davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30
LOOK OUT NOW
FOR THE SKINK
New Animal Has Been Discovered
Which Travels on It's
Adams Apple.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.1
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29-Smithsoa
ian scientists today announced the
discovery in this country of the skink.
It's an animal. The particular kind
of a skink unearthed by the biologists
in Florida is different from the skinks
occasionally found in Asia because
the American skink is apparently
cross
The new species is about FIVE inches
long and very slender The reptile
animal has build somewhat between
snake and lizard. and has four
rudimentary legs, which however are
not of any seeming use as the Florida
skink navigates on its oesophagus, SO
to speak.
When attacked. 1t just sinks down
into the sand. its shovei-like nose
burrowing tunnel.
1t bears a strong resemblance to
other varieties of skinks in the old
world, limiting at a time when Persia.
for instance, might have been connect
ed in some way with Florida.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30
A Sectional Dam.

The dam is in 119 sections, all
alike, with abutments at each end.
Each section is an arched span, exact
ly like concrete bridge, with the
water flowing between the piers I'M
der the arches. But in each span is a
high and very massive concrete spill
way which is the real dam in the
sense OF being the obstruction to the
water and the part over which the
water flows. Topping each spillway
is a steel gate at large as the side OF
cottage opening more or less mum
Der of these gates will keep the water
at a uniform height above the dam.
The power house is made up o.
thirty sections, all alike and all cas'
in concrete In one solid mass. Eacf
unit is q turbine of immense size II
which the water is led through foul
intakes joining in large chamber
as big as front yard around the tur
bine itself. From each turbine the
water rushes through curved tube
to the tailrace excavated twenty-five
feet below the bottom of the rive
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30
Millions In Tools,

Nearly fifty miles of iron pipe,
much of it Inch in diameter, but a
dozen miles of it over three inches in
diameter.
Steam boilers, A in number with a
total of 1856 horsepower.
Centrifugal pumps with capacity
of 1850 gallons per minute or over
46 900, 900 per diem, which is as much
water in one day as the entire city OF
Keokuk uses and pumps through its
mains in six weeks.
Air compressors for actuating the
tools used in the work which com
press 6,761 cubic feet of free air pei
minute.
Innumerable small tools and sup
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30

The Immense Dimensions.
Hydraulics-For each unit, four in
takes converging into a scroll cham
Der SO feet in diameter, with spiral
floor, the whole SO shaped that the
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30

and span 80 feet inside; spillway sec
tons each 80 feet long and 80 feet
high. Steel gates on top of spillways,
IL by 80 feet. Upstream face verti-
cal; downstream face Of spillways,
an ogee curve. Dam keyed into lime
stone bottom of river about 5 feet.
A Third Of Mile.
Power house-Length, LIS feet;
width, 1872 feet 10 inches; total height,
lit feet 6 inches. Substructure OF
monolithic concrete; walls of rein
forced concrete; roof trussed. Two
floors, first containing generators and
accessories, and seond containing oil
switches and electric accessories.
Substructure 10 feet high to generator
floor; rs feet high to transformer
floor Superstructure LOT feet &
inches from generator floor to pin.
nacle.
Installation Thirty units, turbine
and generator on same vertical shaft;
| first installation, fifteen power units
The Monster Turbines.
Francis type, special de
Nsign; capacity, 10000 h. p; overload
capacity, 1880 h. p; efficiency 81
per cent by Holyoke tests; 57.7revolu
idions per minute; diameter at buck
cts, is feet inches; fabrication
! thrust bearing by forced pressure OF
and also oil immersed roller bearing
single thrust bearing set above waite
I carries rotating parts Weighing $50
il 600 pounds. Turbine direct-connecte
4 with generator on yertival shaft 2
inches in diameter. Twenty bucket
on hub. Rating based on head of 3
i feet. Regulation by guide vanes a
inner circle of scroll chamber actr
ated through system of levers b
fly balls acting on cylinder of con
pressed oil.
The Immense Dimensions.
. DECENTRALIZATION each unit, four il
takes converging into scroll chan
, Der 80 feet in diameter, with spirs
{ floor, the whole SO shaped that tn
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30

