The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-26
york was done on the project.

gauge cars, twenty tons to the car,
would make train over fifteen hun
dred miles long.
The total length of the dam, power
house, lock. dry dock and sea wall
forming the dam complete is about
5000 feet. The power house is LIS
feet long, 1923 feet wide and 1873 feet
high. The lock is ITO feet wide and
400 feet long, in the clear, with
maximum lift of forty-one feet. The
dry dock is 400 fee. long and 16S
feet wide. There are thirty turbines,
each capable of generating a max
imum of 10000 horse power.
Retrospective.
In January. 1910, the firm of Cooper
and Powelson was dissolved, Mr..
Powelson retiring. The work and
plan of building the dam was the
work and plan OF Hugh L. Cooper. He
was the directing and constructing
genius. Stone & Webster, the An.
anciers, were tho men behind the
guns.
The Stone & Webster Engineering
Corporation built the superstructure OF
the power house and the transmission
lines, handled the accounting and
financial departments. More than
twenty millions OF dollars was paid
out
Every promise made during con-
struction was fulfilled. Every con-
tract carried out. Every bill paid
when due. An open, fair and gener-
GUS policy was adopted by both Mr..
Cooper and the Stone & Webster En-
cheering Corporation in their trans
actions with the public and their en-
ployes when the work started, and
was continued to the end. The result
was that there were comparatively no
labor troubles and but little litigation
| in comparison to the work accomp-
| lished.
In the spring OF 1911, the Missis-
sippi River Power Company succeed
ed the Keokuk & Hamilton Water
Power company, and is now the own
er Of the entire plant and equipment.
The dam, power house, lock, dry
dock and appurt combined con-
stitute the largest water power plant
in the world, the concrete construc-
tion being exceeded only by the Pan
ANA canal The total cost when fully
equipped will be about s30,OOo,00O.
| From the beginning to the end we
were assisted by many good friends,
including members of the senate and
the house of representatives, particu-
larly by Senator Allison and Senator
Dolliver OF iowa, Senator Hopkins and
Senator Cullom Of Illinois. Senator
Berry of Arkansas and Senator Elk
ms of West Virginia.
Congressman Marsh of Illinois and
Congressman Hedge Of Iowa rendered
us invaluable service. Speaker Can
non gave as most kindly consideration.
Congressman w. P. Hepburn, OF Iowa,
chairman of the interstate and for
eign commerce committee, was Hike
father to us when we appeared before
his committee. and helped us In every
legitimate way.
Congressman Sherman Of New
York, Lloyd and shackelford OF Mis-
souri,, Lowering Of Massachusetts,,
Mann Of Illinois, Moon OF Tennessee,
Adamson and Griggs Of Georgia, were
particularly helpful in getting the
enabling act through congress. The
entire delegations from Iowa, Illinois
and Missouri were friendly. We made
no enemies and never spent a single
dollar to influence legislation Our
relations with the war department.
with whom we had much to do, were
most cordial General Alexander Nc
Kenzie, chief of engineers at the
time our bill was passed, extended to
us every courtesy.
OF the original twenty-five men who
started the proposition in 1899, Sam
M. Clark died in 1900; G. p Birge and
George D. Rand In 1903; John N.
Irwin and Edmund Jaeger in 1905; D.
]. Ayres in 1909; and James Cameron
in 1912. John N. Irwin, F. w. Da-
Wis, w. ]. Roberts, d. A. Collier and
C. II. Albers succeeded c.. P. Birge,
Sam NJ. Clark, George D. Rand, Ed
mund Jaeger and F. ]. Weber Mr.
! Albers died In 1912.
/ We meet today to celebrate the sub
stantial completion of the enterprise
started by these men more than four
teen years ago. The magnificent
structures standing in the mighty riv-
er are the monuments of their fore
sight and persistency They worked
and wrought, year in and year out,
without the hope of fee or reward.
To do their city and their country
good was their only ambition The
lgoal has been reached through many
perpleXities and many bitter dicap-
lpointments, The cost has been enor-
nous. In addition to the millions of
dollars, the work has taken it's toll OF
human life and human endeavor We
believe the benefits to be derived by
this and future generations Justify
the expenditure. The end has come
and we rejoice with our friends that
the dream of our fathers has been