The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-09-26

reclaimed or redeemed for agricul- |
ture. Here are these lands along these
waterways and on the coast of the
gulf, which are to be redeemed, with
soil nine to twenty feet deep, low-ly.
ing, with mild climate, capable OF
producing all the products to which
the climate is suited"
keokuk Water Power.
| have spoken o. the advantages of
the proposed deep waterway system
to the levees, and now want to bring
out another feature that partakes of
the nature of conservation that has
not been given the prominence it de.
serves, but which has been considered
by Mr.. Cooley, who, with his compre-
hensive mind, sees into the very
depths of any great problem put be-
fore him. | refer to the almost un-
limited supply of wa.er-power that
may be developed from the two dams
which it will be necessary to con-
struct, one about eight miles below the
st. Louis bridge and one about trirty
miles above Cairo, at the foot of the
gorge at Commerce. Most of you have
heard of the dam that has just been
completed across the Mississippi river
at Keokuk for the purpose of develop
| ing electrical power. 1t is said that
the cheap power now being furnished
from this enterprise will revolutionize
manufacturing business, even in the
center of the great coal country in
which it is located
These two dams / have mentioned
will be built to regulate the depth OF
the river primarily. With these two
dams we can regulate the depth of the
Mississippi river SO as to produce
this fourteen feet as an initial develop
ment, and later twenty-four feet, thir-
ity feet, or any depth you may want.
But each of these dams will develop
at least two hundred thousand horse
power Of electricity which may be
carried hundreds OF miles away, the
same as the electric power from the
Keokuk dam will be conveyed to st.
Louis and Chicago and many smaller
| intermediate cities.
To meet the condition of these
dams, Mr.. Cooley calls attention to the
fact that we will have to construct
extra high and strong embankments
above those that would be required to
protect against the natural conditions.
This means some additional expense.
There are about 10000 acres of land
involved in that proposition, but all of
that land has to be treated by levees
/ in any event, il it Is to be reclaimed.
You simply treat for an accumulated
condition, Mr.. Cooley points out,
and, when it is SO treated, 1t is as,
available as it would be without the
DAM
mention this possible electrical
power development because l wish
to bring out every point of conserva-
ton. Waterpower is the cheapest
known power at this time. and with
the development of the Mississippi
valley there will be demand for all
possible power potentialities.
With the completion Of this deep
waterway project the merchandise OF
tl0 MiSoisoippl Vdiicy Will nave, dltGi
the opening of the Panama canal, the
advantage of markets on the western
coast of South America as well as of
those on our own Pacific coast. Com
mercial distribution of these products
will then be possible throughout the
Orient, and two-thirds of all the peo-
pie Of all the world live in countries
along the shores of the Pacific ocean
A few years ago James J. Hill estab-
lished line of steamers from Seattle
to the Orient, connecting with his
railroads. He was unfortunate with
some Of these vessels. Storms and
accidents overlook and destroyed sew
eral of them. For while the trade
did not justify the expense, but with
the vision OF the future, he kept be-
hind his experiment, knowing that
sooner or later it world not only re-
pay the outlay but prove great divi-
dend-maker, This year the vessels
plying from Seattle to the Orient can
not carry all the freight and passen-
gers offered. The Orient is awaken
Ing. China has become a republic.
Her leaders now prefer American
goods as we'll as American ideas.