The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-28
The keokuk Dam.

/ The keokuk Dam.
Davenport Times: The people OF
Keokuk are this week capitalizing the
Keokuk dam to get little free ad-
vertising for their city, and Keokuk
/ is rightly entitled to whatever bene-
! fits may accrue therefrom. The dam
| at Keokuk, while not presenting any
iperplexing engineering problem in its
construction, is an achievement
worthy of note because of its mere
bigness. 1t is second in size in the
world, and in some particulars ranks
first among the great artificial barriers
of river waters. Built on q solid
rock foundation and of concrete in
massive form largely in excess of
Iprobable strain upon it due either to
floods or ice. the structure will stand
for ages.
While of course it was construct
ed as business proposition, the de-
yelopment of electric power in such
large quantity is sure to make changes
in conditions within reasonable
transmission radius Public interest
attaches to the dam also because it is
constructed in the river and the in
terests of navigation had to be con-
sidered and the government had to
supervise the work in order that a
reasonable flow below the dam may
be assured and that the locks would
accommodate the probable future
river traffic.
Hugh L. Cooper has erected mon
ument to his memory that will stand
for many years as one of the chief,
if not the greatest, engineering feat
on the big river. The Improvement
probably will point the way and be-
come an incentive for the formation
!of companies in other communities
along the Mississippi SO that, in the
not far distant future it NAV be that,
although the river may not carry
great burden of freight, it may be
made to do the work of the great
Mississippi valley. And If that time
comes it will be to Cooper that the
vallye will owe the development be-
cause he worked, argued and made a
big dream come true at Keokuk
Defeating the Dam at keokuk.
Cedar Rapids Republican: The dedi-
cation OF the big dam at Keokuk is an
epoch in the utilization of the water
power of the Mississippi river. 1t is
almost hundred years ago when the
engineers connected with the Ameri-
can army. in the vicinity of Fort Madi-
son began to remark and to write
about the magnificent water power in
the rapids of the Des Moines; as the
rapids in the Mississippi river, not far
from the mouth of the Des Molnes riv-
er were called. 1t has taken all these
years for the people to realize those
powers and utilize them. That there
should have been such delays is not
strange either, considering the
abundance of other forms of power In
the new country and the enormous in.
itial cost. The power that will now
be realized is roughly estimated at
! 100000 horse power, which is almost
OeyOnQ comprehension.
The power realized from the dam.
which is the largest dam of its kind
| in the world is being used In far
away cities more than It is in Keo-
kuk, which lies adjacent to the dam
In st. Louis the street cars OF that
! city are operated by power transmit.
ted along high tension wires from the
dam. But out OF the residue OF the
power available Keokuk ought to be
able to build itself up into an indus.
trial city Of Importance
That the power generated by the
Mississippi river Is much cheaper
than power generated from coal
even under the present wasteful sys
tenn of converting coal into power, Is,
however not true. The cost OF the
dam is placed at s27,0oo,o0o and in.
terest must be paid on that enormous
! investment, while the average coal
| power house has only small initial
cost for equipment and installation
But, nevertheless, the utilization oil
| the water power is important for II
luCdub that Vi q edSluS III LOe
exhaustion of the coal fields and the
oil reservoirs. In time there will be
many more such dams In the Missis
sippi for the water that flows down
| that mighty stream, draining the
heart of continent, can be used
many times over. There is enough
power floating down that stream tc
light all the cities on It's banks for
hundreds of miles into the interior
and to run their street cars and in
terurbans. The faster it is utilized
the greater will be the conservation
of our coal supplies.
The keokuk Dam.
Des Moines Capital: The Keokul
dam, one of the most wonderful ant