plies-oyer 5000 different articles
We're bought, from eleven automobiles
to few bolts of odd size.
A million dollars was spent for con.
struction plant--for tools in large
sense-because there was an ultimate
saving in the most efficient prepare.
ton possible.
Approaching Completion.
This mammoth water-power devel-
opment Is now fast approaching COM
pletion--so fast that marked advance
will be made between the writing OF
this paragraph, and its being read.
The gigantic dam has progressed
across the river until its bridgelike
structure is almost joined to the cor.
ner of the power house on this side
The power house basement-a huge
single artificial stone of concrete as
hard as the basic limestone of the
continent in which it rests which vii
stand there for ages--is half done
4 eAiu VIC oCSOhd lldll 40 Stdl NCu. IN
lock walls are nearly done and thu
work on the superlative gates is be
un-that lock of the Palana class
The sea wall is completed. The ic
fender is we'll under way in August
Work on the dry dock awaits tn
closing OF navigation, for it include
the place where is now the govern
ment lock and the lower end OF tn
government canal
The gigantic steel framework fo
, the turbines is going in, the walls (
the power house, hundred feet higl
: are going up rapidly, the travelin
cranes are being built in the powe
house--overhead tracks a third of
mile long on which will run trolle
a pulleys steel lines from which wi
|, lift the head gates to admit water
I the colossal turbines. All the wor
is far ahead OF the schedule made
advance. and the water-power will
turning It's giant turbines by ne,
). May day
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30


Power developed-Capacity at gen
orators, 225,0Oo kilowatts, or 30o,6o6
horsepower. Offered for sale, 100000
horsepower. Sold to Saint Louis, 60.
600 horsepower.
Roads Twenty-five miles of boule'
ward OF highest type under construc-
ton, or planned, around the lake
above the dam.
Drainage over forty square miles
of conservation of low lands by drain
age pumping words under way.
Residential Very fine sites for res
licences on the bluffs over the lake
above the dam and elsewhere. Much
interest taken in lake by motor boat
people.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30

Montrose. This allows a dam at the
foot OF the rapids with comparatively
small area of overflow by the pool
above; and this obviates the objec-
ton obtaining elsewhere, that the
cost of the flood damages above the
dam renders the development of many
water-powers commercially impos-
sible
The slope of the rapids is sleeper
than in other stretches of the Miss
issippi and the fall in the twelve
miles above the dam is % feet.
The Colossal Water-power.
The power development here con
sists of several co-ordinated parts.
There is the dam stretching across
the river for nine-tenths of a mile;
the power house, three times as large
as any ever built before. third of a
mile long half city block wide and
with the height Of fifteen story sky.
scraper; lock in the same class with
those at Panama; an ice fender nearly
a half mile long the whole making 9
solid mass Of concrete with a tota
linear length Of two and a half miles
most of 1t of immense cross section
dimensions.
Since this great work is approached
in size only by the Panama canal, il
is manifestly impossible to give here
even broad line sketch Of it, as i
/ lies connecting two states across thu
wide Mississippi river. The follow
Ing mere summary will give some idei
OF the immensely of this grea
achievement Of its builder, Hugh L
Cooper and incidentally of Keokuk a.
| a new and great manufacturing cen
ter in the heart of the country
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30

