The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-26
historical ReUiew Of the Great Keokuk
Water Pouer Legislation and Construction
Address Delivered BY William
or oweadSuce@

raDlQS OIL LILO MibbAnolPpl IlVoIs ulh-
cussed the possibilities Of a great
water power at the foot Of the rapids.
and dreamed OF the day when the 200,.
900 horse power going to waste at
this point would be made available
for the use Of mankind.
AS far back as 184S a company was
formed to utilize the fall Of the river.
No success attended the effort and II
was abandoned
In 1868 the government commenced
the construction of canal around
the rapids in the interest Of naviga-
ton. This was completed in 1876. 1t
was thought that some power could
be obtained from the canal at each
lock. No provision for generating
power WAS made by the government
when building the canal.
M to 1899 several organizations were
formed for the purpose of building a
power canal, or wing dam, on tn.
east. or Illinois side of the rapids.
No hing was done and all the grants
O. permits given hy the government
lansed prior to 1899
On the 9Th day of July, 1899, Mr.. C.
F. Bryce called together twenty-five
men citizens OF Keokuk and Hamil-
ten. They we're: C. P. Birge, A. e.
tombstone. Sam M. Clark, William
Logan, Edmund Jaeger, William Bal
! linger, B. F. Taber, ]. II. Cole, John
N. Irwin, F. j. Weber, D. j. Ayres,
George D. Rand, ]. B. We'll, H. w.
Huiskamp, James c. Davis, L. A.
Hamill, G. H. Albers, w. B. Collins,
James Cameron, and T. F. Baldwin of
Keckuk, r. R. Wallace. C. P. Dadant,
S. R. Parker, r. S. Gordon and John
T. Spence of Hamilton.
Mr.. Birge stated that the time had
come to organize a company and
take up the work in earnest of utiliz-
ing the water power wasting at our
doors 1t was then agreed that c. P.
Birge, Sam NJ Clark. A. E. tombstone,
William Logan, Edmund Jaeger, R. R.
Wallace and S. r. Parker should be
the incorporatorsa and directors OF the
company to be formed.
The next day, July z, 1883, the Keo-
kuk and Hamilton Water Power com
pany of Iowa with capital stock OF
twenty-five hundred dollars, was Or
gained. Each of the twenty-five men
attending the meeting of the 9Th sub
scribed for one share of the capital
stock. Mr.. Birge was chosen president
of the company and r. r. Wallace,
secretary.
On April 81, 1900, the Keokuk and
Hamilton Water Power company OF
Illinois was incorporated to succeed
the Iowa company, with the same
stockholders except Wells NJ. Irwin,
]. r. Daugherty and c. r, Joy sue
ceeded James G. Davis, John N. Irwin
and c. H. Aibers. This was done for
the reason that the work then con-
templa.ed was to be on the Illinois
side OF the river.
On February 8, 1901. this company
procured from congress franchise
tpublic No 43) to build wing dam,
! or power canal, in the Mississippi
river on the east side of the Des
Mones rapids, not over five hundred
feet wide, subject to and with the
approval of the secretary of war.
During the year 1901 the power COM
pany secured the services of Lyman
Z. Cooley, an eminent hydraulic en-
gineer Of Chicago, who made pre-
liminary survey of the rapids and had
access to all the United States sur
yevs and records He went into the
subject intelligently and made vol
luminous report of his findings and
conclusions. 1t was apparent to him
and the company that the cost of the
wing dam project, in consideration of
the power produced. was prohibitive.
Mr Cooley concurred with Mr.. Mont
eomery Meigs, United States civil en-
eineer, who had suggested and advo-
Gated a dam across the river; that
the company should abandon the wing
dam project and take up the holder
proposition of Harvesting the Father
OF Waters by building a dam from
shore to shore.
Another year had passed; our funds
We're exhausted; and we were farther
from a beginning than we had been
TWO years before. Mr.. Birge called a
meeting OF the directors, and at that
meeting It was determined to go
ahead on the new plan A committee
was sent to Dubuque to consult with
and get the advice OF Senator Allison
ana Colonel Henderson, then speaker
OF the house.
Colonel Henderson thought the pro-
iect TOO difficult to handle and advised
10 70 drop It Senator Allison, great
2 all things, listened patiently to our
plans, then said.
BOYS, this is very bold PROPOSE
,,on' but very commendable one. In
Il present state can he OF but little
As'p 10 you. You must first get the
, s,.s TRANSPORTATION people and the