The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-04-28
From Fridays Daily.

r. E. Brown of the Consumers
Power company, representatives OF
the two daily papers were enabled
to visit the Rapidan dam yesterday
afternoon and to go through its in
nermost recesses. The trip was
made in Mr.. Browns speedy REQ
car, and was a delightful one. The
country looks fine, and the fields ap-
pear to be just in the right condi-
ton for seeding, and farmers were
busy everywhere along the road
winding up their seeding operations.
The grass is beginning to turn green,
and the buds will soon be coming
out. The roads were found to be
very good for this time Of the year,
a trifie rough in places, but every
where dry The need of dragging
was apparent in places.
The scene at the dam is far differ
ent from what it was last fall, and
one sees but very little that is IA
miliar, aside from the hills below
the dam. Above, a beautiful lake
has sprung, as though by magic,
extending back for miles, with steep
and wooded shores in many places,
and in others gentle sloping banks
and beautiful points jutting out to
break the regularity of the shore
line Manager Brown has purchased
a small naptha launch and will soon
place it upon the lake.
This lake, by the way, is probably
the largest private owned lake in
Minnesota. 1t is the property of the
H. M. Byllesby company of Chicago,
the owners of the dam, because
they own the land all around it,
and no doubt arrangements can be
made later whereby the public will
have suitable access, with boating
and fishing privileges.
The fishing ought to be good. 1t
is planned to stock the lake with
fish fry from the state hatchery,
pike and crappies being put in. The
thousands of carp cannot run up
from below. Every day great schools
of these rough fish come up as far
as the dam, and some big specimens
have been speared. Few if any game
fish have been seen below the dam
as yet.
A hill that overlooks the dam is
said to be the highest point in the
county, having an elevation of more
than LOO feet above sea level. The
bridge is splendid, and the new road
to the west shortens the way and
cuts out the bad stretch.
The dam is sure to be a favorite
point for visitors. Last Sunday 345
visitors inspected it, by actual count
The water was running over the
spillway yesterday due to a heavy
rain in Iowa. While the dam from
it's exterior is a wonderful sight, the
interior presents yet more won.
derful appearance, with its great and
ponderous, yet delicately adjusted
of the water into electric energy, to
be transmitted to wherever it can
be made of service to man.
Homer Daniels, who is construc
ton foreman, showed the scribes
through the power plant and down
under the dam, into the cold and
mirky regions, with ooZing water
and still unmelted ice, and the
thought ever present of the mighty
power of the lake fifty feet above
nf no inc ION
The power plant embodies the latest
product of mechanical genius and the
best thought of the best electrical
engineers of the world. One of the
great electrical developing stations
In the northwest is located at the
very door of Mankato, and it would
seem that the city ought to develor
as never before, with such power
at hand to operate manufacturing
industries of all kinds. At present
only about one-fourth of the present
capacity of the plant is being used
and the present capacity can be in.
creased fifty per cent if necessity
requires by installing another unit
c. j. Sine of Chicago is the en-
glneer in charge of the plant, and
he is on duty days, and William
Thilgen, formerly of the plant in
this city, has charge at night. Both
are experienced electrical engineers
and under their charge the plant is
working smoothly and without lar
So delicate is the machinery that
every time a street car stops OF
starts in Mankato it is noticeable
Every discharge of electricity in the
clouds is registered in the plant. and
the arrangements for arresting the
lightning are perfect. There are GER
tain copper wires that no one must
touch with his hand or with a fish
pole if he holds life dear, but the
company has taken care to keep the
public at distance from these.
Engineer Sine took the reporters
down into the danger zone, into great
apartments that are kept perpetu.
ally locked, for death turks there for
the unwary. At times, the electric
current might leap a foot from the
carriers to the human body, and life
would be snuffed out in the twinkline
OF an eye. To touch some of the