El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-18

another section Of 400 feet is Golfer
damned, and the process OK c0nslE4e-
ton is continued in the same way Lnls
wiz 90 on until the Drldge IS eAlen4-
ed all the way from the limos snore
to the junction with the power Aousf1
on the Iowa side. incidentally lne1s
are left 116 .or more large openings. 5e-l
tween the bEidge piers, througl lhich
the water paSses unObstructeT These
openings viii Ninally be clos1d a few
at time, by sbSel gates sd the ball
wiz be placed behNnd Ike steel gatr-H
gradually raising M crest OF the
until II has reached its full heiE
The power house dtseh
win be 123 feet wide and Qui
a mile long. It's substructure
built Of massive concrete, in WIN
nodded the water passages and
wheel chambers. For this DutDOse
method adODtad is to construct q q
ferdam around the entire area to be
occupied by the power house. tnclosing
about 81 acres, TO pump the water out
OF the lnclosure, and then 70 proceed
with the concrete work. The latter IS
q kind Of work presenting eXtraordi-
nary difficulties, inasmuch as the
molds or forms for the water passages
and wheel cham bers are complicated
Brick and Steel Are Used.
On top of this substructure is 70 be
placed a. superstructure OF brick and
steel which viii contain the electric
generators, transformers and switch
UDaAL1- ne MEAEAL u tie r0M EA MUSE
from foundation to roof VIII be 133
feet. From IL win run wall OF con-
crete, built upstream and curving 10 q
junction with the shore. This Walls
over half a. mile long VIII be designed
as an ice fender, for protection against
logs and floating ice Below the sur
face Of the river IL viii have arched
openings, through which the water VIII
find its way TO the power house
The United States government built
in 1877, and has since maintained as an
aid to navigation. drydock, canal,
and a series OF three looks, extending
along the Iowa shore from Keokuk to
a point below Fort Madison distance
Of ~ miles. These made feasible the
only practicable river traffic between
points above and below the rapids. But
the artificial lake created by the new
dam viii submerge the old canal and
locks and so the company engaged IN
mailing the hydro-electric improve
ments at Keokuk has been required By
the government TO construct a lock
and drydOck which VIII conveniently
and safely accommodate the present
and prospective commerce Of the Mis-
sissippi river, while affOrding ample
facilities for the repair OF vessels IN
ctnentally IL is demanded that suitable
fishways shall be provided, by which
stream.
To Transform Navigation.
The project now being carried out,
while utilizing for pOWer. purposes the
VIII transform navigation perhaps as
difficult as anywhere along the Mis-
sissippi into comparatively safe and
convenient travelling 1t Is estimated
by the engineers in charge Of the work
that the minimum amount OF water
passing KeOkuk at the season when
the river is lowest is certainly not less
than 10000 cubic feet per second Prob
ably it's quite q bit more than that
There is to be only a single lock un-
der the new arrangement and. in addi-
ton TO building this lock and the dry
dock. the company has agreed to carry
out certain improvements in channel
facilities Immediately below the dam.
The lock VIII be Of concrete and steel
400 feet long from gate to gate, 10
feet wide, and capable Of lowering yes
sells about 50 feet Between It and the
bank Of the river viii be the concrete
drydock, 453 feet long and 40 feet
wide.
To start with, IL IS planned to install
10 main pressure turbines, each with
a capacity OF 1880 horse power There
viii be step-up transformers OF suffi-
cient capacity to deliver in St. Louis
the $4,000 electrical horse power al
ready contracted for in that city. Later
on. however. there viii be so turbines
and generators, and four or more excl
ter turbines for the generation OF at
least 100000 delivered horse power.
making the outfit one Of the greatest
hydro electric plants IN the world
Rene Bachs.