Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-09-08
EDITORS OBSERVATIONS
The Greatest Water Power In the
World.

We visited Keokuk, Iowa, In the ex-
treme southeastern corner OF the state,
which is sometimes called the Gate City.
It can now more truly be called the Gate
City since the greatest river water power
in the world is being constructed to be
known as "The 100000 Horse Power
Hydro Electric Plant Of the Mississippi
River Power Company To give you
a good description Of the construction
Of this great dam and It's various
usages would make large volume. In
fact the Company gets ouc an official
bulletin every month to keep the pub
lie informed as to the progress Of the
work. But I must not leave this great
subject until I shall have given my
readers brief idea Of the immense
amount Of work and this enormous
piece Of engineering done upon this
dam S Is Il.
This great dam was started about
two years ago and will be completed
by July /, 1918, when a grand opening,
participated in by the President Of the
United States and diplomats from for
eign countries, will be held, which will
be well worth your time and money to
attend. The dam, including abutments,
will be four thousand Ave hundred
sixty eight feet long, or seven-eighths
Of mile. The spillway section will be
4278 feet in length. The height will
be 80 feet above the river bed and its
base 42 feet wide. The upstream face
will be vertical. The downstream face
will be an ogee curve, the upper por-
tion parabola over which the water
will spill, the lower portion an arc Of
a circle which will throw the water
horizontally away from the toe Of the
dam.
On top of the spillway will be placed
119 steel flood gates, 80 feet wide and
II feet high, supported by concrete
piers. These piers will be feet thick,
and will be built integral with the dam.
The piers also support an arched
bridge, from which the gates will be
operated by electric hoists. BY manipu-
iating these gates the water above the
dam will be maintained at a nearly con-
slant level at all seasons. #
The dam will be built entirely Of
massive concrete, without enforcement
of any kind. It will be locked firmly
luGU GuG TOCh tUtu VI ytucf AANcA esAu WILL
be practically a monolith.
The power house will be 1400 feet
long and l23 feet wide. The substance
will be built Of massive concrete, in
which will be nodded the water pas.
sages and water wheel chambers. On
ltop Of this will be built the super
structure, house Of concrete brick
and steel. The superstructure will con.
tain the electric generators, trans
formers and switchboards, The height
Of the power house from foundation to
roof will be 1873 feet.
ISa Well, we have said enough this time
about this great construction which is
the third greatest in the worlds his
| tory. The first is the Panama canai,
and the second the Suez canal This
will cost approximately $21 100000.
We. found the Keokuk people doing
well and in good cheer, most Of them
able to pay their subscription bills
4 "A. "a. Bland is still having good health
and is cinducting his pool hall and
hotel in nice two story building that
( he owns on Main street, wf ila his sol
is the city bill poster. His wife, q very
u Il 81 .