water strikes every point on the cir
conference Of the turbine with equal
velocity and impulse. Draft tubes be-
low the turbines vertical and Is feet
in diameter at the top; at the bottom
horizontal and of oblong shape, %
feet inches in vertical diameter,
and 40 feet 2 inches in horizontal
diameter. Bottom of draft tubes and
bottom of tail race set 20 feet below
the bottom of the river. Tail race ex-
cavated parallel with east wall Of
power house and down to the railroad
bridge.
Uncle Sans Part.
Lock-Width Ito feet; lift, 40 feet;
height Of walls, So feet inches;
thickness of walls, to 80 feet;
length of lock, 400 feet inside, and
61S feet inches outside; depth on
sill feet; gates span lis feet; are
steel trusses; pivots hardened steel
on bronze; motive power, pneumatic
from water-power; time of lockage
10 to Is minutes; time saved steam
boats between Keokuk and Montrose
/ over two hours. Lock to be coded tt
I United States gratis, after being bull
by the water-power company entirel!
at it's own expense.
Dry dock Location between loci
i and Iowa shore. Dimensions, $50 b.
| 463 feet. Like the dock, the dry dock
with power to operate 1t perpetually
r is to be decided to the government
: gratis after being built by the water
! power company at its own expense.
) Sea wall--Length, LILO feet
$ height, 40 to 70 feet Function, to pre-
tect railroad tracks.
!. The Ice Fender.
Y Ice fender-Location from uppe
I western corner of power house t
Iowa shore; direction somewha
curved. Length, 2,325 feet of col
crete construction and 900 feet {
I floating boom of timbers, with col
l. crete abutment at Iowa short. Coz
i crete portion composed of 30 span
e with 1o-foot piers and 6ofoot opel
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30
The Great Dam keokuk.

Dam-Length, 4,27S feet plus east
abutment, 200 feet, and west abut-
ment, 81 feet, total, 4,649 feet, or So
hundredths of mile; width, 30 feet
at top and AZ feet at bottom; height
of structure, SO feet; composed of 119
arched spans, with piers feet thick
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30
The Dreams Of the People for Forty Years Fin
ally Made Reality in Massive Concrete
BY Engineer Hugh L. Cooper.
GREAT WORKS STRETCH FOR MILES
The Largest Water-Power Dam, the Largest
Power House, Lock in the Panama Class,
and the Immense Dry Dock Here.

what has been called the engineer
M achievement OF the century and
one Of the three great economic fac
tors in the history Of the develop
ment Of the United States is the
building in the Mississippi river at
Keokuk OF the great water-power de-
yeIopment of the Mississippi River
Power company.
The commercial object was to
Mace in the very center Of the Miss
issippi valley with its teeming popu-
latlon OF consumers and its generous
supply OF raw materials an immense
quantity Of very cheap power for
manufacturing purposes. For forty
years the people here dreamed and
4 planned and worked to accomplish the
Harvesting OF the Mississippi at the
foot OF the Des Moines rapids at Keo-
kuk- land finally the man came, the
hour struck, and Hugh L. Cooper
made all the dreams a reality in con.
nrete. The engineering work is going
On with astonishing rapidity. and the
great work will be completed early in
1918.
Favored BY Providence.
Nowhere else can a great dam be
stretched across the mighty Mississ
ippi within the limits of feasible cos
ior the water-power developed. This
L Is due to the peculiar geology ant
typography here at Keokuk, which
makes this the site favored by Provi
dence. The Des Moines rapids repre-
sent comparatively recent divertinl
h 81 the Mississippi river, caused by
glacier damming its former channe
farther to the west. The condition.
Il which caused the river to cut vale,
five to ten miles wide in the pregla
/ cial age were absent in the postglacia
age when the channel was Gu
h through where is now the rapids.
The result is, that the bluffs at tn
rapids are closer to the present rive
than at any other point in its entir
length, and are close to the bank
most OF the way from Keokuk t
i
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30
An Army In Action.

Hn RFny III NCtIoH,
Men employed-About 1900.
Machinery employed-About $1,000
900 worth.
Concrete About $4,000 cubic
yards, requiring about $4,000 barrels
of cement and 100000 cubic yards of
sand, Mixture is 1876 to 6, the rich
er being used in some special loca-
tons.
Railroad Fifteen miles of track; IL
locomotives; 142 cars.
Construction is entirely by admins
tration, none of it being by contract
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30
Great Mass of Material.

ncaially built structural steel to
the amount of 100000 pounds was
put into the eight travelling cranes,
the steel forms for concrete and the
temporary drawbridge over the gov
eminent canal at the works.
Nearly 100000 feet of lumber
used in making the cofferdams and
the wooden forms in which the con
crete of the power house suostructure
| is nodded.
Five lotion derrick cars, three
steam shovels and seven lotion sta
tionary derricks.
| Nine concrete mixers with total
/ capacity of $500 yards every ten
hours.
Stone crushers capable of crushing
$500 cubic yrds, or seventy carloads
every ten hours, or 16s car loads pei
day and night.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-30
Building the Works.

