New-York tribune., 1913-08-17
LARGEST DAM IN WORLD
To Impound Four Billion Cubic
Feet of Water.
WILL BE 305 FEET HIGH
TO Double CALIFORNIA; Water
Power When Finished-In
Operation Jan, 1914.

Information has been received from
California indicating that in few months
there will be partly completed dam,
which, when entirely finished. will be the
largest in the world. II is expected that
the structure will reach a height suf-
ficient to allow II 10 be put in operation
sbout the first Of the year. but later on
the work will be carried through to the
full extent of the magnitude contemplated.
The finished project will result In more
than doubling the horsepower available In
the state. which on January l, 1912 the
records of the Agricultural Department
showed TO be $4,000.
This enterprise is part OF the hydro
electric development OF the Golden state
The dam referred to is being 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 on the Sierra
range by the largest public utilities cor
poration Of California. The capacity OF
this lake to-day is about 250.O0O,OOO cubic
feet, but the new dam. which is to be 900
feet high. will have the effect OF raising
the waters 10 such height as 70 give the
lake a storage capacity OF Just sixteen
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 Sacra-
vnento Valley. These plants, when In
stalled to their full capacity, are expect
ed 10 add no less than 100000 horsepower
70 this company's electric, generating and
distributing system
An appropriation Of 100000 was made
for this great enterprise. Work was be-
gun Immediately upon the approval OF
the engineers estimates in July, 1872, and
before the winter season stopped opera
tons the foundation Of the big dam mad
been constructed 10 the extent OF liftinS
a breast-wall TO the waters of the South
Yuba at a height Of SS feet. above bed
rock From the site OF this dam the
water is 10 be conveyed by mile-long
tunnel bored through solid rock. when
et the other end discharges into what is
known as Bear River Valley, and down
which at the distance Of nine miles from
the lake stands the Drum power house,
nesting in a gorge OF the Bear River
underneath a precpice 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
OF through the winter. and on May
last the gangs Of workmen. laboring from
either end. met in the middle, and the
tunnel 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 num-
Der Of storage lakes, canals and ditches
that were originally constructed for the
benefit Of the mining industry In the days
before the hydraulic monitor was put
out OF commission by California's state
law. This purchase was made In 1900 ana
only few months later the company
engineers went over the ground and Sc
lected Lake Spaulding as the best avail
able site for a storage reservoir that
would be larger by far than anything
ever before conceived. let alone executed
In that region. Then came the San Fran
cisco fire and the 1907 panic, and 1t was
not until the Pacific Gas and Electric
Company took over the property ana
franchises of the California Gas ana
Electric Corporation that the great dam
and its collateral work became practica-
bic. The Pacific Company has been serv-
ing with gas and electric power an exten-
sive region in California and the new
protect will vastly enlarge It's facilities
Only recently the firm OF J. p. Morgan &
Co. made a turnover OF large bond
issue Of this corporation for refunding
and expansion purposes.