The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-25
HOW The GREAT
dam Will LOOK
Monstrous Power Plant Not far From
Iowa Shore Will Stand Forth
in a Blaze Of
Glory.
JUST A COMPARISON
1t viii be as Big as Estes House II
Latter Had Frontage on Main
Street of Nearly Six
Blocks.
JUST A COMPARISON

Viewing it from all it's angels.
glancing optimistically into the future
about three years hence, the Keokuk
and Hamilton Water Power dam which
will span the Mississippi, looms up
as task for hydraulic engineers and
contraction engineers that, when &C
complished, will prove a wonder to
the United States and to the world.
Few can imagine the enormity of the
construction work that will be embod-
led in this longest dam in the world;
little do the Keokuk people think of
how the imposing structure will stand
forth for years to come to fill the sack
of those who will hold it from the time
Of its completion.
Yesterday afternoon two newspaper
men in company with two gentlemen
from the water power Offices in this
city visited the scene of activities
across the river While the purpose
of the visit was to note progress that
had been made during the past Few
weeks and give the readers few more
items that may interest them, yet the
aftrnoon did not pass without
glance into the future and various re-
marks and predictions made as to the
picture which the Mississippi river
and the dam would make in 1912, and
even the change that would likely be
wrought fifty years hence. Before CIV
ing these somewhat romantic views,
although it must be said they are
| founded on real facts, it might be well
| to speak of the general work and pro-
gress made by men working on this
great enterprise.
Foreigners Scatter.
First Of all, however, the trip was
not without it amusing incidents. AT
ter the party had arrived on the scene
| and had taken general. view OF the
situation closer inspection of work
being done in excavating for the ware
house was made. Just in the midst OF
this interesting study of the work one
of the foreman fastened forward with
4 the news that blast was to be made
| AT least that is what ne must have
uttered, for in twinkling the Rouman-
! ians, Italians, Mexicans, Americans
\ and few others of mixed nationality
whose names cannot be pronounced
or spelled were scattering in all d.
rections. Some descended to behind
cliffs; others sought refuge behind
small trees; while still others went
some distance off One of the news
paper men was about two hundred
yards off after the visiting party had
taken warning, and followed suit.
4 The detonation of dynamite was soon
heard and several cubic feet of frozen
earth and hard rock was lcosened from
! It's mooring near the crest of the hill.
The blast is nothing like the one that
will be heard Saturday evening, pre-
parations for which are now being
made. Deep holes are being drilled
in what will be the floor of the ware
house and these will be filled with dy-
Mantle, all to be set off at once.
Nearly One Hundred at Work.
Yesterday there were exactly ninety
six men at work, according to the
4 brass checks hanging in the company's
Office. In this connection it is inter
esting to state how the company keeps
a check on the men and what the sys-
tenn is that the timelseeper must look
out for Every man in the company S
employ has brass check with num-
Der. When he goes to work in the
morning he must come to the Office
and turn in his check which is bung in
it's place. He then receives card
which is stamped with the hour that
he enters upon his work that day and
this in turn Is given to the foremen,
who at the end of the days work marks
down the number of hours worked by
the man that day, and also the rate
of compensation he receives per hour,
which is usually fifteen cents for the
common laborer. This card is then
returned to the timekeeper, and 1t is
filed, new card being given the next
day At night the mans brass check
is carried by him. His time is also
entered upon a regular time book.
The payroll is made out each month,
usually about the fifth or sixth.
AT the present time most of the
work is being done on the warehouse
which is to hold the cement and also
on the actual dam excavation. The
former as has been previously stated
is 145 feet long and IS feet wide. II
will be built on solid rock founda.
ton and will be capable of holding
about 10000 barrels of cement The
rock bottom Is preferred because OF
the heavy weight to which it will be
subjected. Along the west side Of the
warehouse Will be track. and branch
ing off from the north east end will be
. number of individual cement mixers
The cement mixers will thus be with.