This construction plant is the lar
gest ever used in work under pri-
vate ownership. It's two divisions,
one on each side of the river, included
the selection, purchase. transporta-
ton and assembling on the site OF
materials which in themselves sug-
gest very respectable achievement.
In getting ready to build this water
power plant there was used the fol
lowing:
Fifteen miles of standard gauge
railroad with 60-pound rails.
Sixteen new standard gauge locomo
tives.
Cars to the number of 142, includ ne
so air-dump cars, II large flat cars
s smaller dump cars and smaller
flat cars, and 60 flat cars for carry
ing concrete.
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

The asinine efforts of the Register
Call in attempting to discreiit the
city's financial status By, statements
ttat the Democratic administration
is responbible for the prece-t indebt,
edness. will in no wise affect the
city election on April End. Tie laund-
erirg CT sciled liren in public is un-
warranted and reflects on the citizen
ship of the parties iniulgins in came.
The slam against fraternal or5aniza-
tons and business men CT the city
who have invested their idle funi3
in city warrants, ard who by so 20
ing have shown their faith in the
city government will he rebuked at
the polls on rext Tuesday. The last
Republican administrator let .e.t
of SCI ,0O1.02, fer hich they are row
trying to hold tie Democrats respo.
sib!e. 1t will not work, and the pres
ent administrator will be vindicatei
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

bunch cut, it was up to the Demo
Gratis to make a great many repairs
and Improvements, in order that peo-
pie could live in the town. Should
we not be so unfortunate as to have
a flood for two or thcee years, the
expense of running the city will be
light and the debt can be reduced
But for goodness sake, don't trust
the Republicans who must bear the
responsibility for the present in
debtedness, to reduce it.
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

On April Sth, Pest Master NJ. X.
Sullivan will open tie postal savings
depository in connection with the
lccal postoffice, where Uncle Sam
will care for the dimes ann nickels
Of the thrifty, paying interest at the
rate CT go. So you, who have bsen
relying on old tin cans and the
pedal end of your socks to hoard
your savings, now have an opportun.
ity to lay up your treasure where
neither meth nor rust can enter or
thieves break in and steal. The non
ey thus deposited does not leave the
community, as Uncle Sam designates
one or both the local banks as 6e.
pository and guarantees the safety
thereof.
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

The candidacy of Judge Glass of
Adams Guilty for the nomination for
judge of the First Judicial District
tcsether with that CT Mr.. Byron OF
Gilpin county for district attorney
makes an excellent combination. The
experience of the mountain sections
Of the district has heen such that the
choice Of 2 mar for district attorney
is recevirg n.cre attention than
thai Of judge Mr. Class is man of
the stamp desired for the judicial
position, a clear headed. sound law
yer, of a calm and dispassionate ma
tire, and with experience as Judge
both in his own county and in the
Denver courts. Mr.. Byron also is an
excellent man and good lawyer. AS
deputy district a;totney in Gilpin
county he has given a good. clean
and norer:at;c conduct of his office
Idaho Springs Gazette a.
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

charge of 25 certs, instead Of
s1.S2, for the delivery of 11-pound
package on rural free delivery routes,
Is In prospect, as the result of the
action of Democratic members of the
house committee on postoffices and
pcstroads in Incorporating in the ap-
preparations bill provisions for ten.
tative parcels post system. The
committee members also agreed up.
on a general domestic rate Of 12
cents and maximum package of IL
pcunds. This is the present intar-
national parcels post rate.
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

ected as delegates to tie G. o. P.
convention held at Colorado Springs.
left Tuesday to attend. If the wealth
er, which was bleak, chill and dreary
at the time of their departure fore
tells anything, it portends the frost
that will greet the G. o. P. at next
November's polls. By the way, We
are informed that G. o. P. stands for
"Guggenheim's Only People"
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

