East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-01-15

Make Portland Power Oity-OOn-
sumer Benefited.
Portland, Ore, Jan. 15.-T0 har-
ness the Columbia river at Cello in
the most stupendous waterpower de-
4 velopment ever attempted in the
world is the plan of State Engineer
John H. Lewis, which will be pre-
sented to the legislature of Oregon
| this month.
Production of power at a price that
will attract great industries from
countries of Europe, as we'll as all
parts of America, the creation of
giant waterfall as a western rival of
Niagara, and the elevation OF Port
land to commercial prominence as
the Power City of the World" are
some of the visions of the future gem
Grated by the state engineers
scheme.
! The great project is planned to be
built 80 miles east of Portland, the
point of diversion being at the head
of Five Mile rapids. about five miles
east of The Dalles. At this point the
Columbia contracts from a width of
1900 feet to 200 feet, and is confined
in narrow gorge for distance Of
about one mile and half, to Big
Eddy.
The plans call for the construction
OF great canal, 800 feet wide and
20 feet deep, for this distance of one
and one-half miles. dropping the
great mass of water to an immense
power house at Big Eddy, where the
water would be returned to the CO.
lumbia. This canal would be con-
structed to carry the minimum flow
of the river at all seasons of the
year, producing 100000 horsepower
at the switchboards 365 days in the
year.
Construction OF two great dams are
necessary to completion of the pro-
ject one rock fill at the head of
Five Mile rapids 120 feet high and
800 feet long. the other a dam of re-
movable type 20 feet high, to be
swung across an artificial channel to
be excavated through solid rock.
which will be used to control the wa
ter in times of flood, and is also need
ed for diversion of the river during
construction of the great overflow
dam at the head of the gorge.
Will Cost S23, 900, 900.
By this great engineering work. es-
timated at an outside cost of S23.-
100000, the figures carefully worked
out by State Engineer Lewis and L.
F. HarZa, a Portland engineer who
has made the detailed estimates il
is declared that power can be pro-
duced at cost of s77 per horsepower
compared with $125 at the great
power plant on the Mississippi river
at keokuk, Iowa, which is just being
completed.
In the annual horsepower cost
placed at $3.50, Is found the key to-
vast industrial development through
the attraction of manufacturing plants
from all parts of the world. MI.
Lewis has figured 80 as the price
at which power could be sold to COW
er contingencies and yield a hand
some profit for the state. This is
the minimum price at which power is
sold at Niagara. but the most of the
Niagara power is sold at Sl2 to SEQ.
With the building of the Panama
canal, the construction of great pub
the power house on a river navigable
to tidewater and with transcontinent-
al railroads on either bank. a pros
pect Is opened for commercial devel-
opment that defies competition and
staggers the mind by it's immensely.
While the physical features with
challenge the attention Of engineers
over the world, 1t is the factor of low
power cost upon which the state en-
gineer depends to win the attention
OF the oregon Legislature, for there
py ne promises to show that the de-
'elopment of this power will mean
new era for Oregon, making Port
land truly the Power City of the
World" He suggests that this would
be fit slogan to blazon on a great
electric sign, placed. where II should
command the attention of every Wis
i.or VINO came within the city lin
i it's
BY the plan proposed the nayiga-
Dility of the river would not he oh
structed. but about six and one half
miles of the Cello canal under com
struction by the United States would
be rendered useless. Compensation
Ior this waste says Mr.. Lewis. is
round In the vast riches to be found
in the tumbling waters.
he argues that any reasonable man
VIII not hesitate to sacrifice 81 if bv
80 dong he can make $40 or 800.
Ihat is the way he figures the Co
lumoia power development in its eff
rect on the government canal. He
turther points out as reason for
cooperation by the federal govern
ment. that large amount of the
omatilla irrigation project, using the
surplus head of water that will he
available eight months in the year at
exceedingly low cost.