Mohave County miner., 1913-06-14
The Great Keokuk Dam.

OBJECT-To utilize power generated by the Mississippi river for the benefit of manufacturers and for lighting, heating, traction purposes. etc
 HORSEPOWER GENERATED--E -Eslimat- ed between 100000 aud 5000
 If mere biggness is the thing that appeals most to the minds of Amer jeans, as foreign critics of Uncle Sams nephews and nieces allege, every one in the United States ought to take the widest kind of interest in che tremen dous Keokuk dam across the Mssissi- ppi river. After three years of work the dam is now nearing completion. July will, it is eXpec ed, see it com pleted, with its lock and power house ready to begin it's benefcent work of supplying power to the two "cities of the saints," St. Paul and St. Louis, and "points between.'
 Barring the great Assouan dam on the Nile, the Keokuk dam is the big gest thing of it's kind on earth. Con- sidered as source of power, it is the biggest, for the purpose of the Assouan dam is irrigation, not power. The Keokuk dam has been thrown across the Mississippi between keokuk, la,, and Hamilton, Ill. It impounds the water of the Father of Waters," "here running oyer limestone bed that fur, nishes sure footing for the dam, and compels it to run sideways and turn the turbines that generate the power. It is the realization of cream of gen. erations, which seemed doomed to dis appointment when the government many years ago built canal and locks that aided navigation of the river and did nothing for power.
 Now the canal has been drowned" That result has been accomplished by the rising of the level of the river thirty-fve feet, making lake three to four miles in width and about forty, five miles long. The main dam at Keokuk is 4,570 feet in length from one shore to the power house, on the i[eo- kuk side, which is parallel with the shore and extends for l.700 feet in length There is lock for the river steamers between this powr house and the shore, and also the forebay. The dam is of the bridge type, thirty five feet in height. with arches of .thir- ty feet span between piers six feet wide. The arches are filled with con crete to twenty feet helow the crown. and steel gates sliding vertically on the face of the bridge close to the up- per space of each arch.
 In the power house are located if teen turbines, each direct connected to 7,500 kilowatt generator. These generating units are ranged in line in the power house, and space has been left for fifteen more, as the demand for the power expands.
 The dan is expected to add many millions to the wealth of the American people. As long ago as lS4S the value of the Mississippi rapids as a possible source of power was realized and a company was formed, with capital stock of l,000,0 ,000S, for the purpose of improving navigation and harnessing the water power. Years and decades passed, however, without anything be. ing done, save the construction by the government of the navigation canal mentioned above.
 Twelve years ago the project was revived in Keokuk went to work in earnest to make use of the abundant power flowing away to waste at her feet. After considerable solicitation congress, which controls the Mississip- pi as a navigable stream, was induced to give it's consent to the building of the dam and the incident destruction of the old canal.
 Before the franchise could be obtain ed from congress it was necessary for the promoters to agree to replace the old canal and it's three locks with one immense lock, which would allow the boats and rafts to ascend and descend from one water level to another, re- place the old drydock with another and furnish electric power to operate both the dam and new lock forever without cost to the government,