President TAFT has burdened con-
gress with another message on the
high cost Of living. The president
states that from Information receiv-
ed, that even where there haa been
an advance ip wages. the percentage
has net kept pace with the rise in
the cost of food supplies" Aa rem
edy, he suggests "an International
commission TO look into the cause
for the high prices of the necessities
OF life and tie possible remadies."
The true remedy lies in the people
placing at the head OF this govern
ment man who has the best well
fare OF all at heart. The Hon. Champ
Clark is the one man to fill the bill.
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28
DEATH OF MARY A. ROBERTS.
Mary A., wife of John Roberts died

Mary A., wife of John Roberts died
NJ nAay It ner hcme in this city.
following 4 lingering illness OF sew
erai weeks. She was As years of
age and besides the husband leaves
two sons. Eefore removing to Central
the family resided for years in Ne
vadaville
The funeral VIII be held from the
NJ. E. ,iIrch in this city tomorrow
afternoon at 1:30 O'Clock. intermen: ::
iE Bald Mountain cemetery. Deceas-
ed was memtsr of the Pythian
Si:.,erc.
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

The Old Town mine is one that
can be counted upon to show con-
slant production and this has been
It's history for years. During the
month OF February, Manager George
X. kimball states that there were
shipped 1888 pounds of ore, about
1876 tons of smelling ard mill ore
that brought net s475l.61. In addition
to this the King Fee company have
lease that IS bringing them about
500 per car net and car can be
shipped every other day. Ferganchich
and company have a lease in the 400
level west and are shipping two cars
a week which brings them returns of
about $3.50 per car after hauling and
royalty are deducted. On March 18th,
Berry and company Skipped nine
tons from the 100 fcot level that
brcrght them s711.90. The Old Town
company is driving east ari west
from the 4C0-foot level on the Rus
sell vein fer Mr.. Starm of the Rus.
sell company. The company is also
prosecuting on its 1000-foot level to
get its vein at this point This work
is beirg done by contract. The 9TH
er leases in the property of the com
pary are doing fairly we'll A recent
cave-in in the Hot Time lateral will
slightly interfere with the work for
l few days. The new Leyner-Inger-
soil drill is being tested out FOR the
Leyrer people and in the hardest
'ock they can drill 95 feet in five
hours time including changes, ETC.
IDAHO Springs Siftings.
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

The Register is long on criticism
but short on remedy 1t can see a
lot to complain about In the manage
ment OF the city's affairs. but offers
not word in the form of solution
of the great problem" which con.
fronts the citizens of this coTmun-
ity. No doubt tie Register would
nave the voters draw the inference
that under Republican control all
woull be satisfied with the con lust
o. the city government The voter
will not he deceived into believing
anything like this. II was Repubi-
can mismarasement that plunged the
city in debt and the same crowd CT
politicians cannot be expected to
wipe out the debt.
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

The auto road committee of the
Chamber of Commerce hores that tie
coming week will see the snow elm
mated sufficiently SO that survey
can be had. and a report made as
to the feasibility and probable cost
OF an auto grade from the top of
Dory hill, that will attract auto
tourists to visit tn s camp. They can
also enjoy the magnificent scenery
and fully appreciate the extent of
our gold industry.
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

Our Republican friends in their
with pride and view with alarm" as
of ol'sNWe take it, that they have
nothinSfto be proud of. and as 20 be-
ing alarmed" they have long since
passed the stage when anything will
awaken them from tie apathy in
which Guggenheim's sophistry has
placed them
Gilpin observer., 1912-03-28

Why doesn't the Register inform
the people as to the amount of in
terest they are paying on the mon
ey squandered by the Republicans
on the hole in the ground?" You
will notice how cunningly the Regis,
ter refrains from all reference to this
monument of Republican shortsight-
edness and folly.