The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-14
WANT TO CALL II
The COOPER dam
Sentiment Of the Delegates 10 the
Fort Madison Meeting Strongly
Favor Naming Dam At
ter Engineer.
THE PROPER THING TO DO
President Thomas wilkinson Of the
Upper Mississippi River I'M
provement Association Pre-
SCENTS the Matter

Keokuk delegates to the meeting of
representatives of several cities with
in the power zone held yesterday at
Fort Madison. were delighted with the
meeting and believe that beneficial
results will accrue from the organiza-
ton which embraces eight cities.
Matters of interest to all of those cit
les identified with the movement were
discussed. One question that will be
pleasing to Keokuk was the sentiment
expressed at the meeting favoring the
naming OF the dam, The Cooper
DAM Hon. Thos. Wilkinson. of Bur
nngton, presented a suggestion to the
meeting in the form of letter, ex-
pressing his hope that the dam at Keo-
kuk would be called The Cooper
Dam" and the suggestion was accept
ed as timely and met the hearty APP
prevail of the representatives. Mr..
Wilkinson's letter was as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen:
The several units, consisting OF
dam, power plant, lock and dry dock,
in course of erection by the Missis-
sippi River Power company. in the
Mississippi river, between Hamilton,
| Illinois and Keokuk, Iowa, as whole,
ranks next to the Panama Canal, as
| being one of the largest undertaking
/ of engineering construction in the
/ WORKS. The magnitude of the work is
too big for ordinary comprehension
/ 1t has attracted the inspection and
gained the admiration of many of the
foremost engineers of the leading ma
/ tons of the earth. It's completion viii
prove a blessing to the Mississippi
valley. Ultimately the turbulent wat
ers of the Des Moines rapids will bt
forever subdued, made subservient tt
mans will and converted into power
sufficient to support million people
in the peaceful walks Of industry.
I Thus, through the genius of man
\ the dream of nearly century ago i:
being realized.
The dam and lock together will BIZ
the most potential piece of river i'm
provement in our whole country. Thu
day the new lock Is turned over tt
the government for public use ant
opened to navigation will mark az
epoch In the history of the upper Mis-
sissippi river. Then the danger ant
inconvenience of navigating thii
stretch OF the river will have vanish
ed, permanent deep channel beins
assured for over fifty miles above tn,
dam and navigators may well rejoici
.. in having to pass through only on,
lock, instead of three locks, as now
People come and view the work
and go away filled with wonder AM
amazement. They look upon them a
they would upon great mountains
little realizing from whence the
came, or how they happen to be there
These structures did not come Their
; haphazard by any means. If each on
OF those graceful arches in the grea
dam that spans the river could tel
n the story OF its origin and building
it would tell more than the worl
knows of what the cost has been, no
OF money, but of the hard struggle
, against adversely and final victory 6
! its designer and builder, that huma
), dynamo. Mr.. Hugh L. Cooper who b
! his indomitable perseyering energ
and skill has accomplished wha
!, seemed an impossibility.
: The Upper Mississippi River In
: provement Association is deeply il
0 terested in everything relating TO tn
1 improvement and utilization of tn
upper river. and anything which bel
efits the river and adds to its usefu
ness. as this work does, should NEE