The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-26
Largest Dam in the World

Information has been received from
California indicating that in a few
months which, when entirely finished will
be the largest In the world. 1t is expect
ed that the structure will reach a height
sufficient to allow IL to be put In oper-
alton about the first of the year, but later
ON the work will be carried through to
the full extent of the magnitude contem-
in more than doubling the horsepower
available in the state, which on January
l, 1912, the records of the agricultural de-
partment showed to be 10000, says the
New York Tribune.
This enterprise is part of the hydro
electric developments of the Golden State.
The dam referred to is beng built in a
narrow gorge of the south fork of the
Yuba river. commonly called the South
Yuba, just below Lake Spaulding, one OF
the largest of chain OF storage reser-
voirs owned and operated OH the Sierra
range by the largest public utilities cor
poration of California. The capacity Of
this lake today is about 25o,000,00o cubic
feet, but the new dam, which is to be S05
feet high. will have the effect Of raising
the waters to such height as to give ht
a storage capacity of just 16 times
that amount. Six power plants are also
being constructed along the entire length
of the valley country between the Sierra
Nevada mountains and the Sacramento
valley. These plants, when installed to
add no less than 10000 horsepower to
this company's electric generating and
distributing system.
An appropriation Of $10,000,0o0 was made
for this great enterprise. Work was be-
gun Immediately upon the approval OF
the engineers estimates in July, 1912. anI
before the winter season stopped opera
tions the foundation of the big dam had
been constructed to the extent of lifting
a breast wall to the waters of the South
Yuba at height Of 3s feet above bed
rock.
From the site of this dam the water 10
to be conveyed by mile long tunnel
bored through solid rock, which at the
other end discharges into what is known
as Bear River valley and down which
at the distance of nine miles from tho
lake stands the Drum power house, nest
ling in agorge of the Bear river UNDER
meath a precipice of 1875 feet, down which
two pipes will convey the waters from
the ditch above to the waiting wheels.
Work on this tunnel was carried on
through the winter and on May last
the gangs of workmen, laboring from
either end met in the middle and the tun-
mel is now fully completed.
The project had its origin In the pur-
chase by the California Gas and Electric
corporation of the properties OF the South
Yuba Water company, which owned a
number of storage lakes. canals and
bitches that were originally constructed
for the benefit of the mining industry. IN
the days before the hydraulic monitot
was put ont of commission by California s.
state law. This purchase was made in
1905, and only a few months later the
comrany's engineers went over the
ground and selected Lakc Spaulding as
the best available site for storage res
ervoir that would be larger by far than
anything ever before conceived, let alone
executed, in that region. Then came thu
San francisco fire and the 1907 panic. and
II was not until the Pacific Gas and Elec-
trio company took over tho property and
franchises of the California Gas and
Electric corporation that the great dam
and its collateral work became practica,
BILE. The Pacific company has been servl
Ing with gas and electric power an exten-
slve region in California ana the now
project will vastly enlarge its facilities
Only recently the firm of J. p. Morgan
& Co. made turnover of a large bond
issue OF this corporation for refundIne
and expansion purposes.