Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-01
WATER POWER IN WEIR MONT.

Tho conserving Of Ncrmonts natural
tnbly figure conspicuously in conncc-
ton with tho future development OF
our state. we have already shown the
extent 20 which this problem is to on
gage tho attention of t'e coming adj
min'stration in New York. as well as
afforded some hint of the way in
which the waters Of streams are bein,.
harnossod in other parts Of the United
States 20 turn the wheels Of industry
as we'll as TO Illuminate streets and
buildings
Every project of this character at
this time in Vermont has a two-fold
value. for 1t serves not only as a pow
er plant but also as an object lesson
which may lca1 to the following Of the
example thus set IN other parts of Yer
mont. we reproduce from the Water
hurN Record the story Of what has
been accomplished in one spot on the
Mad River Vallcy in tho direction Of
tho development Of water power.
Moody & Almons concrete dam On
Mad liver was finished Saturday night
Work on the dam was commenced last
May ana the concrete work begun
june l. During this lime 1000 cubic
yards II concrete ha. been nut into
! the dam, which Is one Of the largest
concrete dams III this section Of he
country being - feet high. 2S feet
through at the base. s feet through at
the top ana SS5 foot long.
Tho dam itself is niece Of art. and
it has also beer completed much
quicker than was estimated
This dam sets back the water for y
distance of one and n half miles. form
ing large lake which averages about
400 feet wide. The dam also has a So
foot head.
A cement power house is being built
]. 900 feet below t. @ dam and is being
connected with the dam by a steel
perstock G.: feet in diameter. which
Will be completed in one week The
water wheel case has arrived The
case has a capacity of 900 horse pow
or. 1t is expected that the entire plant
will be in running order by January |.
The plant is located on Mad river.
one mile above the old plani. which
gives them the advantage of using the
water twice, as the water passing
through the new plant discharges in
to the old pond. Both tho bower house
and dam are set or solid rock. the
known as Caseys bridge. This plant
will furnish power to Montpelier and
Mortified.
1t Is no eXaggeration to say that
there are scores of places in Verm ont
where it is possible to duplicate what
has been accomplished on the Mad
river as we'll as on the Connecticut be
low Brattleboro, at Bolton Falls on
the Winooski and many other spots in
this State. We ave been telling the
graduates Of the engineering depart
ments in Vermont that the only field
OF usefulness and success for them Is
outside Of the state, but there are
RTdHu Opportunities right here in the
Green Mountain state in connection
with the development Of water power
and industries, and it win be profit
nhle for our leading towns to ascertain
whether there is not the possibility of
promoting their own growth and de-
Velopment by taking advantage Of
some opportunity Of this character
me distance over which electricity
may be transmitted has greatly in
creased as result o. the perfecting
OF apparatus. and. while 1t has been
shown that q distance of 100 miles is
no bar to this transmission, thera are
few places in Vermont which cannot
ma water power much nearer than
this, while some have it AZ their very
doors.