The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-02-22
r.n Million Dollars TO be Spent for
Dana and Miils In One District
In the Nprth Part of
Idaho.
UPSIDE DOWN DA
DAM THE LUTHER DOCUMENT
sinking Wedge Dam viii be Con-
structcd at One Point in
Rather an Interesting
Manner.
[Gate City Special Service !

[Gate City Special Service
| SPOKANE, Wash, Feb. 22.-Ten |
million dollars will be expended on
power plants and sawmills In the
Lewiston and Clearwater districts OF
northern Idaho as the result OF the
adoption by the legislature of an
amendment to the law governing
dams and reservoirs In the Clearwa-
ter river.
This involves the construction of an
Immense dam at Bruce's Eddy, on the
North Fork of the stream, about two
miles above its mouth, which experts
declare will be one OF the most cost
" pieces of engineering work yet at
tempted in the northwest.
c. a. Reid Of Spokane. who has as
Ills associates a number of capital
lists of Toronto, Ont, will build the
dam at Bruce's Eddy, to cost $780,
900, and power plant below the
dam. generating minimum of 1900
horsepower and which will cost ap-
/ proximately 100000. These same in
terests will construct q cement plant
/ at Orofno to cost 100000. w. c..
Weeks, who built the East River pier
| in New York, will have charge of
| construction.
Representatives. Of the Clearwater
Timber Company, OF which Thomas ].
Humbird Of Spokane, is an officer, an
nounca that more than s1,000,000 will
be expended IN the eonatrdctio, bf
| sawmills at Orofno, a power plant at
the mouth Of Whisky creek three
miles above Orofino and auxiliary
plants in the white timber belt.
The Northern Pacific, and the Chi
cago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound
railway companies announce they
will construct their lines into the
heart of the timber belt expecting to
secure the vast tonnage that will be
developed by the sawmilling inter-
ests, and it is given out that the
Northern Pacific company will at
once complete its plans for building
the Missoula-Lewiston cutoff across
the Bitter-Root mountains, for which
the surveys have been made.
The site at Bruce's Eddy is ideal
for the generation of power The
North Fork of the Clearwater river
flows at an average fall of 10 feet to
the mile. The width of the river
above the dam site is several hundred
feet The water flows due east until
IT reaches the eddy. then swirls
around and flows due south.
At the site OF the dam the width of
the stream on the surface is but 11O
feet while on bed rock on the stream
feet high above the present surface OF
the river. and across the stream on
top will be 157 feet. The dam will be
4ig feet in width. II will be of the
sinking wedge type, with a spillWay,
several hundred feet in length, to al
low the passage of logs uninterrupt-
ed to the river below the dam.
The plan for the construction and
setting of the dam is unique in that II
VIII be constructed bottom side up.
When the project was under consid
Grafton several years ago, engineers
mad planned to buiIu a tunnel around
the dam site and divert the North
Fork through the tunnel, but the cost
was SO great that the scheme was al
most abandoned for building dam
When the services of Mr.. Weeks were
secured and the sinking wedge dam
Proposed. His plan is to construc,
The dam of concrete with the bottom
side up, laying balanced on the wedg
Ell portion, the downstream end OF
'he dam pointing up the stream. After
me bed of the stream below the dam
mas been cleaned, the contours Of
lne bedrock worked out and the
main dam completed, the dam held IN
position by cables and engines, will
be slowly lowered into place. Aper
lures on the top of the dam will be
nlled with rock.
The power plant will be constructed
below the dam. For several years
workmen have been making a wagor
road from the mouth of the stream
70 Ahsahka to the dam site. a distanc.
OF two miles. Most OF 1t is completed
me road is the best piece of grade il
Idaho, being hewn out of solid rocl
aiong the mountain side above thu
river.
4