owat generators, excilers
and switchboard; two Lombard n.y.
draulic: water-wheel governors. The
generators are driven by thirty-six one
and a-balf inch Manila ropes on each
machine. The current is generated at
ZOO volts and stepped upthrough 500
kilowat transformers to $1,000 volts.
The current will be three phase 60
cycle.
The electricity generated at this plant
is used in both Martinsburg. and Shep-
herdstown, and additional lines will
be extended wherever there may be a
demaLd for the current. The same
company has another plant at Dam
| No. 5. further nm the river aud fha