Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-13
LAKES CREATED
ABOVE TALLULAH
Falls Not to Lose All Charm for
the Tourists Even Though
HarneSSed.

TALLULAH FALLS, GA, June Ia
The Tallulah river still is surging over
the rugged sleeps which make its series
of falls. and the roar Of the cascades
may stiI be heard from the brink Of
the giant gorge. But mingled with the
rumble of the waters is the shrill song
of the compressed air pump, the hoarse
pun of the donkey engine, and now
and then the dull boom Of a dynamite
blast.
Capital and enterprise are spending
Sb,000,000 to turn the river into an in
derground tunnel, divert 1t from It's
ancient bed and send At punglng down
ak enormous pipes to giant turbines
below. 1t is Harvesting the falls to
turn Atlanta's wheels, and Its 10000
horsepower viii keep the city's ma
'chfnery spinning right merrily.
Above the village OF TalluIah. a few
hundred yards from the Cliff House, Is
rising great dam of rough stone and
sroncrete. anchored in the SOLID bedrock
pr the gorge, Its foot planted In the
yeolid stone of the river 1t is 90 feet
high and 20 feet wide at its crown.
Quilt to withstand the pressure of the
NN>-AS NAlpCH II must ilbiQ DdGh.
Creates Lake 10 Miles Lonaz
Above the dam the trees have iSAen
stripped from tho ravine to. the tBe
(which will soon be the bank of q lohg
and narrow lake, extending from the
Adam to Sawtooth falls. a mile and
shalf above. Still farther up the river
Between eight and ten miles. another
dam is being built to store the waters
for reserve supply. and above this
Jake ten miles long viii provide sup
sply of power for even the longest
Hrouth.
Between the lower dam and the pow
.er plant, more than mile below, the
gorge remains untouched. Not tree
shas been feled, not a scar left behind
abe workers The natural beauty of
,Hhe crags and forests is undisturbed
but when the dam is completed there
will be but little water flowing over the
series. of falls during the tourist sea
gon. The river is low then. and the
power plant Will use the full current Of
the stream When the flow is heavy, in
the spring and winter, there will be
enough water flowing over the dam and
down the gorge TO restore the falls to
their old beauty
Six Gigantic Penstooks.
Through the solid rock Of the noun
tain crews of men are driving a mon
ster tunnel from above the dam to the
brink of the gorge below the fails The
tunnel passes directly below the houses
which make up the village of Talluah.
but hundreds Of feet beneath the sur
face. 1t follows the right side of the
gorge, looking down the stream. for
mile and fourth. emptying into an
enormous pit at the brink of the gorge
From this pit in turn win lead six
gigantic penstocks. or pipes, leading
down the side OF the gorge standing
almost Eerticaly. Their bases will be
600 feet below their heads Through
these penstocks the whole Tallulah
river will fall to the turbines below
The force OF that volume OF water. fall
Ang such distance is hardly conceiv-
able. Here, at the bottom OF the gorge
the power house is to be built. with
electric generators coupled directly to
fhe turbines.
The effect OF the development upon
abe fails themselves is easy to foresee
when there is more water in the river
Ahan will fill the tunnel there viii he ri
&low over the dam and on to the falls
when the river is below that volume
abe tunnel win take It all.
Lakes to Attract Tourists.
Of1cials Of the company maintain
Rhat the loss of the falls will be repaid
An part by the new beauty of the two
fakes formed above the dams These
are TO be stocked with fish. and boats
provided for tourists. and the LAKES
which will hIl the mountain gorges
Nhey say, win be equally as beautiful as
abe cascades
From the power house leads a line Of
aall steel towers, ISL Of them. stretch
nng 100 miles to Atlanta. on these
ARE being strung the six high-tension
copper cables which will bring the cur
rent into Atlanta. The cables viii
enter through the Davis street plant
the current win be converted into low
tension direct current for Commercial
use. and the song Of Talluah will bo
sung by spindles and wheels. instead OF
mountain boulders. 1t is confidently
expected 10 have the plant completed
by January / next. and a sharp reduc-
ton in electric rates Is promised a.
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