Mohave County miner. [volume] (Mineral Park, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1882-1918, 1910-05-21
Cheap Power Stimulates Mining In
Colorado.

SOlOrdoOs
Cheap power is just as much of a
factor in mining as it is in other forms
of industrial development.
Power enters into every stage of
metal production. Power is required
in driving the drills, in hosting and
transporting the ore, in operating the
pumps and cunning the mills.
When power must be generated in a
steam plant, and coal costs from IS to
50 a ton, as it frequently does when
laid down at the mines in the noun
tains, the expense eats into the profits
and is often prohibitive to successful
mining operations.
Mining development in Colorado has
been retarded by the high cost of
power.
But this obstacle will not be en-
countered in the future. The trans
mission lines of the Central Colorado
Power company have been extended
to the principal mining camps of the
state. No matter how remote or in
assessible they may be, they can have
power as cheap as it could be devel-
oped from coal at 3.5Os a ton. The
rates in isolated camps are the same
as they are where coal is cheap.
So far as power is concerned, the
mountains have been leveled.
This comparison with coal applies to
mines operating on small scale. To
large consumers of power much lower
rates are granted.
The Central Colorado Power com
pany has three generating plants.
At Shoshone on the Grand river,
there is a diversion dam of the bear
trap type, tunnel two and one-half
miles in length, II feet wide and Is
feet high and a hydro-electric power
plant of 10000 kilowatt capacity. This
plant is operated OD the natural How
of the Grand river.
Just below Nederland in Boulder |
canyon there is storage dam III feet
high, 624 feet long and I20 feet thick
at the base. A gravity water line of |
36-inch concrete pipe, buried, extends |
from the dam to a regulating reser-
voir at Kessler. From Kessler to the
power house in Boulder canon there is |
a pressure pipe line of steel, $40 feet |
in length with drop of I,S3O feet. !
This plant when completed will have
a capacity of 10000 kilowatts. 1t will
operate on stored water.
At Leadville the company has a
steam plant of $500 kilowatt capacity.
The transmission line starts at Sho-
shone, runs through Leadville. Dillon.
Argentine Pass, Georgetown and Gold
en- TO Denver, a distance of l53 miles:
thence to Boulder, 29 miles. 1t crosses
three mountain passes at an elevation
of IL 800 l2,2OO and 1890 feet. The
voltage on the transmission line is lOO.-
900, approximately 1000 times greater
than used for incandescent light lines
and 200 times greater than the voltage
in the operation of electric street rail-
ways.
The distributing stations are located
at Shoshone, Leadville, Dillon, Idaho
Springs, Denver and Boulder. The
voltage on the distributing circuits is
$4,000.
The Boulder plant will be completed
during the coming summer.
At Idaho Springs the lines of the
company are connected with the plant
of the United Hydro Electric company
and at Lafayette with the steam plant
of the Northern Colorado Power CON- |
pany. This taken in connection with I
the large emergency steam plant at q
Leadville enables the Central Colorado c
company TO guarantee a continuity of :
service superior to any furnished by /
any similar system in this part of the /
United States.
In isolated mining regions mines are S
often forced to close down because of +
interruption in the coal supply. In 1
this respect, as well as in reduced ex- I
penses, the situation will be greatly l
improved by the extension of the com
pany's lines throughout the district. Z
Beyond question the mining districts 1
reached will be greatly benefited, and ?
many properties that have long lain I
idle will become the scene of active a
operations during the present year. q
4s ooo,ooo$ Spent To Reclaim Land. +
To give clear conception of the o.
achievements of the enOineer in tho