The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-28
TENNESSEE DAM IS INSPIRATION ID TIE LOVER OF GRANDEUR Writer Says Big Lake Is Worth Going Miles
 to See
WATER ON SPILLWAY
 ROARS LIKE OCEAN
Enough Water Is Stored to Make Several Hundred East Lakes Combined - A Beautiful
 Sheet of Water
Ky CRAWFORD PERKINS


 The statement has been made that the most interesting thing in the Birming- ham district is the impounding reservoir of the Tennessee company at Ensley. To this you might agree if you have seen the dam. Enough water is in the reser- voir to fill several hundred East Lakes. About 22 miles east is the source of Village creek and all the water that flows in this creek hits the dam and forms the lake, resting between the two high ridges that so ably assisted man in his build ing of the big project. They say there are 2,500OO0,OO0 gallons on hand and it looks that way. The impoundlng dam is located near Mulga between two ridges that lead off from valley surrounding Ensley. The water shed supplying 1t covers an area of 73 square miles. The flow line to which the water will be raised in elevation 4S0 and the reservoir at this elevation will extend five and a half miles along Village creek channel, one and one half miles along Camp branch and one and one-fourth miles along Corbet branch. The width of the area to be flooded averages 550 feet at the present flow line.
 How well the engineers figured their work is evidenced by the timber lining the banks the water just about reach ing the timber edge all along the flow line five miles back. If they decide that more water is needed it will be only a matter of adding 15 feet to the dam and the spillway at the right and 2,300, ,001000 gallons more can be stored. Then the timber line will have to be moved back about 50 feet. The water as f rises will climb the ridges at about p per cent incline and as it rises the area covered will be increased The dam at the present time is 27O feet long at the base widening to 520 feet at the crest. The elevation is 494, which is 112 feet above the bottom of the cut off wall It is 104 feet above the general elevation Of the foundation and 92 feet above orig inal rock.
 Water Roars Over Spillway
 To the right of the dam is the spillway blasted from solid linerock and falling se4 from the ridge into another gorge. where it foams and flashes around a point and re-enters the original gorge of the creek about a quarter of a mile below the dam.
 As one stands on the crest of the dam anl looks out across the coping his imag- nation runs to what might be the result to that part of the country were the dam to suddenly break anu then he wants to get on the ground for fear it might break. The dam itself is a marvel of engineering beauty IL is clean looking and with good lines At the base it is S11a feet wide and 1t narrows to a width of IS feet under the copings. The gates are at the bottom and are controlled by huge cogwheels, resting on the crest At the pumping station the intake tun- mel is 66i4 feet below the ground level and 6GoooQ,00O gallons of water are below the intake Water is delivered from the tunnel into a well and from there through Il inch suction pipe. which is con trolled by sluice gate to the pumps in the pit which is 55 feet deep. The pump pit Is built of re-enforced concrete and partially covered by a concrete arch in which the big pumping engines are carried. the engine floor being 10 feet below the ground level. The superstruc- ture consists of a steel frame. brick filled building 32 feet by inches wide, 9i feet long inside. The present installation of pumps consists of two 12 M. c. D. vertical cross compound condens1ng crank and fywheel deep pit type AllisChalmers pumps. The building fs large enough to care for more machinery of the same type and size or for the turbine driven centri- fugal pumps. A ten ton electric crane is stationed here for the erection and repair work. The boiler plant consists
 
 CTS for supplying the steam as well as for mining purposes. The piping to Ems ley is 5000 feet long and consists of 30 inch lock bar pipe running from the pumping station to the high level reser- voir and has capacity of 15,00O.OO0 gal Ions, which itself is a marvel of engi- neering perfection.
 This reservoir will be the distributing point for the water supply for the various mills of the company. passing through 9J0 feet of 4S inch pipe and $500 feet of 42 inch pipe. The leads are here taken to the point of demand.
 An explanation of how the pipe sections from the pumping station to the reservoir are lapped may be made by stating that this pipe is of the lock type made up in 30 foot sections with no intermediate rounds about the joints The longitudina, joints consist of rolled lock bar which is closed over the upset edges of the plate. The pipe is made in taper sections. the lock bar being chamfered to permit join ing the adjacent sections. The field joints consist of row of B inch rivets In the heavier plates and the 34 inch rivets in the lighter plates. The field joints are caull;ed from the outside.
 Motor Boat Would Be Luxury