The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-01-14
The WATER POWER PROJECT.

THE WATER POWER PROJECT.
Appreciatiye references to tho Keo
kuk and Hamilton water power pro
ject are found in nearly all the news
papers that come to The Gate City's
exchange table. All agree that the
undertaking is one Of great magat
tude and that It viii be of immense
benefit 70 Keokuk and all this par;
Of the Mississippi valley. The Oska-
loosa Herald, for instance, says.
The Development Of water power
may De an important feature Of Iowa
progress In 1910 The great project
at keokuk has been advanced TO the
hopeful stage through negotiations
with an eastern syndicate. There is
a good prospect that It win be real
lied with great advantage to Keokuk
and that the power viii be trans
mitted by electricity as far north as
Burlington
The State Line Democrat publish
! e. al keosauQua predicts that the wa
/ tar power viii make Keokuk TO the
I central west what Sault Ste Marie is
/ TO The north" Ii also anticipates
that il viii probably be cheaper for
keossuqra to obtain its power here
for city lighting purposes than to
maintain plant al home. The Demo
crat expresses q regret which is
shared By every loyal citizen of Keo-
kuk that C. P. Birge, John y. Irwin
and David J. Ayres, who were active
and effective dc early promoters OF
the great enterprise, are not living to-
day 10 rejoice with us over its sue
cess. The Keosauqua Republican, a
lifelong friend and well-wisher of
Keokuk, under the heading, "All Hail
Keokuk." tenders it's congratulations
in these words:
We congratulate especially the
citizens Of Keokuk and we congratu-
late generally the people of this part
of Iowa, because Of the announcement
that the development OF the Keokuk
water power into a mighty source of
manufacture is to become reality
and that TOO in the not distant future.
The development has been financed
By eastern capitalists, and the mighty
enterprise is TO go forward The great
Mississippi dam is to be built. This
'AaN LING RAOHPItSLs C1u EEOH41 W
Keokuk and wonderful convenience
to this section Of the state When
this project is completed Keosaunua
and other towns in Van Buren, coun-
ty can be lighted by electricity gen.
Grated down at the Gate City. All
hail to our friends and fellow citizens
down on the rapidsi"
The Ottumwa Courier is impressed
by what 1t calls Keokuk's bulldog
tenacity,s' concerning which 1t has this
editorial utterance. coupled with good
wishes for the city's future.
Since Keokuk secured it's dam the
newspapers are speaking of IT as the
New and Greater Keokuk.' Iowa has
applauded the bulldog tenacity Keo-
kuk has displayed in keeping up the
I fight for its waterpower dam until the
victory was won 1t trusts that the
kuk all the good things the boosters
of that city confidently hope for"
That the dam viii be great thing
for Keokuk and other cities along the
big river is freely conceded by the
Iowa City Republican, which says of
the project:
"A group of eastern capitalists have
4 agreed to put in s15,000000 to build a
1 dam at Keokuk across the Mississ-
ippi river. For fifteen miles above
! Keokuk there are swift rapids, and
4 the dam will put them TO use, so that
4 100000 horse power will be available
for public use. The dam will be thir-
! ty-five feet high and will make a great
i lake extending above the rapids. It
viii contain locks for navigation and
the government canal around the rap
/ ids will be abandoned This will be
4 the second largest dam in the world,
the largest being on the river
| Nile, built by the British government
for irrigation purposes. The dam viii
! be great thing for Keokuk and 9TH
er cities. In the form OF electricity
the power can be taken to distant
cities
The Carthage Republican foresees
that the project viii be Of great bene-
4 fit to Hancock county. at is the dawn
Of new and wonderful era for this
section Of the middle west declares
that paper After giving details of
the dam and installation of hydro
electric machinery and appliances the
Republican goes on to say
Briefly. this is the situation:
AT Keokuk and Hamilton, property
values have SCARED to the skies. Some
far-sighted people had obtained op-
tions on land and lots in both cities
and viii make a good thing OF it. The
O'Hara's, of Carthage, obtained some
4 options in both cities which have al
ready made them handsome profit.
If this project goes through. and
II has every Indication of so doing, 1t
will greatly benefit Hancock county.
Carthage will share this benefit in
many ways. Trolley railroads will
be built in every direction. Electric
power, lights and heat will be the pre-.
vailing system in every house. PEG.
pie will be attracted here by our fine
college and schools and clean, pro.
4 gressive methods Carthage win have
many new enterprises and a greatly
II increased number Of new homes. Pub
4 lie improvements will continue with
Increased rapidity and we viii in time
become a city of considerable import.
y rTbGra ic M opI ttpg-f