The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-02-07
IN
MISSISSIPPI Dam
KeOkuk Project TO Be Second
Largest IN Word.
TO Be COMP ETED IN 1918.

governments YoyuuOeUU Sanal VIII De |
Deliberately and Father of Waters
Transformed Into Lake Fifty Miles In
Length and Five Wide-tIuge Locks
Planned For Navigation.
A date has been set for the compile
ton of the mile wide S20,00o.000 dam
in the Mississippi river which is now
in construction at Keokulz. Ia 1t is
July l, 1913.
Hugh L. Cooper, the engineer in
charge, states that thirty months of
work carried on as actively as it is
now will see the Des Moines rapids
harnessed and 100000 horsepower de-
veloped. The total development is to
be between 100000 and 250,600 horse
power, of which 10000 has already
been contracted for delivery to St
Louis, 200 miles distant Mr. Cooper
states that Keokuk and vicinity are to
have the first call on the balance of
the power.
The books of the Keokuk and Ham
ilton Water Power company show that
$50 men are now employed In build
ing the big dam, the first to extend
entirely across the Mississippi river,
for which it was necessary to Sc
cure a franchise from congress before
work could be started. BY the 1st of
July 1000 nlen will be at work.
100000 Canal to Disappear.
Five hundred are now at work on
the Iowa side, the first task consisting
in building three miles of side track
on which to transport the innumerable
tons of building material required and
constructing temporary bridge across
the canal, which was built by the
United States forty years ago at a
total cost of 100000 and which is
to be completely drowned out when
the dam impounds the waters of the
river.
The river from Keokuk north viii
be changed from mile wide mean-
dering stream into a lake from three
to FIVE miles in width and about forty
or fifty miles il length Thousands
upon thousands of acres of loWlands
along both the Iowa and the Illinois
shores will be submerged, but the wa
q ter power company has been securing
options on this property and buying.
tracts quietly for the past two or three
years, until today it is stated that il
has provided either by outright purz
chase or by option for 50 per cent of
i the property which will be Inundated.
Altogether almost S2,O00,00o has been
spent or will be spent for riparian
rights.
Mr.. Cooper stated that the pOssibili-
ties Of the project were only begin
ming to be realized. He predicted that
8 within twenty years there would be
from 100000 to 100000 people living
i on the shores Of the lake which viii
be formed when the dam impounds
the rivers waters He said that wa
i ter power of no greater magnitude
supports a population Of 100000 in
Switzerland.
Dream Of Years to Be Realized.
Il 1t is only after quarters of a
century of hoping that Keokuk at last
sees its water power dreams being
realized. AS long ago as 1s4S the
Mississippi River Improvement asso-
citation was organized, with a capital
stock of 81 ,o00, 600, for the purpose of
ireproving navigation and Harvesting
Ae water power that might be devel
led In the process. Years and dec
AIDES passed, however, and nothing
came Of the plans until within the
past ten years the project was revived
and Keokuk went at earnest on the
] proposition. After considerable ma
nellvering franchise was secured
from congress giving the right to
dam the river and develop the power
Of the Des Molnes rapids. 1t vas to
make navigation possible ane safe
around this dangerous stretch of the
Mississippi that the governments built
the nine mile canal in the seventies
and has maintained it ever since at
an annual cost of $50. 900.
Before the franchise could be Sc
cured from congress It was necessary
for the promoters to agree to replace
] this canal and its three locks with one
immense lock, which would allow the
boats and RATS to ascend OF descend
4Eulls OlkG &NdtSEf ICY q ~ sAAiOelASAs II
I place the present drydock with an
other and furnish electric power 70
! operate both the new dam and the
new lock for all eternity, absolutely
free TO the government.
The dam which IS being built will
! be the largest lii the world. with the
, single exception of the Assuan dam
built across the Nile, ID Egypt, BIZ the
British government The Keokfak dam
will be mile long and thirty seven
feet high. with seven feet of the foun-
dalton imbedded iii the solid rock of
u river bottom The dam will be
tween thirty i've and forty feet ii
! width. The power house viii be 400
feet long.
Two Thousand Photos In Second.
a moving picture camera which will
u