The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-07
HARNESS THEKAW
Ill. Won Schon Tells How 1t Can
Be Done.
Will Require the Expenditure
of Million Dollars.
PROVIDECHEAPPOWER
Amount Generated Would Be
Six Thousand Horse.
Selects Willard as the Most
Available Site.
PROVIDECHEAPPOWER

/ ~ SISlHGeF OF Detroit, Mich, is
or the opinion that an expenditure of
million dollars would build a dam
ana auxiliary steam plant on the Kaw
i al a point near Willard, which would
PROVIDE cheap power for the use of
| Topekans to the extent of 900 horse
power. The dam would cost 100000
and the steam plant with a capacity
OF producing 5000 horsepower would
neceSsltate the use of another half
million dollars.
The IS business men who were
present Thursday night for the $50
Won Schon dinner at the Commercial
club were enthusiastic over the propo-
sltlon, and the chairman, J. Will Kel-
ley, president of the Commercial club,
was authorized to appoint a committee
of five to raise the two or three thous-
and dollars required to pay an ex-
pert engineer to spend some weeks
making careful detailed report
| which will be required in case definite
action is taken relative to the con-
structlon of power plant.
Burge Will Take Hold.
After the meeting n. b. Burge, who
has been taking an unusual degree of
| interest in the idea of harnessing the
| Kaw, told State Journal reporter
| that he and a friend were prepared
| to undertake the necessary steps to-
wards building dam across the Kan
sas river. But" said he, sit will take
| four or five years to complete such
an undertaking for the reason. that it
Will take year or more to get the
right from congress to construct a
dam, and then the execution of as
large proposition is naturally not a
rapid matter.
Now there isn't any hot air about
this-I mean business. Why. two
miles north of Manhattan on the Blue
river at the place which was known
| as Rocky Ford, a half million dollars
has been spent by Junction City men
to get less than 5000 horsepower
| Samuel Brown of Chicago is con-
structing a hydro electric plant at the
Grand river in northeastern Kansas
paying one and a half million dollars
to develop little more than 3,00G
horsepower to sell to mine operators
i Plan to Raise Money.
There were several methods sug.
gested for raising the money neces-
sary for paying for a complete report
by an expert engineer. 1t was pro
posed that a corporation capitalized a.
$1,000 to be formed for the purpose OF
exploitation, the stock to be sold ovel
the city in small blocks SO that as
many persons as possible would have
an interest in the proposition and the
cost of defraying the expense would
not fall upon a few individuals.
A number of those present including
users of power and loyal citizens
agreed to do their part towards pay.
ing an engineer for this work. Major
T. J. Anderson, who was interested iT
damming the Kaw years ago, said thai
he could be depended upon at this
time to do his part towards making il
possible for Topeka to have cheaI
power.
Must Be Above City.
81 have spent two days in looking
over the physical conditions said Mr..
von Schon. mo mortal being would be
allowed to build dam below your
city. 1t would raise the water a foot
and you would increase your flood
stage.
/ 1.-The proposition of carrying a canal
across the bend on the North side is
though it would be a success as a
means of eradicatinS the flood Difficult
| ties There is not the proper founda-
ton for a dam at thi point-there is
too much quickSand.
Near Willard, II miles west of To-
peka. is the first point where an ap-
parentIy continuous rock ledge crosses
the river. One-half mile west of that is
what is known as Rocky ford' which
makes rapid fall of two feet or more.
i This is the best location for a dam
near Topeka.
.'At this point the river is $50 feet
ide; the south bank Is 30 feet high
and the north bank is 20 feet high with
the land sloping upward. You can
build a 10 foot dam-the structure
would be Is feet high itself-whicn
would create a 10 foot fall.
This would give you a. development
of 5000 horse power, and would cost e
half million dollars If you wanted 5000
horse power throughout the entire year
you would have to put in a steam plant
which would have capacity for 500C
horse power and cost $500, 900 to build.
IF the members of this club will
take a suggestion from me you will
have storage facilities of the river ex-
anlined, and if you can store water for
1000 horse power, you could steam
plant one-half the size of the one men,
toned.
by putting in the storage facilities
tie flood damages would be reduced
You would be public beneficiary, and
would be regulating the force of the
waters
IF you want double the horse pow
er mentioned you could construct {
canal from, the dam to the bend in the
river near Valencia, a distance of -four
miles, at cost of a million dollars
The canal would have to be lined
throughout with concrete, and if such g
canal were built it might be possible tc
eliminate the cost of an auxiliary steam
plant.
Use for the Power
I'm Topeka there are some 400 in
dustries using power-ten thousand
horse power is rough estimate. You
burn up $4,000 tons of coal in you
shops, I should say. which is absolutely
thrown away. The city waterworks, &
good plant, could save S1,S75 year OF
eoal And here is this city located or
the shores of one of the great America.
, rivers.
You do not have to go into tht
, proposition blindly. The government
has kept record of the flow of ths
Kaw at Lecompton for the last Is years
This shows that the year 1902 was th'