Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-08-02

of which was impossible at low stages
water and steamboats, were compelled
to run through the government canal
and three locks which we're drowned
and rendered Unnecessary when the
new government lock was built. This
new lock IL as wide rs those at
Panama and has higher lift than any
on the isthmus. Adjoining the lock 10
the largest dry dock on fresh water In
America. xThe dam proper 10 nine
tenths of mile long and extends from
keokuk, Iowa, to Hamilton, III. It 10
fifty-three feet high, is keyed to the
river bottom, and consists OF 119
spans.
In Heart Of Country.
Statistics show that nearly all Of tho
water power development Of conse-
quence in the United States IL on the
edge of the country, from California.
along the Canadian border, and down
the Atlantic coast to Carolina, thence
across Georgia and Tennessee to Ala
bame. The Keoknk-Hamilton water
power project lie. really, the only very
large development in the heart Of the
country. This development exceeds
that Of any one state, except three,
New York, Maine and California. It
is about half the total size Of all five
companies at Niagara, on both sides
of the International boundry.
Recognizing the vast commercial i'm.
portance Of the power project cities
of Keokuk and Hamilton have COM
bined to celebrate the official opening
OF the enterprise. and this celebration
will be held In connection with the
| regatta. Governors OF Illinois, Iowa
and Missouri will be present for the
ceremonies and q fund Of 100000 has
been raised in those places for tho en-
tertainment Of visitors during the
three days.
viii illuminate Lake.
The power company has agreed to
illuminate the big lake with powerful
arc lights and search lights, in the i'm.
mediate neighborhood Of the race
| course, and has constructed observa-
ton platforms at various points on the
works, where visitors Will be taken by
guides for view OF the plant and its
extensions.
Recently the first boats passed
through the great lock. They were the
G. w. Hill OF the Wisherd line, and the
Sidney OF the Streckfus or Diamond
Joe line OF steamers. These are per-
haps. two OF the largest passenger
packets on the upper Mississippi, but
both were taken through the lock at
one time and there was plenty of room
to spare Enterprising moving picture
concerns were on hand and at present
| movie theaters all over the country
are showing the detail Of the great
project In the various forms OF opera
ton.
| Realization Of Dream.
| Although this power project has re-
| auired only about two and one-halt
years to finish, no less than forty
years was spent on the speculative
plans and forty months OF hard labor
on the Llue prints. In fact the crea.
ton of power at this point was a
dream to the earliest settlers and army
engineers but the matter Of raising
tWenty-seven millions of dollars to
make 1t reality was the stumbling
block. When Robert e. Lee was q
lieutenant In the old army and was
stationed near Keokuk, he made re
port to the war department on the
water power present in the Des Monies
rapids in the Mississippi As an en-
gineer he realized the immense power
| in the river at this point Of steep slope
and narrow canon between the bluns
and pointed out what the future would
develop.
From that era of belligerent indiana
to the first decade OF the twentieth
century the people OF the vicinity
never ceased to try to interest capita
in developing the power. AS q matter
OF fact this was next to impossible un
til the revival OF the era OF concrete
and engineering science applied tc
hydraulics had increased the efficiency
OF the turbine, and electrical science
applied to the dynamo and insulatOri
had increased the efficiency OF the
generator and the radius of trans
| mission. But these things all came
and with them the engineers and the
! money and now the optimists OF tht
vicinity OF Des Moines rapids see com
pleted and In operation the Creates
single water power project In thu
| world
The holding Of the boat races at thu
] time OF the dedication Of the plan
1 will no doubt draw to KeokukA thu
largest gathering OF boatmen ever to
gether In this country, but the regatt,
crowds this year will not be confnet
| to boatmen, for there will be thou
sands OF people from all parts Of tn,
country who will take advantage o
the opportunity to inspect at clos,
i range the wonderful engineering &C
complishment which has drawn man.
RACES OF attention from the scientih,
and popular magazines.