The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-25
1~pleye. q Quincy Gas Electric and
Heating Company do Not Believe
Dam VIII be Completed
on Time.
SPEAK OF GREAT WORK
or.ndest piece Of Work Ever Under.
taken in America, Says Electr.
cal Superintendent of the
Company

JUiNC1, Ill, ApTll E0.--trSneral
Manager Harry o. Channon and Elec
trical superintendent NJ. NJ. Hess oil
the quincy Gas Electric and Heating
Co., went to Keokuk Saturday in their !
auto to inspect the work upon the |
great dam which will confine the
waters OF the Mississippi aud eventual
ly furnish light and power for the use
Of the company. Both gentlemen re-
turned enthusiastic over the great
project, but each declare that the pre-.
diction that power would be provided
in "a months was based upon vivid
Imagination rather than upon facts
aIt's the grandest piece of work
ever undertaken in America, and in
some respects, ! believe in all the
world said Mr. Hess wis morning
It's details are all monumental and
preparations are being made which
when all the various features of
the work are co-ordinated will cause
the dam to arise almost like magic,
Yet consider it absolutely impossible.
basing my BELIEF upon the work al
ready done, the plans made for the
further conduction, and the magni,
tude of the project for the dam to be
completed and Its immense power
plant delivering current for less than
three or four years. 1t may even be
FIVE before the plant is running at its
full capacity.
"One section OF the dam, per-
haps thirty feet in length. is entirely
completed. This is on the Illinois side,
and upon it is being erected the larg-
est travelling crane in the world. 1t
Isl monumental affair, with five series
Of tracks unon II. upon which mater
ials, concrete, and the like will be
conveyed. 1t Is the plan to move this
gigantic crane slowly out over the
y~Sgiver, as the dam is constructed. The
concrete mixing plant is one of the
largest ever constructed When run
niEy at it's fullest capacity it will be
entirely adequate to supply every BIZ
Of the material put into the dam.
II estimated that there were about
500 men at work upon the dam. Mr.
Channon thought there were couple
hundred more. But they were scat
tered over so wide an area and were
moving about SO much that it wa
difficult to form correct estimate
They were largely unskired laborers
Over on the Iowa side the chie
activity is in the work upon the cone
dams which are surrounding spac
in the river about 400 feet square, !
which the foundations for the poWe
house will be laid This area vi
have to be pumped out when IN
Golfer dams are completed, as IT IS IN
intention to carry SOME, OF the found'
tions. especially supporting the hug
wheels in the power house. down
great depth.
Hugh Cooper, the engineer and pr
nloter of the dam, is personally
charge and is as busy as a bee, solf
here and there overseeing the Wor
No detail is too small for him to
VIII W. anu HHuST His NoiN 49, 'S''f
vision there is no chance for any'nli
70 go wrong"
Asked whether the power con
be transmitted by underground
bles as some papers have hignll
suggested might be the case y
Hess laughed and said. mo cure
carrying the immense voltage III
We will take here can be operat
under ground. 1t is an undisput
fact. The currents will be carried
cables of three wires each upon 70
ers
We shall go on with our
proyements here, however, Just
we have planned. 1t will be ye'
at best before we can expect TO '
the current from Keokuk, and
service here demands the new ecu
ment Immediately. The work on
new boiler house will be rushed.
Will IA, p,o;nf a ipod in Derfeet ora